'It Never Seems To Move Up The Priority List.' TCU Students, Faculty Seek More Investment In Environmental Action

Arlington TX

22 April, 2022

4:53 PM

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By Haley Samsel, Fort Worth Report April 21, 2022 During her sophomore year, Lauren Trotter started to notice how Texas Christian University's approach to sustainability impacted her ability to recycle or reduce plastic waste on campus. After COVID-19 interrupted her freshman year, Trotter returned to TCU and realized few recycling bins were available in comparison to trash cans. Every meal from TCU's dining locations came with a plastic water bottle, whether she wanted it or not. No recycling bins are available at football games, where fans toss all of their waste into trash cans, she said. "In addition to the shortage of recycling bins on campus, there's also this common misconception that TCU doesn't recycle," Trotter, now a junior, said. "It all started when students saw housekeepers dumping recycling bins into trash bins. But, in reality, the housekeeping staff are told that if they see trash in recycling, then they're supposed to throw it away because it's not their job to sort it." That experience prompted Trotter and sophomore Riley O'Connor, both environmental science majors, to ask more questions. Last fall, as the pair began their terms as student government representatives, they wondered: Who's in charge of coordinating sustainability initiatives at TCU? To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.