Why do we recycle? How are schools recycling? And specifically what is Manitou Springs High school doing to recycle?

As a member of the Manitou Springs High School Environmental club recycling is very important to me. Being in this club made me realize that most students don’t really understand recycling or know how to correctly recycle.

To tackle this topic I interviewed the leader of the environmental club Ms. Waters. Ms. Waters is passionate about recycling because “it’s important for the future of our planet, for our kids, and global warming.”

MSHS and the environmental club are making great efforts to help make the school more environmentally friendly. Every Thursday the Environmental club has all of the advisories bring out their recycling to the large bin outside. They help educate students on what can and can’t be recycled and have them bring all of the non recyclable items back inside.

Educating students on the importance of recycling can help give an incentive to put in more effort. “Being aware of what they’re using, being curious because there’s no judgement. You can’t always do it perfectly, not feeling bad about what you’re not doing but just doing the best you can.” said Waters

The environmental club has taken the initiative to educate students with Thursday recycling. They are also planning to do a contest with the advisory’s to see who has the cleanest recycling bin every week.

Nicole Wicks (11) is a first year member of the environmental club and she thinks that the best way to get students to care about recycling is “If we educated them on how recycling works, different ways to recycle”

“The biggest part of getting people to recycle is not making it a huge part of their day but just incorporating it in” said Nicole.

Not only does recycling in high school help the schools waste, but it also helps to educate the students so they know how to correctly recycle in the future. If students are taught from a young age the why and how of the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) it can have a very large and positive impact on that generation’s future with waste reduction.

So, next time you are throwing away a plastic bottle, or a can, think about if it can be recycled. Waste adds up quickly, and each person’s effort is truly needed to make a positive impact on our climate.