Our world is facing a growing pollution crisis and we, as Denisonians, need to do everything we can to minimize this crisis.  One of the most widespread and damaging waste products littered across the earth is plastic. In 2018 alone, the United States created 35,680 tons of plastic waste and less than 9% of it was recycled . Plastic does not decompose, making it impossible to dispose of sustainably. Instead of decomposing, plastic gets broken down into tiny toxic pieces through exposure to the sun. When plastic is thrown away it either goes to a landfill to sit in the ground for thousands of years, slowly leaking toxic sludge into the earth, or the plastic gets incinerated and releases harmful toxins into the air. Needless to say, these are both poor “solutions.” Plastic also ends up littering the environment where it breaks down into microscopic particles, sometimes in as little as a year. Microscopic plastic pieces have even been found in tap and bottled water.  These bits of plastic are made of toxic chemicals and easily end up in the guts of animals, absorbed into plants and can even be found inside our bodies. We are endangering ourselves, plants and animals by continuing to use plastic at this unnecessary and unsustainable rate. 

In light of all this information, it is beyond troubling that such a progressive institution as Denison University is still openly justifying the use of single-use plastics. Denison has the resources to abolish single-use plastics on campus. By packaging many options at Slayter in single-use plastics, Denison is promoting harmful and unsustainable practices. It is impossible to justify the convenience single-use plastic brings us over the health of our fellow humans. How can Denison claim to be a “community in which individuals respect one another and their environment” while continuing to use single use plastics? 

We, as the student body of Denison University, demand the University in conjunction with Bon Appetit institute greenies at all the dining establishments on campus that allow takeout. We insist the university abolish disposable take out containers and replace them with Greenies. Greenies are the reusable container option currently provided in Slayter Dining Hall. A student requests their meal in a greenie and then returns the greenie the next time they get a meal. The greenie is sanitized by Bon Appetit and used again. Requiring all students who want takeout to use a greenie, will prevent the overflow of disposable containers in trash bins and makes our campus much more sustainable. We demand this change occurs by the time school begins in August. Students want more sustainable options instead of using single-use plastic. It would not be difficult to implement Greenies universally--students would only have to receive a carabiner when they entered campus. Once this became the default system no one would complain about it. It is time Denison does the minimum to safeguard our future.

https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20plastics%20generation%20was,measure%20the%20recycling%20of%20plastic​

 https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-long-does-it-take-for-plastics-to-biodegrade.htm​

 https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-long-does-it-take-for-plastics-to-biodegrade.htm​

https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-040-03/#:~:text=Although%20liners%20and%20leachate%20collection,that%20escapes%20from%20a%20landfill.&text=The%20USEPA%20has%20concluded%20that,Environmental%20Protection%20Agency%2C%201988​

https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25496/singleUsePlastic_sustainability.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y​

https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-long-does-it-take-for-plastics-to-biodegrade.htm​

https://denison.edu/campus/about/vision-values