Better Yourself and the Environment

College is all about learning new things, new concepts, new ideas, and new things about yourself. With this in mind I began to think of ways that I could not only learn about the importance of recycling, but also how I could help make a difference. With Morgan by my side the two of us worked together to develop ways where we can help save the environment and also improve our everyday lifestyles.

We began by collecting recycling bins and dispersing them throughout the two floors in our dorm that we lived on. Placing them in the bathrooms, and major hallways on the floors. To make sure that the bins did not go unnoticed we posted signs explaining the purpose of the bins, and the value that they had on the environment. We each held a brief meeting with the girls on the hall to explain in full detail what the plan was, and the purpose that we had for doing this project. Everyone seemed more than willing to help out.

At the end of every week we went around and collected the bins to be recycled. There was much more paper and waste than had been anticipated. With the results we collected we both felt a feeling of success and accomplishment. Throughout the duration of the project we collected a great deal of paper, nearly twice as much as we had originally anticipated, to be recycled along with plastic and Styrofoam. We were very excited with the outcome of our project.

People care about the environment more than we had thought and that made our efforts well worth the time. The project had turned out to be a success even after the late start. We are very happy with our efforts and our outcome.

Although Morgan and I primarily worked on this together we did do a few things on our own. She might have added a few things that I did not do. This helped to individualize our projects and papers.

Along with the recycling aspect of this project I also tried to better my living style by cutting down on excess water I used during showers, while brushing my teeth, and washing my face daily. I minimized my shower time from fifteen minutes to ten minutes and saved gallons of water just from that. When brushing my teeth with the water running I filled up one gallon milk jug. Now that I turn off the water while I brush my teeth I save up to three gallons of water a day. All of these small tasks will help the environment and also my living style.

Reaction

Was the effort put into this project really worth the outcome that I received? Since a majority of this project revolved around the initial planning it took a lot of work prior to the start of the project itself. Once all the pre-planning had been done, the actual project itself was not that bad and easy to follow through with.

Following through on this project really kept me focused on what was important. With the extra information I received from a little added research that I did, I realized all the work that actually needs to be done in order to repair our environment. The small amount of work that I did is only a slight percentage of all that really needs to be done. Knowing that I did contribute to the start of making this world better, makes me feel as though I have done what I could to save the earth that I live on. Of course, we cannot stop here.

I have decided to continue on with the recycling project. Many of the girls on my hall have offered to take part in the project as well. The more people involved and aware of what needs to be done, the greater the possibility that something will actually be done.

Every step taken to help the earth whether big or small is very beneficial. If I have even convinced two other people to help me with this project then I have done my job. More importantly I have taught myself the importance of recycling and saving water. I know that I will continue with these actions for as long as I possibly can. They have become a habit and part of my every day life.

I think that I received the most I possibly could from this project. I proved to myself that I could change my habits to better the environment. I also showed myself that I can convince others to change their habits if I believe strongly enough in what I am preaching about. I enjoyed working on this project and I think that both Morgan and I learned a lot from this activity.