“A lot of clubs do trash pick up but we like to do a more engaging competition style, that way more people will be interested in it,” environmental studies and sustainability fifth year and president of Sustainable Spartans Chloe Frye-Anthony said. “It makes sustainability fun. If sustainability is boring and it's taxing, people don't want to do it. Adding that twist is really important.” 

Each semester the Sustainable Spartans are able to collect anywhere from five to ten trash bags full of litter, just from walking around campus. 

“I'm happy that we can make an impact by picking up the trash, but I’m also sad that there is that much trash to pick up,” biosystems engineering senior Ben Adams said. “It's in all different locations. Oftentimes around the dorms there's Sparty's trash and it gets wedged into bushes. Sometimes we're literally crawling to pick it up.” 

Adams joined Sustainable Spartans his freshman year and quickly got involved with their pollinator garden project. 

“Seeing all the different ways and all the different people we can reach and teach about sustainability is my favorite part,” Adams said. 

Mechanical Engineering freshman Rafael Menotti joined the club because of its trash pick-up events.

“It's kind of silly, but back in elementary school we had a lot of events orchestrated around sustainability and stuff, like a trash pick up. I thought that was really fun and I wanted to keep doing it but my middle school and high school didn't have anything like that,” Menotti said. 

Now, through Sustainable Spartans, Menotti hopes to make the world a better place. 

“We want to actually change MSU to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly,” Menotti said. “We should care and try to protect the beauty of nature.”

MSU graduate Steve Brickel founded Sustainable Spartans in 2013 with one main goal: to build a project-based sustainability club that creates real change on campus.

“The mission of Sustainable Spartans is to give students the abilities to make change through student-led projects. We help each other as a team and lead projects for the environment,” Frye-Anthony said. 

Hands-on activities have helped students feel like they’re making a positive impact on the environment.

“Doing things in sustainability on campus really embodied the spartan mindset,” Adams said. “Using all of the resources we have and maximizing them and working as a team. We're here, making an impact on campus and I think that's what a true Spartan looks like.” 

After spending the afternoon walking around campus picking up trash, Adams enjoyed his cookies and cream ice cream believing that he made campus a better place. 

“I do feel a sense of accomplishment when it’s all said and done,” he said.  “We all enjoy spending time together as a club doing something we are passionate about. I think that’s the best part.”