Surrounded by Mt. Bukhan, Kookmin University boasts an excellent landscape. Kookmin University was not satisfied with only being famous for its natural beauty and took a step forward by launching a “Green Campus” slogan. Under this motto, the school aims to realize a “Green Campus” in a number of ways. In 2004, the university conducted a program called “No Car Campus” and built an underground parking lot. Traffic was banned from school grounds. The parking lots were replaced with flower beds, barley fields, and cabbage pats. The school also started such programs as making a green fence, a green flea market, tending a vegetable garden and opening a Beautiful Store at the student union. Separate from the school, there is also a campus club “The Green” that has voluntarily strived for years to make our campus green. The separate waste bins you can see at the student union, Bugak Hall, the Administration Hall (UIT) were all installed by them. While other people do not pay attention to the surroundings, these students spontaneously organized a group and kicked off some activities from the perspective of the university students. The Kookmin Review met Lee Hye-Ji (Computer Science, second semester for a Master’s degree), the founder of the club, and heard their story and asked what is required for our school to be a better green campus.

The title of this environmental club is new to us. Please introduce “The Green”.
The Green is an environmental club that shifts views towards environmental issues and encourages students to cultivate energy-saving habits. We inform about the seriousness of wasting energy. As it is an on-campus club, The Green is a group of environmentalists who want to build a green campus by doing things for the environment in our daily lives.

How did you start ‘The Green’ at school?
Our club members are all members of Daejayon (a non-governmental organization of university students from all over the world who carry out environmental activities). Since I was an undergraduate, I have been a member of Daejayon. Being interested in the environment, I visited the south island of New Zealand as a part of the Green World program at Daejayon. At that time I was moved by the way people were struggling to find ways to help the Earth. On account of that experience, I decided to do environmental activities at my school, Kookmin University. They were green campus activities that I could do to protect the earth as a university student. As time passed, I got to know the other members of Daejayon who go to Kookmin University, and I started the club.

What are the next activities planned?
Continuing to set up the waste separation bins and we are going to hold a separate collection campaign this fall semester. We will run an environmental booth and host diverse programs so that students can join in in the recycling. There also will be some presentations on why this should be done and about the current ecological situation. Plus, we keep cooperating closely with other campus environmental clubs through KGCAUS (Korea Green Campus Association of University Students) by holding many seminars and forums. We have student-centered workshops with on or off-line discussions with other campuses, therefore we can learn from others and support each other.

How did you determine where to put the trash separation bins? And how is it going?
Our club applied to the 2013 Campus Club Energy Saving Practice Contest initiated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Daejayon. We submitted it under the theme of “recycling”, which was appropriate for my school’s circumstances. All the trash of Kookmin University is gathered in one spot and disposed. The trash separation system is conducted there. In fact, at Bugak Hall, for example, there were many trash bins; however, they were placed inefficiently. The number and the sizes were not sufficient compared to the number of students. In particular, in terms of recycling bins, there was only one big box for papers and not different trash bins for the separation. So, most of the waste was mixed together regardless of the waste type.

Realizing the situation, we planned “Recycling Eco-Training”. We conducted a survey to find out students’ awareness about the trash separation and how the waste is disposed at each convenience store in the school. After the discussion with the school, we put the trash separation bins made by The Green at more convenient locations. Furthermore the club attached posters showing how to separate waste, and the result of the waste separation. These trash separation bins were positioned permanently.

What is needed to accomplish a real green campus?
Throughout the school, the slogan ‘Green Campus', is unfortunately still not recognized by many students and there is little participation. Some might think of it is a once-off thing. I believe if the school and the students, who are the main agents of the Green Campus movement, join hands, it would yield a greater synergy effect. I expect the green campus will work if students take a lot of leadership roles and if there are works that students can easily implement together.
Above all, the most important thing for creating a green campus is establishing the administration to be in charge of the organization. In conversations with many students who were keen on an environmental movement, I noticed that the school couldn’t help students actively because there was no office and officer that could handle the issues. So students pointed this out as a factor which weakens the ability to go green on campus. I think it applies to our school, too. It is crucial to establish a department which promotes a green campus. Moreover, if the central department that manages the green campus offices at each school is organized, it can provide opportunities to strengthen the movement.

The Green have struggled to make our campus earth-friendly from small practices such as turning off the computer screen when it is not used, finishing your food, using recycled paper, turning off the switch of the lecture rooms after class, and so on. They are always enthusiastic about new green campus projects. Creating a green campus is a rising trend among universities in Korea. However, without the students, it could never be accomplished by the school alone. Lee Hye-Ji, the founder of the club ended her interview with some comments for the students. “Please care about the environment for our future. The Green Campus movement is the privilege of university students. I hope you join the Green Campus practices with us, “The Green”,” she said. Now, how about making earth-friendly choices and taking steps for our greener campus instead of apologizing to the earth? You can start an eco-friendly lifestyle with the waste-separation at our school.