Brock recycling video

A university don who posted a video on YouTube a week ago has been disciplined by Brock University officials. Travis Lewis posted a video showing himself picking recyclable items from a campus residence dumpster. He says the school has not made recyling — in his part of campus — accesible or convenient for students, leaving many to throw out everything including recylable items into the trash.

How many of us would walk 100 metres to recycle, especially in the bitter winter weather we were having. That’s the dilmenma some Brock students face.

Travis Lewis lives in ‘The Village’; its made up of 12 courtyards and houses for some 900 students. But only 1 of those courtyards has recycling, meaning people have to walk pretty far, just to recycle. And frankly, many don’t even bother. Travis Lewis went ‘dumpster diving’ to show how much recyclable items he found in this garbage bin outside his residence at Brock.

Since the recycling is so far away, students are resorting to just putting it in the garbage. Lewis says after talking to officials they bought recycling bins, but haven’t distributed them all: “I do think it was just being ignored and not really being dealt with.”

He wont be back next year and that’s the reason he made the video. Travis said: “I just wanted it to ensure that the message stayed with village because I didn’t want the issue to get swept under the carpet.”

Brock University wants to make one thing clear; they support student reclying 100%. But they’ve also disciplined Lewis, but they wont say for what.

Jamie Fleming is the Brock University Director of Residences: “He was not reprimanded for making a video about recycling — I want to be clear on that.”

Travis said: “They said that I was being insubordinate to them.”

Laura Vandaele is a Brock student: “Recycling should be promoted. It should be a good thing that a don is taking the next step and trying to make a difference at Brock.”

So when can students living at the village expect the recycling bins?

Jamie says: “I can’t tell you how soon it will happen, but we want to encourage students to recycle. While the bins are here, they haven’t been here very long. Our hope is well be able to deploy them but we want to do it right.”

Lewis video now has more than 9,000 views, since he has been placed on disciplanary probation. If he doesn’t perform his duties as a don, he could face eviction.

Officials told me his video was not balanced and didn’t indicate all the good thing were doing with recycling.