Greener Mercer is an unofficial Mercer organization that is seeking to to bring staff, faculty and students together in order to promote sustainability, recycling and conservation. They are in the process of becoming a student organization.
This group started in spring 2015 by a group of students who wanted to make Mercer more environmentally responsible.
“Greener Mercer will bring the Mercer University standard to a higher national level, because the Mercer community is not on the same environmental standard as surrounding accredited universities,” said Kaitlyn Kong, a member of Greener Mercer.
Andrew Kelley, the organization’s future president, said that forming one group responsible for promoting environmentally friendly behaviors on campus allows the organization to make a bigger impact.
The group also hopes to inform Mercer students about how to improve the community.
“[We] hope to collaborate with agents within the community like Keep Macon Beautiful, especially when it comes to recycling efforts,” said Mercer professor Derek Glasgow.
So far, the organization has weighed food waste in the Fresh Food Company and set out recycling bins at a football game as part of Be a Green Neighbear Week.
Other ongoing projects include measuring how much waste is produced at Mercer football games.
Future projects will take this data and introduce specific recycling projects to fit the needs on campus.
Greener Mercer is also working on adding more access to recycling on Mercer’s campus, and they hope to develop a map of on-campus recycling bins in the future.
The group also plans on hosting informational lunches to teach students about different areas of sustainability.
While Greener Mercer continues these projects, they are also working on becoming an official organization.
“Through [making Greener Mercer a] student organization, we aim to help make it easier for students to be sustainable on Mercer’s campus,” Kelley said.
By becoming official, Greener Mercer will incorporate existing student organizations focused on the environment and continue recycling projects that are already taking place on campus.
They will recruit students for eco-friendly service and strive to make a difference in the community, said Kelley.
“I am looking forward to Mercer’s students, staff and facilities becoming more environmentally friendly,” said Mercer student Mary Melissa Roland.
Greener Mercer aims to be an official organization at Mercer
(From Left to Right) Trent Bateman, Anna Dillon, Jessie Lewis, and Katelyn West help weigh some trash while working on a project for Greener Mercer.
