CMU’s Asteria Theatre reportedly does not contract a recycling service and sends its dumpsters full of waste to a landfill every week. The theatre serves tens of thousands of people annually and is currently the largest theatre on the Western Slope.
Oak View Group (OVG) is the third-party management contractor that runs Asteria. OVG employee and senior music business student Angel Lovato estimates around 30% of waste produced at the building is recyclable. Paper, programs, napkins and cups could all be recycled according to Lovato.
She said the theatre currently makes no efforts to recycle.
Recycling may be unfeasible based on the flow of daily work or physical barriers. Services also cost monthly fees and recycling for a commercial theatre may cost hundreds of dollars every month.
“I do not think it would really interrupt work flow. However, I know that we would have to pay for recycling rather than the school paying for it,” Lovato said.
Lovato acknowledged she is an employee and not a manager. She said her understanding of who may be in charge of paying for waste management services may be incomplete.
The Criterion reached out to Contracts and Risk Manager Dakota Koyler about recycling at the Asteria Theatre and received no comment.
Reusing materials such as plastic, paper and cardboard minimizes the amount of wasted non-biodegradable material produced by a facility according to the EPA. This material can end up in landfills or accumulate in natural locations if not recycled.
“Recycling provides many benefits to our environment. By recycling our materials, we create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations,” the EPA’s website reads.
Some students voiced concerns over the lack of recycling services contracted by the theatre due to the environmental implications.
“I don’t understand why that would be necessary to keep from doing,” violin performance sophomore Violet Spang said.
Spang performs in the Asteria Theatre occasionally as a part of the CMU’s Monument String Quartet. Spang called the lack of recycling “stupid.”
It is currently unclear whether CMU administration or OVG contracts waste management services for the Asteria Theatre or if the theatre will pursue recycling services in the future.
