Featured Article

By Robert Hummel

There have been ongoing rumors regarding the blue and green recycling bins in the school. It seems to be “common knowledge” that contents of the recycling bins in the school go to the same place as the garbage cans, also, that you can throw bottles and cans into the green or blue bins. The truth? Quite the opposite.

Upon visiting Mr. Palumbo, the Spotswood High School’s Building and Grounds Supervisor and Mr. Luttman, the Assistant Building and Grouds Supervisor, it was clear that the contents of the recycling bins go to the Middlesex County Recycling Center. Bottles and cans cannot be put into the green bins. These are for paper only. The trash and recycles go to a completely different place, thus dispelling the rumor. But, every rumor has a grain of truth to it.

Most often in the cafeteria, students seem to not even care about the recycling bins, partly because of the rumor that it doesn’t matter anyway. Ironically, they started the rumor themselves. The only time the recycles don’t go where they are supposed to be is when students disregard the use of the bins. If students put bottles and cans into the garbage, they never get recycled. Paper and cardboard, bottles and cans, and garbage all go to different places. If students mix them up and put garbage in the recycle cans or recyclable material into garbage cans, they cause enough problems to make recycling them impossible.

Students cause the very problem the rumors spawn from. If they took the time to put their garbage and recyclables in the correct bin, there would be no controversy or problem. In fact, the school makes great strides to try and recycle everything possible. They even recycle light bulbs – which costs approx. $1 per bulb – to help the environment. Mr. Palumbo estimates that we recycle about 85% of the material that is recyclable in the school.

The school makes great effort to recycle all it can. The only thing hindering the recycling process is the uncooperative students who refuse to use the recycling bins. The rumors about not recycling the contents of the bins are false.