Campus Lacking in Proper Equipment to Recycle
Students and staff have noticed the lack of dumpsters, specifically for recycling, raising concerns.
By Bibi Sediqi
Students and staff have noticed the lack of dumpsters, specifically for recycling, raising concerns.
By Bibi Sediqi
With the deteriorating environmental status of the world, the quest to reduce and recycle plastic waste, like the water bottles frequently seen in Pioneer’s trash cans, has become central to many efforts.
Although this seems like an obvious and already-implemented solution, Pioneer lacks the resources and rules to utilize this crucial process.
“It's a complicated issue… we're supposed to be recycling in class. And when outside agencies come in and pick up our recycling they are supposed to recycle it, whether that is actually being done is another question. We do have the bins for it, but I've seen janitorial staff combine landfill waste and recycling waste. And so I know because of that, there are issues with recycling on campus,” said AP environmental science and biology teacher Kyle Murdock.
Republic Services is the outside company that Pioneer uses to provide trash bins and take away trash. Although Pioneer has dumpsters for compost, cardboard recycling, and regular trash, there is not one specifically designated for mixed recycling, and while there are many trash cans around, there are no recycle bins outside for students' use.
Many people on campus, such as BioSITE student Lucinna Nava, 10, expressed a concern over the lack of proper recycling happening on our school campus.
“The lack of recycling is annoying. It’s not that hard to organize the waste, it can be easily put in a designated trash can that can be put around campus. They should have pictures on the trash cans to show what belongs in which can so people know what to throw away. As a BioSITE student, we learn about how to prevent pollution and to recycle, so it is very important that we care for our environment as well as our school environment too,” said Nava.
Yalda Samardar, 10, is a student who likes to be environmentally conscious in and out of school.
“I try to use reusable stuff and refrain from plastic. But it's a shame we don't properly recycle on campus. We can make programs and other stuff for students to help them, or even provide incentives, but it's an entire school effort to all be environmentally responsible,” said Samardar.
In terms of recycling, there are three fundamental procedures that need to occur: reduce, reuse and the final step, recycle. Reducing is the first step taken, prior to anything else, this ensures the prevention of unnecessary waste. The next step is reusing, which focuses on making sure that things that can be used multiple times are reutilized rather than turned into trash. Finally, the last step is to recycle. If the waste can no longer be used in the system then getting rid of it appropriately is the last and most important step.
“Not only should we minimize the things we are consuming and what we are producing as waste, but we should also reuse items,” said Murdock. “It is important that we prolong and keep this cycle in use before we throw away the object, and once it is time to throw it away we should try to recycle as many objects as we can.”
Although this seems like an obvious and already-implemented solution, Pioneer lacks the resources and rules to utilize this crucial process.
“It's a complicated issue… we're supposed to be recycling in class. And when outside agencies come in and pick up our recycling they are supposed to recycle it, whether that is actually being done is another question. We do have the bins for it, but I've seen janitorial staff combine landfill waste and recycling waste. And so I know because of that, there are issues with recycling on campus,” said AP environmental science and biology teacher Kyle Murdock.
Republic Services is the outside company that Pioneer uses to provide trash bins and take away trash. Although Pioneer has dumpsters for compost, cardboard recycling, and regular trash, there is not one specifically designated for mixed recycling, and while there are many trash cans around, there are no recycle bins outside for students' use.
Many people on campus, such as BioSITE student Lucinna Nava, 10, expressed a concern over the lack of proper recycling happening on our school campus.
“The lack of recycling is annoying. It’s not that hard to organize the waste, it can be easily put in a designated trash can that can be put around campus. They should have pictures on the trash cans to show what belongs in which can so people know what to throw away. As a BioSITE student, we learn about how to prevent pollution and to recycle, so it is very important that we care for our environment as well as our school environment too,” said Nava.
Yalda Samardar, 10, is a student who likes to be environmentally conscious in and out of school.
“I try to use reusable stuff and refrain from plastic. But it's a shame we don't properly recycle on campus. We can make programs and other stuff for students to help them, or even provide incentives, but it's an entire school effort to all be environmentally responsible,” said Samardar.
In terms of recycling, there are three fundamental procedures that need to occur: reduce, reuse and the final step, recycle. Reducing is the first step taken, prior to anything else, this ensures the prevention of unnecessary waste. The next step is reusing, which focuses on making sure that things that can be used multiple times are reutilized rather than turned into trash. Finally, the last step is to recycle. If the waste can no longer be used in the system then getting rid of it appropriately is the last and most important step.
“Not only should we minimize the things we are consuming and what we are producing as waste, but we should also reuse items,” said Murdock. “It is important that we prolong and keep this cycle in use before we throw away the object, and once it is time to throw it away we should try to recycle as many objects as we can.”