The History of Recycling Programs at ARHS

“Support from the teachers is huge,” Gorman said. “Without the support of the whole community we’re going to end up just where we are [again].”

Ideas for Improvement

While recycling programs are imperfect, Connolly recommends that students and staff focus more on trying to reduce their waste in general, so there isn’t as much of a need to rely on recycling programs. Connolly recommends starting with reusable water bottles and cups.

“It requires a little more effort, as in you have to not lose it and you have to carry it around and you have to wash it, but there are plenty of options these days for reusable containers and cups and mugs,” Connolly said.

Gould also encourages waste reduction in addition to recycling.

“I think there’s a lot of things that people can do individually,” Gould said. “Recycling at home is a big one, but I also think just reducing your waste in general is a much better way to go because even if you separate your trash from your recycling, you take it to your local recycling station, only about five to six percent of plastic, in particular, is being recycled, and that’s a really disheartening number.”

Gould believes small changes to daily habits can have a big environmental impact.

“If you’re going to Starbucks or Dunkin’, bring your own mug,” Gould said. “Avoid disposable plastic as much as possible. If you are packing a lunch, you can use Tupperware instead of a plastic bag, which is what I use. I wash them day after day and you don’t have to throw them away.”

According to Gould, improved knowledge about recyclable materials could help community members recycle more effectively.

“There are some recyclables that are more effectively recycled than others,” Gould said. “Plastic is one of the worst ones…but paper and cardboard certainly get recycled more frequently, especially corrugated cardboard, the thicker kind. When people are doing the recycling, of course it’s important to try to recycle as much as possible, but there are certain materials that you can rely on more to be recycled.”

Sheydvasser encourages students to advocate for the change they want to see at ARHS.

“People should do their own research and fact check research on important things,” Sheydvasser said. “If we look at it from an external perspective, recycling affects all of us because it affects the environment.”

Advice for reducing waste & making sustainable choices

Prioritize waste reduction

Replace recyclable items with resuable ones such as water bottles and cups

Buy recycled goods

Avoid disposable or single-use goods

When packing lunch, use Tupperware instead of plastic bags