To: Arthur Vailas, President

Idaho State University Recycling

Idaho State University should have recycling containers more readily available throughout campus

To ISU President Arthur Vailas and the ISU Sustainability Committee:
We, the undersigned students, faculty, and staff of Idaho State University, believe that recycling and sustainability are important components of a campus environment. Encouraging campus community members to consider the impact our actions have on our Earth reflects the reasons people choose to work at or attend a university: to have a positive impact in our community and in the world. ISU’s placement of recycling bins in select locations on campus are a movement toward responsible sustainability, but many campus community members are unaware of the existence of such bins and/or do not frequent the current recycling locations.
Therefore, in order to show that ISU is committed to a recycling-friendly environment, to make sustainability a more prominent ideal of ISU, and to ensure recycling becomes part of the ISU community’s mindset, we urge the leaders of this campus to place recycling containers on every floor of every building across campus. By following the example already set by numerous universities across the nation, ISU would become a leader in sustainability in the Pocatello community. Through this action, ISU would show its commitment to a sustainable future for the students, faculty, and staff it has welcomed over the years. Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.
Drafted by St. John’s Catholic Student Center, October 2012

Why is this important?

Universities across the country have taken leadership in educating about and promoting sustainablity, but ISU is behind in this important issue. Many ISU students, faculty, and staff carry empty soda cans or stacks of paper around until we find one of the few recycling containers on campus. Others do not bother. As members of the ISU community, we want clearly marked recycling containers available all over campus as part of a university commitment to sustainability.