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Liam Grima
Mighty Oak Monday: Liam Grima
Major: Environmental Studies
Hometown: West Islip, New York
Liam Grima still remembers how he felt in 2019 when he volunteered to clean up trash along the beaches of his hometown.
"I was disgusted by how much plastic was getting into the water and impacting the ecosystem!" he exclaimed.
Years later as an ESF student, he would connect with the New York State Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) for an internship that would help him be an even greater champion for the environment. The Center is devoted to reimagining the way New York State manages waste by expanding practices and research in waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. Liam is helping the team research pay per barrel systems for trash and recycling, which allow residents to pay per barrel as opposed to paying a flat fee for service.
Implementing such a program would come with a host of benefits, Liam explained. It would curb waste produced by high expenditure communities while also providing lower income brackets the opportunity to save on tax dollars. He believes it will help everyday people look at their own waste with a more critical lens.
"Hopefully communities will find ways to reuse and reduce what they are putting in the trash as opposed to paying more into the system for greater amounts of waste produced," he said.
The program is facing its share of obstacles, but Liam and the rest of the CSMM team are excited to support innovative methods.
The project is exciting to Liam because he knows the work he's doing with the Center will make a positive difference. After graduation, he hopes to earn his master's degree and doctoral degree in areas impacting environmental policy, law, and political, with the ultimate goal to become a well-respected member of the academic community.
Keep on Improving Your World, Liam!
Learn more about ESF's Environmental Studies program.