By Cathryn Kessler ’16

A new system of recycling started by the school this year aims to vastly increase how effective recycling programs work, according to administration and maintenance staff.

It might not be visible to students on a day to day level, but Mr. Taulant Feti, Director of Buildings and Grounds for the district, said that certain waste products will now be recycled more effectively when sorted correctly in separate containers for plastic and cans, as well as paper and cardboard.

“We feel that this new system will allow both students and faculty to have a higher appreciation of what recycling can do for our community environment and also educate the students of the importance and impact of our actions in the future of planet,” Feti said.

Additional garbage canisters will be placed in the cafeteria for proper sorting of waste, with more cans being placed in classrooms for the future. The custodial staff hopes announcements will be made by the administration regularly to  bring attention to and reiterate the importance about the new recycling cans.

Through this program, the combination of recycling should allow for over 90 percent “recovery of recyclables” which otherwise would be included in the garbage. In other words, 90 percent of the garbage at West Essex will be properly disposed of. The new cans will minimize cross contamination between garbage.

“We are now implementing a system that will not only increase our percentage of properly recycled waste, but will also enhance the students understandingand participation in the recycling process,” Mr. Feti said.

However, rumors have persisted for years that recycling efforts at our school were not fully carried out. Students say the blue recycling cans in classrooms and the cafeteria that hold a culmination of plastic bottles, paper bags and food scraps are not correctly disposed of.

“West Essex is acting as a bad example,” Earth and Environmental teacher Ms. Wall said in a 2012 Wessex Wire article.

“If we do not enforce healthy habits, how can we expect students to recycle at home or when they get older?” said
Ms. Wall.

This rumor was based on a half-truth: according to Mr. Feti, the school has always recycled, but in the past the recycling program gathered commingled material in what he called “one general unsorted way.” The program sought to enforce a single container that would recycle both cardboard and commingle. This recycling method only recycled 10 percent of non contaminated recyclables according to the custodial staff.

“It was brought to our attention that while convenient for many districts, it did not utilize the maximum percentage of efficiency.” Mr. Feti said. “In reviewing our past practices, it was made clear that by changing the way the district recycles, it would increase the level of efficiency.”  

Three years after improving recycling endeavors, Ms. Wall is more optimistic about the improvements. “We are very excited about the change!” Ms. Wall said.

Although strong efforts are aimed to guide West Essex down a “green path,” students are uncertain whether this program will be effective. Students are aware that the recycling bins in the cafeteria seem to be always be filled with a surplus of garbage.

“As of right now, I am not even aware of recycling taking place at our school,” senior Halle Mason said. “However,  once we switch to this new system, it would be more obvious to students that they should finally recycle.”

“The program will work if the school gets rid of the idea that all the recyclables and garbage end up in the same place. I’ve heard it too many times,” sophomore Brielle Krause said.

“In order for this program to truly work, the school actually has to follow through with what they say they are going to do. I hear that West Essex does not even recycle the bottles we put in the blue bins. If they don’t recycle now, why would they recycle in the future?” junior Erica Torter said.

It is is difficult to determine whether this program will be effective in the future. However, at large students all have the same thoughts: nothing will change.

“The students just do not care enough. If the students couldn’t separate recyclables and regular trash, why would they separate their garbage into more categories?” senior Cooper Salmon said.