TUCSON, Ariz. – Sophia Thomas, a senior member of the Wildcats Tennis team and a native of Bexley, England, is off the sidelines and taking up a leading role on campus in sustainability.
 
Through a recently completed project spearheaded by Thomas and grown out of the waste reduction committee at Students for Sustainability, a number of sleeping mats and blankets have been woven out of unused plastic bags.
 
This creative bit of "upcycling" helps reduce the impact of plastic bags in our landfills and provides shelter for the local homeless population that will eventually receive the mats and blankets.
 
"We've collected loads of plastic bags like grocery bags from Fry's or anywhere that has them," Thomas said. "We collected enough and so we began workshops in the Hall of Champions where we take the plastic bags and we weave them together, tie them together, and eventually with all the weaving they turn into blankets or mats. From there we'll turn around and donate them to the homeless through the Salvation Army. So instead of the plastic bags going into the trash or the ocean where animals can be affected by it, we're able to use them to help people in need. So really it has two advantages."
 
Thomas' interest in sustainability grew out of a class she took on sustainable practices as part of her major in physical geography. However, her education in the subject began at a much younger age, while she was growing up in England.
 
"I think maybe I view sustainability differently because in England where I grew up we were raised taking classes centered around general sustainability knowledge, things such as 'how can we help save the climate,' 'what is recyclable and what is not,'" Thomas said. "Since I have grown up knowing it, I feel that my role now is to help everyone who didn't have that experience know what I know."
 

Popped for some community service at the Hall of Champions yesterday. If @ArizonaWTennis' Sophia Thomas hasn't taught you how to weave plastic bags into mats yet, don't worry! You can still drop in from 12-5 on 4/9 and 4/16! #beardown | #bringyourAgame pic.twitter.com/RhmYRiDi0H

— C.A.T.S. Academics (@CATSAcademics) March 27, 2019

Thomas graduates in May, but she has hopes that the program will continue in her absence at Arizona.
 
"I'm trying to arrange that this is an every semester thing where there's four workshops every semester that are run by Students for Sustainability," she said. "We're hoping that, as a part of that, we can have the athletes work on it and get their community service hours in through this project."
 
While her project may be completed for now, Thomas would encourage any students interested in sustainability to get involved with other projects across campus and in their communities.
 
"I think Students for Sustainability is the way to go," she said. "If you're a general student at the University of Arizona, and you really want to get involved in sustainability. Within Students for Sustainability there are different committees, so there's waste reduction, energy and climate, Hydrocats, and more. It's very diverse in what someone could want to do. So that's a great first step, and then from there you can voice any ideas you have there and see everything come into place."
 
Sophia's exemplary initiative is one of many across the University of Arizona campus and throughout the Pac-12 Conference.
 
Right here in Tucson the Wildcats are leading the charge on sustainability through the Office of Sustainability, the Institute of the Environment, Students for Sustainability, and more.
 
Between these organizations, many large-scale projects are in the works that will help drive to university to increase our renewable energy portfolio, advance solutions to environmental challenges locally and globally, and positively impact the lives of those in our community.
 
In coordination with the Pac-12 Green Team, Arizona Athletics has worked tirelessly in recent years to provide a blueprint for sustainability in collegiate athletics. The Wildcats were awarded the Fan Engagement Award during both the 2017 and 2018 basketball seasons and were tabbed as the Most Improved effort during the 2018 Pac-12 football season after achieving a 45.71% diversion rate, an increase of over 20% from the 2017 Zero Waste game.
 
During the 2017-18 basketball season, a student-led coalition spearheaded by the UA Green Team and Greening the Game helped implement zero waste initiatives that led to 27,580 pounds of recycling and 18,140 pounds of composting.
 
Sustainable practices are a responsibility throughout Arizona Athletics, the University of Arizona and the Pac-12 Conference. This Earth Day, we can all make a decision to help make a difference. Bear Down, and get involved.