Recycling

Dan Carpenter, head custodian, said the postlunch cleanup in the cafeteria is quite messy.

“Kids are not as conscious of what they’re doing,” Carpenter said. “Several of them tend to leave their food and items on the tables, which is an issue. They’re not like adults —when we eat something at the table we don’t leave a mess on the floor.”

When students dispose of their food, they rarely use the recycling bins, Carpenter said. The majority of plastic, wrappers and bottles are thrown in trash cans. He said the custodians don’t empty the recycle bins as often as one might expect. 

Katherine Bauman, social studies teacher, said it’s important for parents to instill responsible environmental practices in their children at a young age. 

“My daughter and I recycle at home. We compost, we grow our own garden, and I don’t use fertilizer or pesticides,” Bauman said “My daughter helps me with these activities, and she helps me sort recyclables as well.”

Bauman said the younger generation will carry the environmental work of the previous generation into the future. She said the problem is the sense of urgency to act as current estimates don’t favor longevity for environmental resources.  

Bauman said recycling practices aren’t enforced in the classroom, and she struggles with keeping her assignments entirely digital because her AP tests are on paper. Bauman said studies have shown that students retain information better when they are physically writing or physically reading a book.  

“It’s like how do you balance going paperless but then also looking out for your students and making sure they are getting what they need?,” Bauman said. 

She also said she hopes to see changes among recycling companies because recycling is not always fiscally responsible.