Does Canisius College have a littering problem?

While observing my spot earlier today, I became increasingly aware that something was not entirely right. Is that a cup perched on the statue? Sure is. 

As I looked around to see if there was any other evidence of debris from last night's mischief, I could not help but wonder if Canisius College faces problems over controlling litter and how that impacts our local environment. But the more important question is who actually takes care of the litter thrown on the lawn by students?

As you can see, the weather is fairly warm for Buffalo, NY heading into the second week of March. Which means more activity in the Quad and thus more litter. I found it interesting that Canisius College has a Project Conservation club, however, I feel like the club's presence on campus is lacking. According to their facebook page, they have not posted anything since August 2012. It would be interesting if they took on more responsibility to clean up the Quad rather than have maintenance or better yet no one remove the debris from under the bushes and in the mulch.

According to Central Michigan Life (the college magazine of Central Michigan University), the school and police team up to issue littering tickets to students who throw their garbage on the ground. However, according to one student, "it’s sad, but I don’t think the amount people litter will decrease no matter what." Should Canisius College consider issuing littering tickets? Could this be a solution? I am curious if students would find this action too extreme, after all, the only ticket students really get is parking on the wrong side of Hughes Ave after 6 pm. Another idea would be to place garbage bins  strategically in the areas of the Quad where the majority of littering is occurring.

I shall leave you all with some facts, statistics tell us:

-Each person creates 4.7 pounds of waste every single day

-54% of solid waste makes its way into landfills

-One ton of recycled paper can save the energy equivalent of 185 gallons of gasoline

*Source U.S. Environmental Protection Agency