I never knew that throwing out garbage could be as challenging as a math exam. At Collegetown Bagels, there’s a whole line of bins—compost, paper, plastic, glass, redeemables, trash—for disposing of waste. As I stood in front of them holding a paper plate with a tiny bit of unfinished bagel, some used napkins, and a Snapple bottle with a little juice left in it, I thought, I’m supposed to separate this how? To this day I’m still not sure if I got it right.
I was aware of Ithaca’s reputation for environmental sustainability prior to coming to school here—but I was naïve enough to think it wouldn’t affect me. Growing up on Long Island, there was never any pressure to be environmentally conscious. My sustainable habits began and ended with the bottles and cans my family would put out at the curb for collection; if the recycling bin was full or it was more convenient to throw something away, I wouldn’t think twice about it. But now, after living in Ithaca for two years, sustainability has become a part of my daily life.
Although my efforts may be small, I have learned that even minor changes can make a difference—like turning off the light when leaving a room, making sure the dishwasher is completely filled before running it, using the water-saving setting on the washing machine, and carrying reusable grocery bags when I shop at Wegmans.
I’ll admit there are still plenty of things I could improve on; for example I’ll probably never trade my car for the TCAT bus. However, each year I live in Ithaca, I become more environmentally aware. And at least now I can navigate the trash bins at Collegetown Bagels.
— Lyndsay Isaksen
Image by Ari Moore via flickr (Creative Commons 2.0)Â