In my past three years at the University, The Cavalier Daily has paid close attention to every issue within the University community. However, it is time for the University to bring its attention to a certain issue that has remained under the radar until now: fraternity recycling, or the lack thereof. Every weekend, fraternities in our community have parties and generate waste that is entirely recyclable: aluminum cans, cups and cardboard cases can all be recycled in the area. However, many fraternities simply throw these waste products in the trash. The University cannot continue to ignore this problem any longer. Though numerous practices and procedures have been brought forward to increase sustainability awareness and practice at the University, the Greek community has remained exempt from this otherwise thorough initiative.
Aluminum cans are ubiquitous; however, they take approximately 400 years to decompose in a typical landfill. The main material used in can production is bauxite, an ore that is mined all over the world. In addition to the environmental and human rights violations that bauxite mining companies make in developing countries, it takes 95 percent more energy to manufacture a can from new bauxite than from recycled aluminum.
Last Friday night, our group, the Greek Recycling Coalition, set out recycling bins at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity in an attempt to understand just how much trash is generated that could be recycled. After strategically placing recycling bins throughout the house, we returned Saturday morning to find, perhaps as expected, that a large proportion of the recyclable waste was not in the bins, but scattered throughout the house. However, that seems to be typical for all fraternity houses. After we collected 12 large bags worth of cans, we were presented with a new problem, namely where to take the recyclables. Having attempted to recycle on Grounds, we eventually had to drive to the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority on McIntire Road. There, we spent another hour draining the cans of the remaining liquid and sorting the waste into the bins. If we want Greek recycling to be a realistic goal, we must find an easier way for fraternity brothers to properly dispose of their waste.
The Greek community faces a unique problem in the large amount of recycling waste generated from these parties. On Saturday morning, twelve oversized garbage bags full of only cans were collected from the PIKA house. This is too much to simply place in the city's Green recycling bins; one party's waste would fill two dozen bins. Additionally, the city recycling system picks up on Thursdays, and five days is far too long for that much trash to sit out.
We have been working with a private recycling company and will hopefully set up a permanent system with them; however, there are still two hurdles to overcome. One is finding the funding for this undertaking, estimated at $2,000 a year, and second is encouraging fraternities to be responsible world citizens and recycle their waste. This private company will cart all recyclables and sort it themselves. We believe that to find a sustainable solution, it must be just as easy to recycle this waste as it is to throw it in the trash.
The funding issue has only led us to more questions. The lack of financial accountability for this project may be attributed to the fraternities' complex status within the larger University community. In most cases, a private corporation, not the brotherhoods, own the houses, leaving little discretion to the brothers over the maintenance of their homes and headquarters. Because of this complicated management system, it is difficult to discern who is and who should be in command of a waste recycling system. It is my understanding that the brothers pay dues to the corporations who own the houses, who in turn arrange for the trash to be carted. These private companies must be negotiated with by the fraternities and the University if a Greek recycling program is to become a reality.
We are asking the community to encourage fraternities to recycle their waste, and for University students who engage in Greek life to hold their fraternal organizations responsible. If you have any ideas or resources on how to remedy this currently broken system, please contact me.
Marnie Coons is a member of the Greek Recycling Coalition. She can be reached at mdc4c@virginia.edu
Read More
Letters to the Editor: The resignation of University President Jim Ryan
3 days agoFollowing this resignation, The Cavalier Daily has received letters from the University community which provide various perspectives on what this moment means to them and to the University’s future.
EDITORIAL: U.Va.’s path forward begins in the shadows of administrative silence
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoAs it stands, students will be returning to Grounds with no concrete sense of who will be at the helm of this institution and little reason to trust the governing body, which has made no attempt to explain or justify its actions.
GARVIE: U.Va. Health is rapidly falling behind on its responsibility to patients
By Adeline Garvie | July 19, 2025While gender-affirming care is one of the biggest ways U.Va. Health is falling short, it is not the only one.
