Everyone loves to preach about saving the planet, saving the bees, or saving the turtles, but all of that goes out the window when it causes a mild inconvenience. Whether it’s the soggy paper straws or having to carry around a plastic bottle trying to find somewhere to recycle it, morals are lost as a result of selfishness. The Paper and Packaging Board, provide some insight claiming “that approximately 1 in 5 people don’t recycle because they simply do not know what products can be recycled (18%) or their local recycling guidelines (18%).”
To help encourage recycling, members of BBH community SAFE Club has taken charge. SAFE Club is an environmental club within BBHHS that aims to create a more environmentally friendly school.
Biology teacher and SAFE Club advisor, Nicholas Palumbo, has helped this club thrive at BBHHS, looking for a safe space where students can learn how to be more sustainable in and out of school.
“I hope that students gain a better understanding of the challenges associated with maintaining a healthy environment and learn to take a proactive approach in organizing and contributing to the maintenance of the environment,” says Palumbo.
SAFE Club members spend their Tuesdays collecting recycling from each of the schools’ classrooms and transporting it outside to the large recycling bins on campus. Outside of this, SAFE Club works to educate the BBHHS population on what can and should be recycled throughout the day, as well as insight on easy ways to reduce lunchroom waste.
Both Palumbo and junior and SAFE Club project manager Ella Rundo have made an effort to integrate recycling into their everyday lives as easy ways to reduce waste. These two recycle cardboard boxes, paper scraps, plastic and glass bottles, and aluminium waste, all great ways to reduce your daily waste.
On a larger level, programs such as the Recycle Right Campaign and The Recycling Partnership hope to educate individuals on a global scale, showing people how recycling can be beneficial and giving insight on how to do it correctly.
Recycling is not the only way to save the Earth, and in fact, it may not even be the most efficient. As recycling takes a lot of resources and energy in production, another effective way to reduce your own impact on the planet is to reduce your waste.
Exploring the Nature Conservancy’s article, “Eight Ways to Reduce Waste,” is a great way to start off waste reduction journey as the article includes a calculator that allows people to calculate their own carbon footprint. With this new knowledge people are able to see what areas of life need to change in order to reduce their trace on the environment.
Quick tips from within this article include reducing single-use items, reevaluating consumption practices, minimizing water use, and many more.
For those who may like to be more involved within our their own community, Riversweep is a great way for BBHHS to make a difference. “RiverSweep was a fun way to help the environment in the downtown Cleveland area,” says Rundo. “I got to hang out with friends while picking up trash that was harming the community there. We even got to enjoy pizza and lemonade in a big gathering area afterwards.”
This year’s River Sweep took place recently on May 3, and was an eye opening experience for all of those involved. “Be Prepared to see a lot of trash on this trip,” says Rundo. “It hurts to see how much trash is harming the environment in such a popular place. With the help from a lot of students, a lot of progress can be made in preserving the health of our environment.”
To become more involved in your own community look into the opportunities around you. Join SAFE Club next year, partake in RiverSweep, and educate yourself on easy changes to make within your daily lifestyle.
