This year’s Zero Waste Week was April 20 – 24, with Earth Day on April 22.
For years, students have been taught the harmful impacts of high waste generation and energy consumption on the environment. U.S. schools across the country produce thousands of tons of waste daily and hundreds of thousands annually. Schools are additionally massive consumers of energy, producing an estimated 72 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. This waste comes from a multitude of sources, including single-use plastics in lunch packaging, paper products, laboratory chemicals, art supplies, cleaning agents, and pesticides on school grounds.
This begs the question: what can Bellarmine do to reduce waste and help the environment and why is it so essential? Bellarmine prides itself on its Jesuit values that include Caring for Our Common Home—among others. This value relates to sustainability in many ways.
When asked how these two things are connected, junior John Gathigi stated, “Earth is everybody’s home and during Zero Waste Week we are reflecting that because we are taking care of our common home.”
When asked the same question, science teacher Parent said “Everything that [Bellarmine] consume as individuals comes from the Earth and some resource of the Earth. So, if we can reduce our use, particularly single-use things, then we have saved resources from being overused and making the Earth a better place.”
Gathigi said, “Recycling and putting everything in the right bin is important. Bellarmine is a really big school and we use a lot of energy that we don’t need. For example, the summer time is coming up. We don’t need all these lights on in the hallways.”
Other things that Bellarmine students can do to reduce waste at school include choosing digital copies for class work, turning off classroom lights when they leave, and volunteering at the Greenhouse. However, in order for Zero Waste Week to be impactful, students must continue putting in effort in their everyday lives.
Student Lyla Hulse states, “Bellarmine should consistently encourage people to be mindful of their waste. Zero Waste Week is short, so having long-term goals to recycle and care for the environment is important.”
So, even as Zero Waste Week ends, make an effort in your day-to-day life to see how you can aid the environment and carry out the principle of caring for your common home.
