Simply Green’s annual campus cleanup to take place April 13

Varad Raigaonkar
Thu, 13 Apr 2023 00:44:07 +0000
Campus, Instagram Page, News, Addison Basinski, campus, campus cleanup, climate change, community, companies, Danielle Parran, Ecoternatives, environment, Glenn Ave Soap Company, high street, ohio state, ohio union, Playa Bowls, raffle, Simply Green, student organization, sustainability, university

Beginning outside the Ohio Union, the second-annual cleanup of the Ohio States campus will take place Thursday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

Simply Green doesn’t overcomplicate keeping campus clean.

The second annual cleanup of Ohio State’s main campus by student organization Simply Green will take place Thursday at 5:30 p.m. starting outside the Ohio Union.

Volunteers will be provided with trash bags and gloves, and participants will be grouped into four teams to clean up the north, south and west campuses as well as High Street. Prize distribution will follow the disposal of all trash at around 6:30 p.m, Danielle Parran, a second-year in public health and co-president of Simply Green, said.

Parran said the cleanup event is a major part of the club’s main goal to spread awareness about the environment to the Ohio State community.

“We focus on composting and trying to create a greener campus,” Parran said. “People should know what is going on on campus and how to be more sustainable.”

Simply Green was born out of the realization that while Ohio State dining implemented compostable food, most students don’t know how to compost, Parran said.

“You can’t actually compost something without composting correctly,” Parran said. “You can’t just label something as compostable and not actually compost it. That’s kind of unfair to us students and the environment.”

Addison Basinski, a second-year in biochemistry and co-president of Simply Green, said the club shifted its attention from composting to general sustainability after the university started its composting program.

“Now we’re more focused on giving sustainable education, presentations and campus cleanups,” Basinski said.

Basinski said collaboration with local companies helped the organization plan for giveaways for the cleanup on Thursday.?

Aside from coupons to Playa Bowls, Ecoternatives and Glenn Ave Soap Company for all the volunteers, there will also be a raffle for gift cards, Basinski said.

“That’s been a key point in getting people to sign up and get more attention,” Basinski said.

Basinski said Barrio Tacos, Root’s Natural Kitchen and Threes Above High are some of the local businesses Simply Green partnered with for the raffle.

Eighty to 100 volunteers are expected to partake in the event, which is open to all. Basinski said signing up beforehand is unnecessary, and some people walking by the cleanup will likely join as well.

Parran said it is important for students to understand the significance of keeping the environment clean for a multitude of reasons.

“Global warming is on a rise, and a lot of people still don’t see the detrimental effects in trash even though there’s pollution everywhere,” Parran said. “I feel like everyone would be better off if we were just a little bit more educated.”

Basinki said while a cleanup such as this one will benefit the campus, many students can contribute on their own time by cleaning after themselves and using composting bins across campus.

“If we all love being Buckeyes and supporting our campus, I think part of that is keeping it clean and safe,” Basinski said.