On Friday, April 8, the ETSU EcoNuts were at the recycling center behind Buc Ridge Apartments, sorting through bags of collected recycling material as part of their sustainability initiative on campus.
The bags consisted of plastic bottles, aluminum cans and other types of material that must be separated and grouped together in order to undergo the recycling process.
ETSU Sustainability Coordinator Erica Malpass was present at the event and shared insight into the EcoNuts: who they are, what they do and why they do it.
“The EcoNuts are [an] ETSU sustainability student organization,” Malpass said. “They are all paid student workers, but they focus mainly on spreading sustainability initiatives across campus… and educating.”
They aim to not just make a change on campus but also hope to ignite change within the community by sharing ways people can be sustainable in their everyday lives.
Malpass said that the EcoNuts “host a ton of events to try and get everyone involved.” She shared that it is vital to spread awareness and increase involvement in order to make progress in their sustainability goals.
One of the goals that the EcoNuts are focusing on right now is campus-wide recycling.
“Knowing how to properly recycle is a huge issue, not just here; it’s everywhere,” Malpass said.
Malpass mentioned this is a busy time for the EcoNuts and ETSU’s Department of Sustainability. With Earth Day approaching on April 22, they have designated the entire month of April as Earth Month and are hosting a plethora of activities to celebrate leading up to Earth Day Fest, which is happening on Earth Day.
“We are recruiting vendors and organizations on campus as well as in the community to come out, table, show what they’re doing for their sustainable initiatives,” Malpass said.
Earth Day Fest will have free music, swag and tie dye, as well as giveaways. Earth Day Fest will also host the first ever pop-up shop of the Department of Sustainability’s new project: the Free Store.
Malpass describes the Free Store as a “free resource for everyone who might need clothing or if they just want some new clothing.” She adds that they hope to have a permanent location coming soon, so anyone can shop anytime they want to.
For a full list of events coming up, visit the Department of Sustainability’s website: etsu.edu/sustainability, or connect with ETSU Sustainability on instagram: @gogreenetsu.
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