That infamous red plastic party cup could – and should – soon become a relic of the past.
UCLA’s Greek system would do well to adopt a collaborative sustainability council that would serve to oversee the environmental impact of fraternities and sororities without compromising their social activities.
Individual efforts within the Greek system have recently sprouted, notably Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s decision to use compostable cups rather than the typical red cups that often end up tossed in the trash and eventually piled up in landfills.
This quarter, the fraternity partnered with Repurpose Compostables, a company that manufactures plant-based compostable cups that fully decompose within months.
Ryan Nelson, a second-year international development studies student and house manager of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, examined his fraternity’s cup use last fall and found that they used more than 20,000 cups each quarter.
Multiply that number by 18 – the number of remaining fraternities governed by the Interfraternity Council – and that brings us to 360,000 cups per quarter, assuming cup use does not vary significantly from house to house.
Cups are just one example. And it is not enough to ask of each chapter to individually do the same. Rather, initiatives like this should be unified across the Greek system in order to maximize environmental benefits.
For example, the University of Maryland employed a systemwide initiative among the 14 houses on their fraternity row that resulted in a 12 percent decrease in energy consumption.
UCLA’s existing efforts, however, appear to be sporadic.
Participation in eco-friendly activities varies as each house approaches sustainability differently, without a centralized method of tracking their environmental footprint. In particular, the Panhellenic Council, which oversees 13 sorority houses at UCLA, is not responsible for managing a budget dedicated to “green” expenses, nor does it keep track of waste generated by sorority houses.
Sorority houses strive to install energy-efficient appliances, said Ashley Naff, a third-year psychobiology student and president of the Panhellenic Council. Her particular house, Gamma Phi Beta, has installed low-flow shower heads and toilets in order to conserve water. It also recycles any paper plates used on the weekends when the house kitchen is closed.
However, Naff was unable to speak for other sororities and said there is no unified recycling program among all the houses.
With 15 percent of the student population involved in Greek life, a systemwide campaign would create an excellent opportunity for initiating an off-campus sustainability movement.
The Greek system’s access to outside funding provides an additional advantage for setting a green example. Some members of the Greek community are working to revive a student organization known as Green the Greeks, which has been inactive in recent years.
After hearing about the group at a recent sustainability workshop, Jennifer Mann, a first-year geography and environmental studies student, said she would be willing to help reinstate the organization. Mann is a member of Delta Gamma’s individual sustainability crew and has been meeting with other students in order to decide how best to proceed.
But sustainability should not be left to the whims of student interest.
If UCLA truly wants to meet its goal of zero waste by 2020, Greek life is an important sector of the community that requires a more concerted effort facilitated by a permanent governing body.
