Small town USA is not typically thought of as being sustainable. However, on Tuesday we toured Oklahoma State’s own recycling center. I learned through many things that no matter where you live and what your income may be, you can still strive towards sustainable efforts. One of the many things OSU has implemented in their recycling program is the reuse of compost as fertilizer for campus. This is a great way to 1. Keep things local and 2. Reuse natural materials. If OSU did not have a designated department to these efforts, they would be spending extra money, energy and time into constantly repurchasing items such as fertilizer or new furniture. These efforts have helped OSU become a more independent university when it comes to finding supplies to sustain the school and financially. For example, if there were ever to be a shortage of a natural food or fertilizer, it may affect most schools, but because OSU provides their own, they would remain untouched.
Before I came to Stillwater, my family was very big on having a compost pile. I never really understood the benefits of it and when I came here eventually fell out of the habit of throwing food in its own separate pile. After our visit to the sustainability office and seeing the true benefits of having a compost, it inspired me to get back into habit in my own life. How can we implement these recycling methods from large operations to our daily lives?
