As a child, you do a lot of learning. At school, you’re taught to stop drop and roll, criss cross applesauce, and to reduce, reuse, recycle. They tell you from the time you’re young how essential cleanliness is and why plastic bottles go in different bins than cans do. The real question is, did we ever learn the true importance of recycling?

Recently at Ada High, a new recycling movement has been reinstalled, providing the school with six recycling bins that can be found throughout the Student Center. Additionally, one can also find eleven trash cans throughout the main areas of the school if ever in need of a secondary place to dispose of their garbage.

The recycling plan was intended to encourage students to take better care of their school as a start to going green. Many teachers and students were excited to welcome back this program after its discontinuation, however, it is evident that the cycle has begun to repeat itself.

Students can be seen leaving the Student Center in shambles with bags of chips and crumbs adorning the carpet. After 10-minute break, many seem more concerned with getting their snack and getting to class instead of picking up after themselves.

The previous recycling plan issued in years past was quickly terminated after students failed to dispose of their trash in the proper waste baskets. Even now, you can still find paper in the plastic containers and so on which creates an inconvenient job for the school custodians.

Cody Carter, one of Ada High’s custodians, has his work ahead of him every day, cleaning the messes the students leave in their wake.

“The students are getting the hang of recycling,” says Carter. “They just need to pick up after themselves more.”

Environmentally speaking, recycling reduces energy consumption and makes for lower production costs. Thus, by lowering the need to create new materials, the environment is cleaner and greenhouse gas emissions are lessened, which ultimately assists in helping to tackle climate change.

Outside of school, the importance of separating your recyclable materials is intended to assist recycling plants in order to quickly move the materials for reuse. It’s a small job for a big cause. The least we can do is be a part in the process.

Take care of your school and take care of your environment, it will take care of you.