Many students at BASIS Independent Brooklyn believe that the recycling bin is just another trash can, but this is no longer true. While our school is not currently connected to a company that recycles, some students have taken the issue into their own hands. There are currently composting and plastic recycling bins in the senior lounge, and the blue recycling bins in every classroom have been designated for paper waste only. While these changes are small, they are a big step in creating a cleaner environment at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. 

Composting, which is the process of recycling organic matter (such as food) into fertilizer for soil and plants, reduces the waste by repurposing it. However, composting also provides many benefits to the natural environment such as lessening the need for chemical fertilizers, enriching soil, and lowering one’s carbon footprint by preventing the methane emissions, which come from trash, from being sent to landfills. The implementation of composting into our is crucial to improve the school’s overall carbon footprint and encouraging eco-friendly habits within BASIS Independent Brooklyn students.  

Along with composting, the eco committee has set up a separate trash bin for single use plastic. Plastic results in the deterioration of countless marine and bird species and creates pollution that has extremely harmful effects on humans as well. Despite several pounds of plastic per person being thrown out everyday, only a small percent of it is actually disposed of properly. In 2018, only 8.7% of all plastic discarded in the U.S was recycled, and this number has not increased. In order to improve the lack of proper disposal, individuals must responsibly handle their trash. Thankfully, plastic recycling is now an option at BASIS Independent Brooklyn and can be used to correctly dispose of single use plastic. 

The blue trash bins that inhabit every classroom provide yet another opportunity to improve trash disposal. The bins are meant solely for paper materials and they are disposed of separately from the trash. 

Our school still has a long way to go before it becomes completely eco-friendly, but the eco-committee has taken great strides to start the process. Make sure to compost organic waste, recycle single use plastic, and put only paper in the blue bins in order to create a cleaner school environment!