California State University, Fresno held its inaugural Sustainability Day on Wednesday in an effort to raise awareness about environmental responsibility, according to an official from the department of risk management and sustainability.

The event took place on the balcony of the University Student Union. Fourteen booths were made available for students and faculty to visit and learn from.

Alaia Howell, student assistant for the department of risk management and sustainability, said the department wanted to inform students about what the university is doing in regards to sustainability. They also wanted to show who the university partners with, and what those partners do for the school.

The Green Issue, a new environmental special interest organization, used their booth to bring awareness to Fresno State students about sustainability and being “green.”

“We wanted to educate the students about sustainability,â€Â said Green Issue President, Tonya Bojorquez.

“We want to bring motivation to the students to participate in sustainable practices. We want students to get involved.â€Â

Alicia Real, a member of the City of Fresno Recycling Program, agreed that the goal of the event was education.

“All we want to do today is bring education to the students,â€Â Real said. “We want to get the message across that sustainability is very important. It will take individual efforts to make a change.â€Â

Although Real was happy about participating in the event, she also said that she observed only one on-campus recycling bin.

“I was wondering where the other recycling bins we donated are,â€Â Real said. “I understand why they may have been removed, but the fact is that if you walk on campus and only see one recycling bin, the green image that Fresno State is trying to convey is not really received all too well.â€Â

Recycling coordinator for Sunset Waste Systems, Inc., Sonia Lara Tyler, had suggestions about improving sustainability at Fresno State.

“I believe that bringing awareness about sustainability and recycling will allow the recycling bins to come back. If people are educated in how to use them, maybe we could bring the bins back,â€Â Tyler said.

“Maybe the school can place regular trash bins next to the recycling bins to show students that one bin is for trash and one is for recycling,â€Â Tyler said.

Tyler also said that a lot of outreach will need to be done in order to make a positive change to sustainability efforts at Fresno State. She said individual effort is key in allowing sustainability to succeed.