Every day, people throw away tons of plastic “stuff” — cups, plates, bags, containers, forks, knives, straws, spoons and more. All of this waste not only clogs our landfills, trashes our parks, and litters our streets, but it also washes into our rivers and oceans, where it can harm wildlife.

It’s time to move beyond single-use plastic, by getting rid of the most harmful waste, and stopping the use of things we truly don’t need.

Colleges and universities are significant producers of waste and influential in their states and communities. Action by Georgetown University to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic will set an example for the state and other higher education institutions across the country.