PVCC Committee continues to put the Environment First

Amid a plethora of services provided to students, the sustainability committee stands out without drawing too much attention. PVCC provides many services and committees for the benefit of their students such as veteran services, academic tutoring, and workforce services. Most of these services are obvious in their aid towards students, but that is not the case with the sustainability committee.

The sustainability committee may not be as well known as its other counterparts, but its powerful impact is still deeply felt throughout the school.

According to a report provided by Professor of English Dr. Bruce Glassco, one of the leaders of the Sustainability Committee, “Over a decade ago, PVCC installed recycling bins throughout the college to allow students, faculty, and staff to separate cans, glass, and plastic bottles. However, the committee has expressed interest in learning more about what happens to recyclables after they go into these bins. This year members of the committee hope to speak with our Facilities division and Waste Management corporation to find out whether recyclables that are placed in these bins end up recycled, or eventually just go to a landfill.”

Not only that, but PVCC is planning to be plastic free by 2025 in accordance with Governor Ralph Northam’s General Order 77, which seeks to eliminate single-use plastics in all state agencies. 

Students at PVCC can take advantage of the sustainability practiced in the facility, but they are not the only ones who can reap the benefits. The PVCC Community Garden is run by 40-50 individuals from PVCC and UVA alike and provides self grown produce to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Food Not Bombs, Loaves and Fishes, The Haven, a church, and other needy individuals, according to Glassco’s report. 

Although the sustainability program has provided immediate impact towards its students, they are still looking towards the future. The program plans to install EVCs (Electric Vehicle Charging Stations) within the next few years as electric vehicles become more popular. 

Additionally, PVCC is set to begin construction soon on a new Science and Technology building, which will be a net-zero carbon emissions building. This means the same amount of carbon dioxide going into the building will match the same amount of carbon dioxide going out of the building, a major milestone for PVCC. 

Commenting on the construction of the new building, Glassco said, “We can certainly be very proud of the fact that the new building which will begin construction this year will be zero carbon emissions. That will be a big deal, not just here in Charlottesville but across the state.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article left out that the committee was planning to investigate recycling at PVCC further with their waste distributor (Waste Management) to determine how recycling is being handled.