Many students have noticed that in recent weeks recycling bins throughout the school have disappeared. In the past, each classroom had a recycling bin as well as a trash can, but this is no longer true. It turns out that the company we used for recycling will no longer support us and has removed our recycling bins. This is due to the amount of un-recyclable materials that were being placed in the bins.

Too many items not on the list of recyclables were being put in the bins, making them unsanitary and deeming the recycling  useless. Once the recycling in the bin is contaminated, it can no longer be used and must be thrown away. For example, one banana peel carelessly thrown in a recycling bin contaminates all the materials around it.

The school still has a large recycling receptacle in the parking lot by the dumpsters. This can be used for large recyclable materials such as cardboard. However, at this time there are no bins available for everyday materials such as paper, cans and plastic.

Hopefully in the future we will be able to bring back Manitou Springs High’s recycling program. The staff is working on writing new expectations for use of the recycling bins. The question is whether the student body is capable of and willing to make the commitment necessary to take a little more care when we dispose of our trash.