“Contaminated” recycling leads to more trash

If you've ever thrown something away on campus, you had to make a big decision before dumping your trash. In fact, with four bins to choose from – regular trash, paper, glass and comingled (plastic, aluminum, etc.) – this was not an easy task. Granted, the decision of which bin to throw your junk in should only take, um, less than five seconds, we here at FAU apparently have trouble managing to put the right things in the right containers.

You might not think the one banana peel you threw in the paper bin is going to make a big difference, but according to FAU’s Physical Plant, you just contaminated the entire bin. Evan Cross, the assistant director for the plant, says the problem with FAU's recycling isn’t FAU not doing their jobs but the students and faculty “not putting their trash in the appropriate containers.” Cross says that when food and any other “trash substances” are mixed with the recyclables, the recyclables become contaminated and get thrown in the trash.

So if you’re one of those people who say they’ve seen FAU custodial staff throwing the recycling in the trash, keep in mind, it’s not their fault – it’s actually ours.

See the problem is, we’re either too lazy to care or too stupid to notice where we’re tossing our coffee cup and empty pizza box, not realizing we’re hurting the environment in the process. Because when you throw your pizza box in the bin labeled “plastic,” you just contaminated the entire bin and it can no longer be recycled.

If you are one these people – an apathetic recycler – don’t give up hope, there is still time for you to change. So next time you go to throw your soda can and candy bar wrapper away, take a moment and think about which bin you will toss them in. (The can should go in plastic/aluminum and the wrapper in the trash). Remember, one banana peel in the paper recyclables can ruin it all for the rest of us.

Be kind, please recycle. Or at least just pay attention when you throw away your trash.