Does Susquehannock Actually Recycle?

Blue recycling bins like the one on the left are placed all throughout the high school. Despite that, there are still many students who think that the school does not actually recycle. Senior Eva Ross said, “I think that the effort is there, but we need to have stricter rules about what goes in the recycling bin in order to get more stuff to the recycling [center].” Photograph by Devin Gilbert...

This graphic shows what can and cannot be recycled. Another crucial part of recycling is making sure that what is put into the recycling bins is also clean. Custodian Kayla Teeter said that the school “[goes] through so much plastic in normal garbage because people don't empty their salad containers.” Photograph by Devin Gilbert

A look inside one of the recycling bins in the cafeteria kitchen. All of the cans and plastic bottles are cleaned out so that they can be recycled instead of being thrown away in the trash. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

Some of the food that comes from the cafeteria is packaged in cans that can be recycled. A significant amount of the school’s recycling comes from the cafeteria kitchen. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

There is a designated spot in the cafeteria kitchen for all of the cardboard the kitchen staff uses to be recycled. General Manager of School Nutrition, Helen Heidler, said “All boxes are broken down for placement in the cardboard recycling container.” Photograph by Devin Gilbert

All of the recycling throughout the school except for hazardous waste is placed in one of these containers. Items that are considered hazardous waste like used batteries and appliances are prohibited from being placed in the container. There is one on each side of the school for a total of two. One of them is outside of the cafeteria and the other one is near the woodshop room. Photograph by Devin Gilbe...

Items sit inside one of the recycling containers. Most of the recycling ends up in this bin for it to be taken by the recycling company. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

A collection of used lightbulbs are collected from throughout the school and admin building so that they can be recycled. All recycling apart from the cafeteria and the blue bins are placed in the garage. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

Old light bulbs sit in cardboard boxes after they have been replaced. The school also recycles all of the used light bulbs from throughout the building. These light bulbs are considered a biohazard because they can contain mercury. This means that the school has to recycle these separately through a different service. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

A pile of scrap metal is collected in one of the garages for the maintenance department waiting to be recycled. The school can make a profit when it recycles its scrap metal. Recycling companies pay to take the scrap metal so that they can use it. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

Cardboard and other recyclable materials inside of another one of the recycling containers. Teeter says that these bins usually do not get as full as the bins that contain the garbage. While both garbage bins are normally full, only one of the recycling bins fills all the way up before being hauled away. Photograph by Devin Gilbert

The high school has another recycling container outside of the metal and woodshop classrooms. Teeter said the recycling gets taken twice each week on Mondays and Thursdays. Photograph by Devin Gilbert