Syracuse University Enactus, a student-run organization that works to promote economic, social and environmental change in Syracuse, provides a unique solution to the waste produced from glass bottles through its Rescue Glass Project. It’s something we should take advantage of.

Run by Emily Woodilla and Luke Brown, the project involves the upcycling of used wine and beer bottles from local Syracuse restaurants into candles. These candles are a new and creative product made from somebody’s trash — they’re not only beautiful, but help reduce Syracuse’s ecological footprint.

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While this project does promote sustainability, it was created largely to serve as a job and skills training program for people in the Syracuse community. It’s an organization that not many know about and we should consider participating.

“Syracuse has an increasingly large homeless population and I think that this is something that needs to be dealt with,” Brown said. “The separation between the wealth that is on the Syracuse campus and the poverty of the inner city less than a mile away is alarming.”

Specifically, Syracuse Enactus works with non-profit organizations to find clients in need of jobs, who are then paid to cut the bottles. The group’s ultimate goal is to allow their clients to fully take over the production process, and receive profits in return.

The response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive, Brown said.

Tackling the growing population of poverty and homelessness in the area while also reducing waste is admirable and a definite win-win situation — what could’ve easily just been a humanitarian project focused on creating jobs as a path out of poverty now also serves as an opportunity for people to get more involved in environmental issues. That’s not something we see everyday.

It can be hard for people to pay attention to issues that may appear less pressing, like global warming. So, unfortunately, environmentalists are often forced to take the backseat.

But denial and apathy is not something we can afford to tolerate. Especially because the Trump administration has refuted the science behind global warming and supports defunding the EPA, the need for environmental advocacy is stronger than ever.

A project like Rescue Glass, however small, that promotes environmentalism alongside social and economic issues, acts as a great facilitator of change to this dangerous disposition.

Other companies should take a lesson from Syracuse Enactus and work to employ similar tactics in their own projects. Maybe then, environmental issues will get the treatment they deserve.

Emily Cerrito is a sophomore television, radio and film major. Her column appears weekly. You can reach her at ercerrit@syr.edu.

Published on October 9, 2018 at 9:36 pm