NYU "Goes" Green

In recent years, NYU has taken the stance that they are committed to going "green." Dorms are equipped with recycling rooms, and there are contests every year to see which dorm can use the least amount of energy. This semester alone, our unlimited printing was cut, and instead the school applied a 500 page/semester limit due not only to budget cuts, but also because this was seen as more sustainable. The school also discontinued publishing a free student planer for similar reasons. And just last week, I got an email from my dorm notifying the residents that they would be giving us purple recycling bins for our rooms to encourage recycling.

But the way NYU goes about this is not always sustainable. When you enter the computer labs there are signs posted everywhere that say "DO NOT WASTE PAPER." But this itself is a waste of paper. Likewise, because of the limits, students have had to find other options for printing. For instance, I have had to use a printer that my dorm offers to students (and while it is free, you have to bring your own paper). However, this printer does not offer a double sided option for printing, so a lot of paper ends up getting wasted. A 20 page document that can be printed for a mere 10 pages at the printing labs takes the full 20 pages. Also, those recycling bins that the residence hall is giving out is made of plastic which is definitely not an environmentally friendly material.

Thus, it is the given pull of the unconscious vs. conscience. People associate that they are attending a sustainable university that is environmentally conscious but they fail to realize that sometimes, the school's methods of going green are really not green at all.