Facilities Services and The Bullet Hole Sponsor Reusable Bag Sustainability Effort
Students were provided with reusable bags in order to avoid a 10 cent charge for every plastic, non-reusable bag they take (Photo Mary Frasier/The Gettysburgian).
By Ben Simon, Contributing Writer
The Bullet Hole, in conjunction with Facilities & Services, announced that, beginning on September 16th, there will be a new program wherein students have to supply their own reusable bags or otherwise face a 10-cent surcharge for every non-reusable shopping bag they take.
“We preach sustainability, but we fail to practice it,” said Lauren Ahlquist, Director of Services & Communication in the Facilities Services Office. She hopes that with this new program, the campus can continue a trend towards sustainability, adding, “If it’s a habit that students can get into, then that’s great.”
According to Ahlquist, first-year students should have already received bags, but Community Advisors (CAs) and House Leaders will be distributing them out to upperclassmen in the coming weeks.
The decision to put a price tag behind the plastic bags has sparked praises from some in the student body.
“I think it’ll work, as students always have their backpacks with them. Otherwise, I don’t think they’d care about paying 10 cents for a plastic bag,” Henry Namiot ‘23 said.
The plastic bags in Bullet Hole will come with a cost, in order to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced by the campus community.
“I think it’s a good way to reduce waste… I know that students always bring the plastic bags outside and then throw them out immediately,” said Chance Antonio ‘23.
For Facilities & Services and the Bullet Hole, this is only a first step to be taken towards sustainability.
“Every year,” Ahlquist said, “we’re looking for more.”
September 16, 2019
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