Recycling in a New Light
Ch. 8 Exercise 1
In April, the Prince William County Department of Public Works released that they were going to alter the way they recycled effective immediately. According to their website, contamination standards and the closing of the Asian export markets for certain plastics resulted in an increase in processing costs. Therefore, The Prince William County Solid Waste Division revised its requirements for the materials that are able to be recycled.
Recycling is vital to both our natural environment and us. However, not everyone recycles, why? I believe most people choose not to go the extra mile to save our planet because they want the 'fast and easy' way out. It all started with fast food restaurant chains and has led to daily habits for some. Many people are what iI like to call social media advocates for recycling, but not real-life advocates. They post and preach about how our earth will diminish soon because of the way we treat it but that's as far as they choose to go with their advocating. These type of people don't do their research for what products their recycling company, in fact, recycles or collects. They simply just throw out most of their output and do not care to fix simple things in their lifetime to help decrease the harsh impact it has on our environment.
Some of the things that are put in to single-handedly put into making a product from raw material include the following:
- Huge amounts of energy
- Harmful chemicals that escape into the atmosphere from landfill sites
- Habitat destruction
For this blog post, I decided to interview my sister who is a school teacher in the district of Anne Arundel Public Schools. She is an activist for recycling anything and everything one possibly can so that it ensures the conservation of natural resources. Some questions I decided to ask her in the over the phone interview, were as followed:
- What grade do you teach?
- Do you think that your students have learned valuable lessons about recycling based off your actions?
- How do you manage to recycle in your own classroom?
- How do you ensure that you and other fellow coworkers follow the guidelines of your school/ county policy on recycling?
- Do you think that your students throughout the years have taken away the notion that recycling is important?
- Do you agree with your public school regulations on what is and isn't suppose to be recycled?
- Would you alter the policy on recycling in your county and public schools, if so how and why?
Her Answers:
- I have previously taught second grade for two years and third graders for two as well, but I am not currently teaching due to COVID-19.
- Yes, I think my students have. I actually try to set time aside during craft clean up or any type of clean up really, to address the fact of why we recycle paper or plastic and rinse out any containers that are recyclable really. It normally goes something like me showing the kids the green recycle bin and explaining why it's green and different from trash cans. Normally by the second quarter, students grasp the idea and catch on.
- Recycling in my classroom on a daily basis consists of rinsing out milk containers or whatever plastic containers my students have, and then putting them in the green bin to be collected at the end of the day. Another way I like to recycle is when we are done with crafting or our lesson for that day, whether it involves paper or plastic if we don't use all of the product supplied by me, we recycle it if possible. I even rinse out and recycle glue bottles. I like to think I help out a lot.
- I truly think that I am the only one who tries to recycle at my school. I say that because I do not know or have heard of another teacher who goes the extra mile like I do. I am not bragging, but I simply teach my students the importance of recycling from the getgo. So, with that, I try my hardest to not impose my opinion of recycling on others because I don't want to come across as bossy or rude. Most of the coworkers I closely work with know that I'm big on recycling so they try to do their best as well.
- I hope my students have learned that it is important to recycle. I do not grade my students on if they recycle in my classroom or not but I do hope that my previous students remember to do it even when they are not at school.
- Yes, I agree. I feel like it might be even more than other schools do.
- No, I would not change them. I think it is efficient and effective but what I would change is how many people recycle. I think that number could be increased. All it takes is action from some people.
Although my sister does not live in my county, it was the closest I was getting to someone who takes recycling just as important as me. It was very insightful because I was keyed into how public school systems manage to recycle.
The elements Prince William County changed affected the recycling of glass bottles, jars, and elimination of plastic containers, tubs, and buckets from being. It is sad to see that America's recycling production has changed for the worse. I use to live in Italy and Germany and their recycling regulations are very different from that of America. I remember on almost every other street, there were huge containers that separated glass by color and was separate from the regular paper and cardboard recycling.
Although my county has stopped recycling glass, other counties have not. It is important for me to also address that they have invested in what is called a purple bin for residents to put their unwanted glass in to be recycled at the Balls Ford Road Compost Facility. This facility will crush up the glass and use it in construction projects. Another good thing coming out of this change is that Prince William County residents can also use the Fairfax County Recycling and Disposal Center that takes unwanted glass as well. By having alternative options to the outcome COIVD-19 had on trade routes, it allows for a continuation of recycling.
My solution to the county I currently reside in would be to input a system that buys and remakes items from recycled glass. It could be a start-up company that buys glass that people choose to donate or drop off so that the company can put it back to its natural state, sand. Ideally, if this was possible we wouldn't waste any natural resource because it would eventually serve its' purpose as an item and be reverted back to its' original form.
The video below shows the type of recycling system I believe America should start with. One that Germany already has perfected.
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