The return of recycling

Members of the Northview community discuss the new recycling initiative

Graphic by Everett Baumann, Staff Writer

Katelyn Wu, News Editor & Everett Baumann, Staff Writer

This year, the Northview Environmental Club has been picking up and recycling paper materials by coming around to classrooms during Titan Time on Mondays and Fridays. However, what seems like an ordinary school club has had a difficult journey in the pursuit of being environmentally conscious through recycling.

In the past, environmental science classes were responsible for schoolwide recycling. The Environmental Club only had meetings and smaller projects, like caring for the school garden. Nicole Dakal, the current club vice president, believes the desire for the Environmental Club to step up and take on recycling responsibilities began about a year ago when the club discovered that materials in the recycling bins were not actually being recycled.

“We were going through this effort to go around picking up bins, and it was going to a landfill,” Scott Lee, the Environmental Club sponsor, said.

Armed with this information and feeling that they could improve the recycling culture at school, the club held a churros fundraiser, with the aim of raising enough funding to hire authentic recycling services. In 2022, Americans recycled 68 percent of their paper trash, according to the American Forest and Paper Association. Northview wanted to be sure it was doing its fair share.

Making a Connection in the Community

This past summer, the members got in touch with Breezeway Recycling, a local company based in Johns Creek, Ga. The club was especially impressed with the small business that worked with high schools in their community.

Still, Northview faced a few difficulties in the beginning with communication. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) played a big role in helping the club contact the company. However, there would be miscommunication such as emailing issues or losing contact with the company.

“Because we had to use that middleman to contact the actual recycling company, it was kind of difficult,” Dakal said. ”There were a lot of times where we didn’t have the ability to be in charge of the situation.”

However, now that they have adjusted to the new system, the Environmental Club is comfortable working with Breezeway and has smoothly begun the return to recycling.

Where Does Recycling ‘Go’?

A sheet of paper’s journey from school to the recycling center begins in each classroom. The Environmental Club equips every room with a recycling bin. To start the process slowly, the club is currently only collecting paper. It’s common to find other materials, like plastic water bottles and aluminum soda cans, mixed in. As a result, they must sort the recycling every week before giving it to the company.

“We go to the classrooms, we collect them,” Samantha Gallant, the club’s social media manager, said. “We do have to sort out a lot of plastic bottles.”

The sorting occurs during Titan Time, which is the perfect opportunity for students to earn volunteer hours. Lee takes the plastics and aluminum that are sorted out to a separate center, which will help recycle them. Afterward, the club leaves the paper items for Breezeway Recycling to pick up. Ultimately, this paper can be repurposed to make everyday items, such as cereal boxes, toilet paper, and paper towels.

As the club’s social media manager, Gallant is responsible for informing the Northview community that the school has started recycling again.

“I’m spreading the word as to why we’re doing it and why it’s important to recycle for the environment,” Gallant said. “The environment is really important and global warming is real. [Recycling] gives kids the chance to start having these thoughts of ‘What can I do to help save the planet?’”

Gallant and the other club members will continue to inspire, with hopes of having an even greater impact. The club hopes to expand the recycling initiative in the future. Gallant expects to partner with other environmental science classes as well as scale a plan to recycle other materials such as plastic.