Kennebunk High School is home to over 120 blue recycling bins. But at the time of writing, zero of these bins directly lead to any recycling at all. At the end of each day, all plastic, glass, and metal in these bins is simply mixed with the rest of the school’s trash and later burnt for energy.  The average school in the United States produces 30 tons of trash annually (roughly the weight of five adult elephants). By implementing recycling here at KHS, we can expect to drastically reduce our waste output while also reducing landfill sizes, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, natural resource usage, and more. 

Each day during advisory, members of the Environmental Action Team will be collecting the recycling from classrooms. This recycling will be combined in bins at the end of each hallway, and the custodial team will later consolidate the bins into a dumpster bound for ecomaine’s recycling plant. For this plan to be successful, it is imperative that students and teachers alike begin separating trash from recycling, if they aren’t already. Papers, plastics, metal, cardboard, and glass should go into the recycling bins for collection. Recyclables that contact food should be cleaned first. Other waste, like tissues, plastic bags, and food should just go into the regular trash. Any contaminated recycling could result in an entire dumpster’s worth being sent to the trash, which the school will have to pay for. 

If you have any questions about the plan, or if you would like to help out, please contact either Anelise Peterson ([email protected]) or Mara Muse ([email protected])

Read my other articles?

https://theherdkhs.net/2021/11/is-it-time-to-retire-the-ram/

https://theherdkhs.net/2022/01/deciphering-the-detention-policy/

https://theherdkhs.net/2022/01/toner-trouble/

https://theherdkhs.net/2022/05/forever-chemicals/

https://theherdkhs.net/2022/05/students-stand-up-to-supreme-court/

https://theherdkhs.net/2022/12/rsu-21-fumbles-in-the-face-of-sanford-crisis/