More and more, Oberlin College is embracing environmentally friendly policies and apparatuses. When viewed in light of recent national focus on global warming and alternative energy sources, these local moves give a sense of hope for a sustainable future, and confidence in the idea that one person can change the world. On Tuesday, the College announced the Dascomb Take-Out program, which will let students carry out their food in reusable plastic containers. When finished eating, students need only return their dirty container before receiving a new one. Such an endeavor is commendable in its aim to counter the cluster of plastic containers amassed each day on this campus.

The success of this program, however, depends much on the enterprise of individual students. If not banking on students’ personal sense of responsibility to the environment, the school is at least appealing to the universal desire for free stuff, as is evident by the reward of 25 cents in Flex points issued each time a student uses the new take-out system. The Take-Out project is a step in the right direction, and hopefully the College will continue to take such steps.

The Take-Out project would have much greater environmental efficacy if it were universally implemented around campus. As of now, the Science Cart and DeCafé still use disposable plastics for take out. In addition, students would be more likely to use these systems if centralized drop-off points were made available for the used containers. Previous endeavors by CDS to go green have had mixed results. Though there is a persistent army of students and faculty who get their caffeine in reusable containers, encouraged either by their moral rectitude, the reduced price or the stunningly attractive Oberlin mugs, paper cups still dominate the world of coffee consumption. Although the OC Recyclers have littered the campus with a multitude of recycling receptacles, every year’s “waste audit” reveals a large portion of recyclables tossed in with the regular trash. Such disappointments can only be blamed on those who fail to use the systems that are painstakingly put in place. Are our lives too busy to decide what portion of our lunch is recyclable? Are mugs too cumbersome or uncouth? Perhaps the root of the problem is the lack of familiarity with such systems compounded by the comfort of habit. In such cases, the only effective response seems to be the creation of more systems — and incentives to use them — until sustainable choices become the norm.

We cannot let bigger changes and achievements, whether they are campus-wide or on the global scale, blind us from recognizing any damage we cause as individuals on a day-to-day basis. With the advent of a LEED Gold-rated Litoff building and other environmentally sustainable projects in the works, we must remember that our smaller choices are still very important. We shouldn’t be wearing tank tops while still cranking up the heat, or printing single-sided. In a society where green is now cool but not always green, our careful consideration is required to make positive and realistic choices about how we use the resources of the earth. In case you’re wondering, green SUVs do not qualify. So, College, we appreciate the measures you are taking to help us dust away our collective carbon footprint. We appreciate the efforts made by environmental activists on campus. Now each of us must remember to do our own part and use the sustainable systems that are put into place.