Recycling isn’t a

big deal, or is it? I stand before two bins. I have always been an environmental advocate; every day I bring my reusable water bottle, I turn off lights when I leave a room, I even went vegetarian for the environment. Plastic fork and paper plate in hand, I stare into the depths of each bin, trying to decide what to do. The bright blue recycling bin stands empty, while the ominous black trash can is nearly filled to the brim. What do I do? My conscience struggles for the answer. I am stressed. Beads of sweat form on my forehead. The fork and plate tremble in my hand: Can the fork be recycled? Do I have to wash it first? Do I make the hike to the bathroom and do my dishes in the dirty sink, waiting for my peers to judge me, or do I take the easy route and simply expel it to the depths of the black bin? I don’t know. I still don’t know. Now I’m embarrassed. The plate is sealed with wax, so it goes in the trash. Right? But it’s paper, so shouldn’t it be recyclable? So many questions race through my head. I try to scrape the food off the fork, but as I try to clean it, I think, How clean is clean enough? I don’t know. I give in. The fork and plate drop into the trash. I think of all the steps I’ve taken to make my life more environmentallyfriendly, and yet I don’t know what to do with a plate and fork. Shame floods my face.

by: TRINITY WHITEFORD staff writer, JOIE BALDYGA content editor, & MARIA LINCK content editor

ITEM Curbside recycling or any recycling facility Recyclable Curbside recycling or any recycling facility Recyclable WHERE/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Cardboard (when flattened and dry) Plastic and Glass bottles RECYCLABLE or NOT RECYCLABLE Sharp and Dangerous Items (Glass mirrors, tv/monitor glass, wondow glass, CDs and DVDs) Not Recyclable Recyclables are sorted by real people, so sharp materials are dangerous for workers Aluminum Foil Recyclable Curbside recycling or any recycling facility Plastic or paper cups and plates with a wax coating Not Recyclable Chip Bags Not Recyclable Foil-lined plastic like chip bags and candy wrappers cannot be recycled because the foil cannot be separated from the plastic Kitchen shrink wrap, plastic grocery bags, and styrofoam (egg cartons, cups...) Recyclable Curbside recycling or any recycling facility Not recyclable curbside but facilities like Bay Area Recycling for Charities, Handle With Care Packaging Store, and Stained Glass Cabinet Co. will take packing peanuts to be reused of recycled Packing Peanuts Recyclable

As youth, we tend to forget about recycling as if it’s always existed. The ubiquitous blue recycling bins around campus often remain nearly empty. In school, we are focused on homework, college visits, sports — all important information, ad nauseum. One of the things they don’t seem to teach us in school is recycling and the important information that goes along with it. It is almost as if adults assume we are born with this knowledge. When in reality, knowledge about recycling is not innate, and in truth, we throw things away simply because it’s easier than to think about what actually can be recycled. We know the basics of recycling paper in the paper bin and plastic in the plastic bin. But, what about the more complicated things such as paper cups or even batteries? Something that surprises many is that paper cups can’t be recycled yet batteries can be. It’s no wonder people tend to get confused. According to The Encyclopedia of Science, some commonly unknown things that are recyclable are, acid batteries, aluminum, and even steel appliances. As the youngest generation in this world of manufacturing, we have grown up with everything already made. Through our generation, we haven’t seen the invention of landmark manufacturing machines, we haven’t grown up learning about the materials used to make these like our grandparents might have. In our generation, everything was already here. According to The Washington Post, myths are a big reason people tend to not recycle. Myths such as “recyclables just end up in the trash” and “recycling uses more energy and water than making something new” are common. These myths obscure the fact that recycling is better for the environment than throwing things away, meaning, in the garbage and ultimately in a landfill. A landfill starts off as just a hole in the ground. According to LiveScience.com, a scientific magazine, this hole is lined with rubber or clay and then a flexible plastic. Drains and pipes are added on top of this to keep liquid out of the landfill. Once a landfill has reached its capacity, the waste is covered with clay and another plastic shield. Above that, several feet of dirt and then plants or even buildings are placed on top of the trash. Landfills are not designed to break down waste, only to store it. However, garbage in a covered landfill does decompose slowly in a sealed oxygen-free environment. Because of the lack of oxygen, bacteria in the waste produce methane gas, which is highly flammable and dangerous if allowed to collect underground. It is also a potent greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming. Some modern

landfills have a way to collect methane in a safe and controlled way to be sold as energy or just released into the air. According to Waste4Change.com, a global group focused on educating people about responsible waste management, in modern days, there are seven types of plastic: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE or Polyester), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), other (most often bioplastics). All of these types of plastic have different properties, giving some a higher recyclability rate than others. When items are made out of the more complex plastics or are made out of a mixture of a few of these types of plastics, they also become harder to recycle because of the complexity of the material. Make sure all food containers and drink bottles have been thoroughly rinsed and any food from inside has not soiled the container because if it has, the container is no longer recyclable. Liquids inside may contaminate batches of recycling. It is also best when a plastic bottle is squished and the cap is put back on the bottle because if the bottle is not compressed, then the cap could fly off, possibly harming the workers. The cap should go back on the bottle because items smaller than two inches usually don’t make it through the sorting machine — they are bounced off and go right into the trash if they are not put back on the bottle. Small personal acts such as going into a local hair salon can be beneficial depending on what shampoo they have. Some hair salons have bars of shampoo rather than plastic bottles to reduce the amount of plastic being used. The plastic bottle that shampoo comes in often isn’t recyclable, so in using these bars rather than plastic bottles, both businesses and individuals are helping to reduce the amount of plastic going into the garbage. Even stores like Walmart are trying to make a difference by having bars of shampoo in stock. Any way a person can help reduce the carbon footprint is beneficial and necessary for the environment, whether it be minimizing their home plastic use overall or just recycling whenever possible, these acts help the environment stay clean. Recycling is a circle, an endless rotation of using something, recycling it and turning it into something else, buying it, using it, and recycling it once again. Making an impact doesn’t have to be hard if you know what can be recycled. So, next time you are staring into the depths of two bins, you’ll know what to do. //

Recycling isn’t abig deal, or is it?