CASE IN POINT

Doing Our Part

By Andrew Faught

In his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Sí: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis called on humankind to become better stewards of the natural world.

In the years since, he has continued to invoke that ethos. “We are called to become artisans and caretakers of our common home, the Earth, which is falling into ruin,” he wrote in a message commemorating Earth Day 2024. He has singled out plastics, saying littering waterways with the material is “criminal.”

Aligning with Pope Francis's call to action, Earth Day organizers this year announced a goal to phase out single-use plastics—including water bottles and plastic utensils—by 2030. Further, they have called for a “significant reduction” in plastic production by 2040.

Villanova is setting out to do its part. The University’s Sustainability Plan 2020-2030 was conceived with the goals of ensuring that sustainable practices are in place in all aspects of campus life: academics and research, operations, student life, social justice, and health and well-being.

The Rev. John Abubakar, OSA, DBA, is leading this effort as Villanova’s first-ever chief sustainability officer. In that role within the Office for Mission and Ministry since 2023, Father John serves as chair of the campus-wide Sustainability Leadership Council, and he works to promote engagement in sustainability efforts as integral to Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic mission.

“Our Augustinian charism calls us to care for our community, which extends to caring for all of God’s creation,” Father John says. “We must be stewards of creation and take bold action to protect it.”

In the realm of the fight against plastic waste, the University’s Sustainability Plan calls for initially cutting the sale and availability of single-use plastics by half, before ultimately eliminating them altogether. The University has already implemented a reusable cup program at the Holy Grounds coffee shops and is in the process of implementing a plastic bag recycling program and strategically placing water bottle refill stations around campus. “We want to be a leading institution, as far as plastic reduction is concerned,” Father John says. “We are working hard on educating students and getting buy-in.”

Father John notes there are steps we can all take to win the fight against plastics pollution. These tips from the Natural Resources Defense Council are a great place to start.