The Truth About NWR Recycling

By: Emily Young 

With landfill space decreasing and pollution increasing, the need for environmental change is growing significantly. Recycling is important for multiple reasons, including that it helps tremendously in reducing waste and saving energy. Hearing rumors that North Warren does not carry out it’s recycling system  was appalling and unbelievable to say the least. According to several students, janitors were seen dumping both the recyclables and trash into the same container at the end of the day. What is the real story behind this rumor? It was time to find out.

North Warren Regional has been very successful in finding ways to eliminate waste in the past. A hydration station was placed in the high school to encourage the use of reusable water bottles, and paper towel dispensers were even replaced with electric hand dryers. Just recently, printer codes were established to help maintain and limit the amount of paper being used. These steps were taken to, of course, save money, but to also be environment friendly.

Due to North Warren’s green status, the said rumors about recycling seemed very improbable. The Patriot Press was lucky enough to land an interview with custodian Judy Cook to get more information on the recycling system. Cook explained that both recycling and trash receptacles are put onto barrel casters for easier handling at the end of the day. They are then wheeled into the back janitorial office, near the band room, and separated into larger containers according to their bin. In short, the trash is put into the trash container, and the recycling is put into the recycling container.

As stated in NJ’s School Recycling Manual, “...recyclables collected by the school are products; NOT TRASH.” The interview held with Judy Cook confirmed that North Warren Regional stands with this message. NWR’s environment-friendly history did not match up with the speculation of an unprincipled recycling process. The rumor of this school having a “corrupt recycling system” can be concluded inaccurate altogether.