“October,” “December,” “August” and “soon” represent the different deadlines by which the university has continuously pledged to administer a new university-wide comprehensive recycling plan.
As of now, Michael Harris, who replaced Paul Musgrave as the associate vice president for Administrative Services in the Physical Facilities Management Department, projects that the recycling plan which has already been drafted will be fully implemented by the fall of 2009.
This announcement comes after the Howard University Student Association (HUSA) drafted a resolution last semester to have a recycling plan implemented by Dec. 1, 2008.
The date was agreed upon by Musgrave and Howard President Sidney A. Ribeau, according to Musgrave and HUSA President Nicholas Owen.
Yet, the date has come and gone and no visible signs of improvement have been seen around campus. HUSA Policy and Planning Director Jared Smith said he can understand if students are “discouraged” or “frustrated” by the lack of noticeable improvements.
However, he said the Physical Facilities Management is working on improvements around campus.
“From what they have been telling us,” Smith said, “they are working on sustainability.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Sustainable development marries two important themes: that environmental protection does not preclude economic development and that economic development must be ecologically viable now and in the long run.”
Besides sustainable development –– which can be epitomized by the remodeling of the biology greenhouse and the university’s contract with Honeywell –– Harris said the university is currently working on ordering additional bins for pick up of white and shredded paper.
However, Musgrave told The Hilltop in an October 2008 interview that the university is waiting to hire a team of managers to handle the implementation of the recycling plan. Until then, the university will wait to take the best route with the plan.
The team of managers was projected to be assembled sometime in Nov. 2008 to begin working to meet the projected December deadline.
To date, the team of managers has not been assembled, according to Harris.
“The [council] implementation under which we will monitor the plan has taken somewhat longer than we originally anticipated,” he said. “This committee needs to examine the most effective option under which we can implement a recycling plan.”
According to Smith, HUSA plans to draft another resolution to present a “united front” to the administration to show that students want to see a recycling plan implemented.
Students wishing to take a proactive approach to recycling can take their recyclables to various drop-off sites around the D.C. area located within 10 miles of Howard University.
These free-of-charge sites are listed on Earth911.com.
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