Guilty conscience: recycling

To start off with, I am a strong supporter of recycling. But, as a busy college student, I guiltily admit, I have been slacking in the recycling department.

First, I have to describe the recycling situation at our apartment complex. There is one central recycling center down the road. And each apartment complex is about a hundred feet from a dumpster. Myself and my three roommates barley have time to take the trash out, nevertheless recycle.

Before college, my family was very active in recycling. And while living in the dorms freshman year at Colorado State, my roommate and I recycled, as the trash and recycling bins were right next to each other.

Now, recycling isn't so easy. Especially when the convenience level decreases. In fact, inconvenience seems to be the number one reason people choose not to recycle, as seen in these articles: "Why People Don't Recycle" and "5 reasons why people don't recycle and 5 reasons they should."

I think Colorado State and some other local businesses, such as Mugs and the Starbucks on Elizabeth and City Park, are increasing that convenience, making recycling easier; trashcans and recycling bins are side-by-side. Unfortunately, sometimes in order to make more people recycle, that convenience needs to be there. Businesses, waste management and the city can make that happen. However, responsibility still lies in the hands of the consumer. People, myself included, need to make more of an effort as well. Together, both parties can make that guilty recycler conscience disappear.