RHA Nalgene program aims to reduce waste

Students throw away 1,280 red-and-white Coca-Cola cups each week at the Market food court in the Indiana Memorial Union alone, said Market Manager John Shay.\nJunior Andrea Webster knew something had to change.\nLast September, Webster had an idea. She knew that recycling was available in every residence hall on campus, but she wanted a way to reduce waste in the dining halls. The solution Webster created is just beginning to be phased in on campus, though she isn't at IU to see the results.\nFreshman Sarah Colan has taken over what has been dubbed the "Green Nalgene" project for Webster while she studies abroad in France.\n"I heard about the Residence Hall Association and it sounded like a great way to get involved," Colan said. "This is really Andrea's baby -- I'm just carrying it on and seeing it through."\nThe idea is simple -- a person purchases a Nalgene bottle for $3 ($2 for students living in the residence halls) and then can reuse it for only the refill cost, which is 35 cents at any dining hall on campus. \nThe project is continuing to grow, as places off campus are slowly becoming involved.\n"I've been talking to places off campus who would be interested in letting people come in and refill," Colan said.\nThe Read Center, McDonald's, the Den and Dagwood's are currently accepting the bottles.\nWithout advertisement, more than 90 bottles have been sold since Jan. 17, Colan said. Fraternities and sororities on campus have already purchased group orders.\nDuring the sale, RHA registered the sale of 48 bottles in a 2-hour period. The next sales are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 14 and 15 in various food courts and residence centers around campus.\nFreshmen Jessica Wilson has already purchased her green Nalgene bottle and is excited to be using it.\n"I love the Nalgene project because it helps the environment," Wilson said. "You're doing something amazing and for $2, you get a bottle that can be refilled each time you eat for just the refill price. How awesome is that?" \nAdam Wiszowaty, vice president of programming for IU's Residence Hall Association, encourages all students to take this opportunity to help out and "give a sh*t." The "give a sh*t" phrase was originally coined during the 2004 national voting campaign and is used to show student passion for a particular cause. It's now being geared toward recycling and the environment.\n"As students, we all claim that we want to help the environment and recycle but how often do we actually take the time to do it?" Wiszowaty asked. "Simply by owning and using one of the green Nalgenes, students can show that they really do 'give a sh*t' by not wasting the paper cups in the food court at every meal."\nFor now, student organizations can purchase bulk orders by e-mailing RHA at rha@indiana.edu, while individual students should wait for the next sale to buy a bottle.\n"Right now, we're really trying to get it out there, get people talking and excited about it," Colan said. "And hopefully we can carry this right on through to next year"