There certainly are a lot of skeptics when it comes to waste. Some think it’s just easier to toss everything into the garbage, which then goes directly to landfill, instead of sorting out each individual piece. It can understandably be a pain sometimes, but it’s definitely worth it.
That soda can you just put into the recycling really does get new life, and that banana peel you put into the compost will be broken down for fertilization purposes. If you’ve ever wondered exactly WHERE your recycling goes and what happens to it, King County provides a great video that will take you through the materials recovery process.
If you have a few spare minutes, watch the video here: What happens to my recyclables? You will finally understand that yes, I SHOULD separate my waste and I DO have an impact!
The Office of Sustainability is constantly working to improve our diversion rate (diverting waste from the landfill!) with different waste programs and education. In our first ever waste audit, over half of the materials going to the landfill were compostable! The more materials we have going to landfill, the higher our impact on greenhouse gases. With the majority of compostables being food waste, you can definitely take the time to separate out your meals and snacks here on campus and make a real difference.
We need to work together to improve our campus, our waste story, and our overall sustainability. If you have any ideas or questions, please contact sustainability@bellevuecollege.edu, we would love to hear from you!
Last Updated June 28, 2016