With rumors going around campus that we do not recycle and bins are only placed outside to make us feel better, the Head Advisor of Environmental Sciences Deborah Kennard clarified the process.
“We do have places on campus that accept all of the normal things that do get recycled. I think students probably think we don’t recycle because there are not receptacles in every classroom, so that might be why,” Professor Kennard said.
Around campus, there are various recycling bins placed outside of dorms. These giant green and yellow colored recycling receptacles are picked up weekly and accept everything from corrugated cardboard to glass.
One big problem at CMU is the contamination of these recycling bins, with trash and non-recyclables being seen regularly.
“They will often just throw out the whole bin if it is contaminated because it takes too much, the labor costs are just too high,” Kennard said.
Contamination of just one item in an entire bin can ruin that whole batch of recyclable items. Many companies find it more economical to discard the entire collection instead of laboriously picking through it and foreseeably preserving what is recyclable inside.
Another issue that becomes apparent is the recycling of plastics. Kennard explained that when recycling plastics, you need to be careful about what you do and do not recycle.
“So there are those numbers on the bottom, [one through five], it’s really only ones and twos where it makes sense to recycle from an energy perspective and from a ‘can you make useful products from the plastic’ [perspective],” said Kennard.
Keeping kids educated is the biggest problem when focusing on recycling here at CMU and that’s what the Sustainability Council has been doing.
“The Sustainability Council has been working hard to create a more efficient marketing strategy. We believe that education is the basis of all change, so working hard to educate CMU’s population on what and how to recycle is our top priority,” president of the Sustainability Council Courtney Moore said.
Focusing on how we recycle and what we recycle is a big deal. Moore recommends “to be mindful” about how we recycle—stating that it is crucial to make small daily decisions such as what you recycle or where you throw away your trash.
As of now, there are currently three large recycling receptacles located across campus. One is located by Lucero on the south end of campus, with another by Garfield Hall and a cardboard-only recycling area by Tolman Hall.
“If in doubt about plastic, throw it in the trash. That sounds terrible, but you don’t want them to contaminate the entire thing by throwing something that’s not recyclable. Remember ones and twos,” said Kennard.
