Part I: Portfolio Planning Workshop & “First-Steps” Outline

The sad reality of today is that, just because something is plastic, doesn't mean it can be recycled. I always thought that the trucks haul your recyclables to a facility where machines and workers sort and separate paper, metal, glass and plastic. But the truth is, most of these sorting companies then sell those recyclables into a global market. Sadly, recycling in the U.S. is governed by local rules and more often than not, handled by private companies who recycle for a profit. Most plastic bottles and jugs sold for recycling stay in the U.S., but other kinds of mixed plastics are usually sent to landfills, even if they were originally put in recycling bins. For years, Chinese recyclers bought the mixed plastics, sorting out what they could use. But in 2018, China implemented a policy to protect their environment and restrict imports of waste. Since exporting plastic waste is a convenient way for the United States and other countries to count plastic waste as “recycled” and avoid disposal costs and impacts at home, there has been a significant increase of plastic waste shipments to other countries instead of China. Unfortunately, most of our plastic waste is still shipped to countries that are not equipped to safely and securely manage it.

Even worse, switching to buying recyclable packing is not a solution. Sometimes, it takes a greater toll on the environment to recycle a product. David Allaway, a policy analyst at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, is the co-author of a 2019 study that challenges the assumptions that recyclable and compostable materials are always the best choice. He concluded in the report summary that “Often a recyclable packaging format will reduce some environmental impacts but increase others,” calling recyclability a “poor predictor of environmental benefits.”

It is so frustrating that growing up we are stressed about the importance of recycling, but it seems like just a sham for companies to profit off of while destroying the environment. This issue is not only seen all over the world, but here in Lansing too. The Michigan Recycling Coalition reports that Michigan's recycling rate is only 18.1% while the national recycling rate stands at 34%. Many students have expressed their anger due to the low recycling rates around the area; even with the installment of new recycling facilities. Students are also calling out MSU for their amount of single use plastics on campus.

Organizations around the area like the Michigan Recycling Coalition, Emterra Environmental, and The Mayor's Advisory Commission on Sustainability are all working towards addressing this issue. Emterra Environmental opened a new Material Recovery Facility, the first of its kind in mid-Michigan, in the City of Lansing. I can engage with them my participating in their Community Care plan designed to improving the environmental health and well-being of the communities in which we live and work

The Michigan Recycling Coalition’s mission is for Michigan's waste diversion and participation rates to be common knowledge and a source of state pride and economic benefit, for waste to be managed in a way that causes minimal harm to habitat, wildlife, and the environment, and for possible uses for a given material are exhausted before being managed as waste. I could support the MRC by attending their annual conference, being an advocate by contacting senators/representatives, or volunteering. The Mayor's Advisory Commission on Sustainability meets every 4th Thursday of the month virtually; I can support them by sharing and creating awareness about the resources they provide.

Some courses I could take in the future to learn more about this issue are CSUS 429, Program Evaluation for Community Sustainability, CSUS 446 Environmental Issues and Public Policy, and CSUS 800 Foundations of Community Sustainability I. These classes would allow me to further gain the skills necessary to engage with the community and develop policies to reform the recycling system.

References:

Donovan-Smith, O. (2020, March 21). When does recycling your plastic make sense? the answer isn't so simple. PBS. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-plastic-types-to-recycle/.

Dell, J. (2021, September 20). 157,000 shipping containers of U.S. plastic waste exported to countries with poor waste management in 2018. Plastic Pollution Coalition. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2019/3/6/157000-shipping-containers-of-us-plastic-waste-exported-to-countries-with-poor-waste-management-in-2018.

Franklin Wallace, O. (2019, August 17). 'Plastic recycling is a myth': What really happens to your rubbish? The Guardian. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/plastic-recycling-myth-what-really-happens-your-rubbish.

Michigan Recycling Coalition. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.michiganrecycles.org/mission-vision-policy-positions/.

Lansing State Journal. (2021, October 12). Letters to the editor from October 2021. Lansing State Journal. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2021/10/12/letters-editor-october-2021/5481370001/.

Part II: Community Engagement Portfolio Activities

Part III: Community Engagement Reflection Paper

Starting this class, I was overwhelmed with the proposal to get involved within my community. How can I, just one student, change things in East Lansing? Since attending MSU, I have been looking for ways to make a difference in the Lansing community. I have always wanted a career that will allow me to help change the world but am struggling to find where to begin. I feel as though my personal experiences, values, and goals are the guiding factors of why I chose my career path. They also influenced which CE activities I chose to complete. Once I started looking into the opportunities, I realized it was much easier to get involved with my community than I thought.

Because I have always been an empathetic person, I want to use my privileges and talents to help others. Whether this be indirectly by cleaning up our ecosystems or engaging and educating others on how they can help, I am always trying to improve environmental health. I also really value equity for all, this is why I try my best to counteract injustices by being a supportive ally and advocating when I can. Ensuring all voices are heard in a community is the best way to spark positive change. Capacity building is an approach that acknowledges and honors community collaborative knowledge. This results in a more interactive model of community change that encourages everyone's contribution to the process: local people and experts. Because local knowledge is incorporated into the decision-making process, culture and context are taken into consideration as alternatives are suggested, leading to choices that are more sustainable in the long term (Pigg & Bradshaw, 2003). For that reason, I wanted to work with local groups such as the MSU Surplus and Recycling Center and Spartan Upcycle because they are involved with students and faculty at MSU who have detailed insight on recycling in my community.

I chose to tackle the issue of recycling problems within my community because the Michigan Recycling Coalition reports that Michigan's recycling rate is only 18.1%. The health of our Earth has been a longtime concern of mine and for that reason, I selected CE activities to increase awareness about recycling and its importance. I want to use my degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability to reduce pollution and the effects of climate change. Therefore, for my CE project I wrote an educational article about recycling protocols. To combat the fact that many individuals report they don't recycle because they are uninformed, I provided many resources for citizens to find their local recycling center and specific information for East Lansing residents. I also highlighted how single use plastic bans are implemented in eight states, which could be a great step towards increased civic action in Lansing. I urged readers to write to their legislators about this considering the support in Lansing for local governments to regulate plastic bags, cups, and bottles (Michigan House Democrats). I hope in the future increased public support for these bans will press politicians to push for this type of environmental legislation.

I often feel as a younger generation that the responsibility falls on me to create the change that we so desperately need to continue a sustainable life on earth. Not only environmental changes, but social and systematic justice changes too. Although my CE Activities did not focus on social justice, it is a huge component of community engagement. Recognizing the power and privilege certain groups hold is extremely important for dealing with community engagement. The people who are in privileged groups have been systematically advantaged by society because of certain attributes they possess. Contrarily, those who can't be in those groups have been systematically disadvantaged. Tatum discusses categories of otherness that have historically been used to place people in a target group such as race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and physical/mental ability. Because privilege affects everyone's ability to participate in partnerships, we all need to be cognizant and sensitive to people's identities and cultural backgrounds and collaborate, negotiating as necessary to reach 'win-win' solutions (Springer).

I have always wanted a career that will allow me to help change the world and this class allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and provided ways for me to interact with my community to inspire positive change. When looking back through the answers to my 5 questions, I can see how my personal experiences, values, and goals are the guiding factors of how I ended up in this career path. They also influenced which CE activities I chose to complete because I sought out activities that allowed me to get involved with community recycling groups and educate others on my big issue. I strive to create an inclusive environment and promote equality for all individuals and am excited for a career that will enable me to do this. I will continue to use what I have learned about myself and community engagement in further developing my career into ways I can change the world.

References:

“Brabec Announces Legislation to Repeal Plastic Bag Ban Preemption.” Housedems.com, Michigan House Democrats, 5 Feb. 2021, https://housedems.com/brabec-announces-legislation-to-repeal-plastic-bag-ban-preemption/.

Piggs, and Bradshaw. “Module 5: Capacity Building for Sustained Change - Page 4.” Tools of Engagement, 2003, https://tools.engage.msu.edu/curriculum/module5/page4.aspx.

Springer, Nicole. “Module 2: Power and Privilege - Page 8.” Tools of Engagement, https://tools.engage.msu.edu/curriculum/module2/page8.aspx.

Tatum, B. (1997). The Complexity of Identity. In Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? (pp. 18-28). New York: Basic Books.