Belmont doesn’t throw away its recycling, contrary to what a Student Government Association representative said during a meeting on Monday.
Aidan Riordan, chair of the Green Committee, said that the university is guilty of unsustainable practices.
“You see the recycling containers? Fun fact, we don’t actually recycle. That goes straight into the trash,” he said in the meeting floor.
Moments after he made that claim, SGA Vice President Kristin Callahan announced that his statement made during an open meeting was “off the record” and specifically asked the Vision not to publish the information.
When questioned about Riordan’s claim, Callahan would not confirm or deny his statement, saying, “That was just an offhand remark by a student,” and again asked the Vision not publish the exchange.
The Vision informed Dean of Students Dr. John Delony about the claim made in Monday’s meeting and SGA’s attempt to retract it.
“I do not believe in public forum meetings that students have the right or the ability to say off the record to the Vision,” said Dean of Students Dr. John Delony. “Y’all are all students, and you’re all there together.”
Additionally, Delony said the claim was false.
All trash at Belmont is sorted through by the waste and recycling service company Republic Services, he said.
Riordan said he personally observed recyclables and trash being put together, and Callahan said SGA received similar complaints from students that Belmont custodians dumped all refuse and recycling into a common bin.
Delony said claims need to be properly investigated before being said at public meetings.
“When you think you see something, that’s when you do an inquiry. You just don’t go announcing,” Delony said.
Callahan admitted on Tuesday she knows more about Belmont’s recycling practices than she did on Monday.
“It turns out that we’re actually very high ranking when it comes to our eco initiatives and our recycling rates,” she said.
Contributing reporting by Ryder Guido and Steven Boero.
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