The Annandale campus Green Club promote recycling awareness by turning everyday trash into art. / Photo by: Kama Storie

Throughout the first week of school the Annandale chapter of the NOVA Green Club made a showing of environmental awareness by conducting a Recycling Blitz in the campus cafeteria.

Unlike the Eco-Rage held last semester on the same campus, the Recycling Blitz was a less dazzling affair but no less effective in its ability to make the club visible, especially to the Annandale administration, which seems to have taken notice of the efforts of the club to make the school greener.

During the Recycling Blitz, the NOVA Green Club constructed spherical green decorations made from reused plastic bottles, which members plucked from the trash, painted green and tied together to form bright orbs. The purpose of these devices is to acts as beacons for students, faculty and staff by being hung over recycling bins to show where they are located.

One might think that it’s obvious where the recycle bins are. However, the club members filled a storage box full of recyclable bottles that they pulled out of the trash bins in the CF Building, giving evidence that the bins needs more attention drawn to them.

Spear-headed by the club’s president, Northern Virginia Community College sophomore Jessica Miller, the goal of the Blitz was to inform students that recycling is a valued program at the college.

The Annandale campus Green Club promote recycling awareness by creating art from trash. From left: Diana Henry: Secretary, Jessica Miller: President. / Photo By: Kama Storie

There was also another reason for conducting the Blitz during the first week of school.

“We are doing the Blitz the first week of school so that students can set a pattern of recycling,” explained Miller. “Participation is a crucial part of the member’s success with both the institutional recycling program as well as communicating with the administration who oversees it.”.

Once it is clear the students are interested in recycling, then it’s much easier to work with the administration. There does have to be give and take, however. Such as having an administration that is interested in providing a green environment in which students can learn. “After the Recycling Blitz, there were great lines of communication opened up between administration and the students. We reached our hand across the table, and they reached right back,” declared Miller.

This is good news for the students of NOVA, who merely by expressing their interest in the Green Club showed that they are invested in making it a greener environment.

By: Ashley Strobridge

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