by Erica Tom

In 2015, New York City announced its goal to reach “Zero Waste” by 2030, meaning the city will send absolutely no waste to landfills. Can you imagine that? This seems like an impossible feat, but what if it isn’t? This summer I had the opportunity to pilot a new class, along with about 16 College of Arts and Science and Liberal Studies students, focused on the very topic of zero waste. This class-internship-hybrid, called “Arts & Science in Action,” delves into the world of zero waste and green infrastructure, specifically at NYU. How could I pass that up? Hailing from San Francisco, arguably the pioneering city in the zero waste movement, I have always been curious to learn how to reduce my carbon footprint. As a psychology major, I wasn’t expecting the class to have any crossover with what I have been studying. Yet, I found that environmental work is rooted in understanding human behavior. To enact change, we must first grasp why it is we do what we do.

Partnered with field work, we were tasked with two main projects for the short six weeks: Create a “Sustainability” tab in the NYU Welcome Week 2017 Guidebook app and create a plan for reducing waste in Silver Center. While we did not have the time or resources to fully implement what we wanted, we have set up the steps necessary for future Arts & Science in Action students. When I think about it, it’s pretty remarkable. In addition to the Welcome Week Guidebook app, we could see new reusable programs in dining halls, possible rain gardens on campus, and many more in the future. And it all started with us.

This past Wednesday, our class gathered around our strangely beautiful tree draped in plastic bags in the center of Schwartz Plaza. Titled, “The Lemon,” the tree highlights the contemporary crisis of waste in general and plastic bags in particular, just as a “lemon” connotes something no longer functioning as it was meant to –be it our trees, waterways, or recycling machinery. In addition to educating those walking along and through Schwartz Plaza, we petitioned for City Council to enact a plastic bag fee for NYC. While petitioning (which I now know is very difficult), we gave out some startling facts about plastic bags. Like did you know that New York City pays about $12.5 million each year to send 91,000 tons of plastic bags to landfills outside of the state? Or that nearly 2 million plastic bags are used each minute worldwide? I certainly didn’t. It must’ve worked because we received about 400 signatures!

While I learned about everything from waste management to bureaucracy, here are some key points I’ve taken away from the class: First of all, sanitation workers are keeping this city alive. Secondly, plastic bags are the devil’s spawn. And lastly, there is hope for the environment.

Erica Tom is a junior studying Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies, and Studio Art. She loves traveling, fashion, and music. When she’s not studying, you can find her hanging out with her Pi Beta Phi sorority sisters or watching dogs in Washington Square Park.