When junk piles up, many Cavaliers are tasked with choosing between the gray or blue bins to get things off their hands.
Recycling is the perfect way for students to take a quick break in class and make an action that makes them feel like a productive member of society. Students have been conditioned to separate recycling from trash since childhood. The recyclables’ journey can be assumed, but very few can verify the true path the items in these little blue bins follow.
When polled, 16 out of 20 Clover Hill teachers and staff assume the recycling here on the Hill goes straight into the trash. During this poll, some teachers and staff members claimed to not have a recycling bin in their room in the first place. The few teachers and staff that claimed the recycling ended up in its correct destination, said they hoped it does, influencing their decision.
“We are told to keep it all separate and make sure it doesn’t get into the trash can,” one Clover Hill janitor said.
In addition to janitors aiding in the separation of recyclable materials and trash, the Special Education department also plays a large role in the recycling process. When the Special Education department started to notice their recycling was being thrown in with the rest of the trash, the department took it upon themselves to directly deliver classes recycling into the main recycling bin behind the school. Special education teachers Cynthia Gay and Meaghan Mitchell are two of the people involved in the organization of helping their students collect recycling.
“We collect the recycling every Wednesday after lunch. The kids love to do it,” said Gay.
Clover Hill’s special education department has gone a step further by joining a plastic recycling challenge.
“We do this plastic recycling challenge that’s not through the county. We do it through a company called Trex. We collect soft plastic and grocery bags and we submit that through the company,” said Mitchell.
This department is a prime example of going the extra mile to better our community.
The investigation of the final destination of recyclables led to an unfortunate discovery.
“Probably most of it ends up in the main trash,” a school janitor said. “Almost 100% of it.”
As of June 30, 2024, Chesterfield county has become a private sector service for curbside recycling. This development entails that people with their own recycling bin in Chesterfield county have to hire and purchase a private company to take their recycling if they are unable to take it weekly to their local dump. Both options can be time consuming, tedious, and pricey.
According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia’s calculated recycling rate for 2023, was 42.5 percent, a decrease compared to before the new development went into effect.
Hope for recycling in Chesterfield County is not lost. Recycling is still possible at Chesterfield County Convenience Centers, and curbside recycling services. As the switch to private sector services was done extremely quietly, it’s important that those who reside in Chesterfield county are the most informed and provided with as many resources as they can be.
Visit chesterfield.gov for curbside recycling companies and their contact information.
