Green Party

Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary won a Green Ribbon Award from the city of Bethlehem for recycling efforts in 2004. The award was given by Mayor John Callahan ’91 at a ceremony held January 25.

Douglas Plotts, director of facilities, thanked all the staff members who help out with recycling efforts, especially Barbara Schultz, assistant director of facilities for general services, and Bernie Benko, utility technician, who dealt with the Bethlehem Recycling Center and its log-in system.

“Well, who else?” says Bernie, who joined the College staff in 2001. “I’m over there at least twice a day, five days a week.”

Tom Marshall, director of the center, will visit campus in March to film a short commercial about recycling in which the College will be featured. Moravian also will be spotlighted in the quarterly recycling newsletter that goes to all city residents.

“Why recycle?” asked Barbara in a campus e-mail. Actual cash savings are small: about $4,000 of the College’s annual trash costs. But storage costs for furniture and appliances are reduced, and usable storage space is freed up, while the city and Good Shepherd Hospital earn money from our discards.

Most important, “we teach students, staff, faculty, and community to be responsible stewards of our natural and consumable resources.”