At Stevens, you often hear that the university does not recycle and that everything is dumped into the same place. It’s a persistent myth that causes student cynicism, but this, in fact, is not the case. Stevens does recycle, but an institution can only be as green as its community.
Stevens has single-stream recycling, which means all recyclable items are combined, transported to approved facilities, and then sorted for proper recycling. Accepted items for recycling include dry and clean paper, cardboard, glass, types 1 and 2 plastics, and aluminum. However, noncompliance from the student body has caused many bins to become contaminated, cancelling out existing recycling efforts. “Student habits [is one of the] biggest obstacles, as students will unknowingly contaminate recycling with food waste and other non-recyclable material, making the whole batch unrecyclable,” said Olivia Conner-Bennett, Sustainability and Transportation Coordinator. When a single contaminated item ends up in a bin, the whole load risks being rejected by the processing facility, and everything ends up in landfills. While the problem isn’t entirely preventable, it can absolutely be managed and improved, starting with each student taking just a few extra seconds before throwing anything away.
Recycling bins on the lower campus are accompanied by signs detailing where to place different types of trash. For even more guidance, the university recommends using Recycle Coach, a free app and website that tells you instantly how and where to dispose of any item correctly. “Be aware of what can and cannot be recycled, which you can check with the Recycle Coach app,” Conner-Bennett shared. A quick search before you toss can reduce contamination rates, meaning fewer rejected loads and more material actually making it to recycling facilities.
Stevens absolutely recycles, but it may be difficult without the support and compliance of the student body. Before you toss something out, make sure you’re aware and select the right bin for your trash! Check the posted signs, take a few seconds to think, or open Recycle Coach if you’re unsure. When in doubt, toss it out in the grey bins and keep the blue ones for clean, dry, and accepted recyclables only. The myth that the university doesn’t recycle will only disappear when our habits catch up to our intentions! Let’s make that happen!
