At Towson University, a student-led organization called Eco-Reps are pushing to make campus more sustainable and students more eco-friendly. These students give speeches to student organizations, come up with ideas to make campus more sustainable, and plan campus-wide events to have students more involved.

“[One of our eco-reps] is working with art students to make sculptures out of recycled material,” said Marra Angelica, an Eco-Representative “right now I’m doing waste audits and doing compost data education outreach, which spans into the Office of Engagement and the Office of Sustainability.”

Eco-Reps have also teamed up with other organizations, such as the Real Food Challenge, to bring more sustainable food and food education to campus.

Eco-Reps organize events such as Recyclemania, Envirofest, and events on Earth Day.

While Eco-Reps is less known on campus then other organizations, as sustainability becomes a more popular topic, they hope to expand and connect with all students.

“I definitely believe that there is the potential to expand,” said Angelica. “the real issue is commitment and time and I think if they make it a paid position it definitely has room to expand.”

As the conversation about sustainability continues, the voice of students will play an important role in what universities construct or conserve on their campuses.