HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Marshall University has set a goal of eliminating single-use disposable plastics from its campus by the end of 2026, the school said.
Amy Parsons-White, the university’s sustainability manager, says the move will lower the amount of waste going to landfills.
“Plastic can be around for thousands of years and since less than 30% of plastic sent to recycling facilities actually gets recycled, that adds up to a lot of waste with no place to go,” she said. “It ends up in the oceans, in the ground and microplastics have even been found in our drinking water. This can pose a health risk to people and animals.”
Compostable, vegetable-based plastics may cost more but can save money by reducing the waste taken to landfills, Parsons-White said in a news release.
She said the university’s new compost facility, which is expected to be fully operational by March, can turn the waste into a product that can be sold.
