Many people dream of making a positive impact on the world, whether it be by living a green lifestyle, opening an orphanage or creating a nonprofit to help those in need.
Chiu-Chu Ting, an ASU student getting her master's degree in fiber art, actually acted on that dream of changing the world. Or at least ASU's campus.
In an effort to raise awareness for recycling, Ting is asking students to give white or pale-colored shirts to her so she can print the location of recycling bins around the Tempe campus on them. Ting will then return the newly printed shirts to their former owners in hopes they will wear them around campus promoting the cause. At press time, Ting had 20 participants.
According to the Global Institute of Sustainability, there are currently 1,200 recycling bins on campus, not including desk-side bins, which number in the hundreds.
Ting says she was inspired by Jack Johnson's song "3 Rs," which appeared on the Curious George soundtrack. The Rs the song is referring to are reduce, re-use and recycle.
Ting, who grew up in Taiwan, says she found the lack of places to recycle on campus disheartening, along with the lack of variety of what she could recycle.
"At ASU, I did not see any recycling bins, outside of bins expressly used for recycling paper, except in the Fine Arts area. This made me sad," Ting says. "I though it was ironic; we are advertising sustainability so much now on campus, but not taking proactive steps."
Ting says Johnson was the one who helped her make up her mind to do something about the problem.
"As a singer, he is trying to make this issue important to society," Ting says, "As an artist, I can do so too."
Melissa Budzak, an ASU art education and photography student, said she heard of Ting's project originally through a flier on campus.
"I'm normally more of a quiet environmentalist," says Budzak, who takes her bottles and cans home with her from school to recycle. "But having [more] bins on campus would be much more convenient."
Ting is also hoping the recipients of her printed shirts will participate in her Earth Day activity April 22.
Ting plans to wear one of her printed shirts and collect recyclable material on campus in bags made from recyclable clothes around campus. Ting will then take the recycled items to the Global Institute of Sustainability.
Trace Main, a global studies junior, says he will participate in Ting's Earth Day activity if he finds time between writing papers.
Main used an organic cotton "Sustainable Edition" American Apparel shirt for the printing project, as did Budzak.
"It seemed appropriate," Main says.
Main became interested in Ting's project after seeing her wearing one of her shirts on campus.
"This issue demands social responsibility," Main says of environmentalism. "It's really about ethics and awareness."
Main says he believes that if people realize their actions have an effect on everything and everyone around them, then there is a duty to be environmentally friendly.
Dawn Ratcliffe, the Global Institute of Sustainability's recycling coordinator, says the institute is working on improving the recycling options available to students at the Tempe Campus by the summer or early fall.
"It's just a matter of funding and finalizing contracts right now," Ratcliffe says.
Bonny Bentzin, the manager of university sustainability practices at the Global Institute of Sustainability, says the proposed new recycling program is key to ASU's long-term environmental goals.
Bentzin says the new recycling program will increase the rate and profile of recycling on campus through more recycling bin locations and by educating students.
"I think it's important for students to get involved," Bentzin says. "I hope that [Ting] will be just as willing to contribute time to helping make the new program a success."
If you are interested in getting your own shirt with ASU's recycling bin locations printed on it, or participating in recyclable item collection on Earth Day on April 22, please contact Chiu-Chu Ting at Chiu-Chu.Ting@asu.edu.
