Club Improves Campus Trash Sorting

The Environmental Club is working to reorganize campus trash sorting and make it cheaper and more environmentally friendly as early as next semester.

Currently, Campolindo fills 4 “big containers” of trash a month. The club is working to get that number down to only 1 a month. “If we can decrease the amount of trash that we send to a landfill every month, A) it betters our environmental impact, B) it’s going to save the district a lot of money because we only get charged for the trash they haul away,” said Jane Kelson, science department chair and AP Enviornmental Science teacher.

Environmental Club member Chloe Bouchy said, “I think it’s really important that this society learns how to divert their trash because in the long run it will be really helpful and save a lot of money…”

The club plans to improve Camplindo’s old program by providing recycling and compost bins alongside the trash bins in classrooms and in the quad. “One of the main ideas is that every time someone goes to throw stuff away, they only have the option of sorting recycling, trash, and compost,” said Kelson.

The club realized they would need to educate the students on their waste, so that they don’t accidentally contaminate the trash. They plan on working together with the video production class to make a educational video to present to the student body. They also want to collaborate with Leadership so the announcements include environmental tips.

The project has been in the planning stage since last April, said Bouchy. “It’s finally happening… We got all the important people on board with us and we’re all communicating together,” she said.

Kelson said, “We’re also planning on… having a team of students out at brunch and lunch at the bins helping monitor that the trash and recycling and compost [are] being correctly sorted.”

The Environmental Club hopes this will make the custodians’ jobs a lot easier.

Bouchy said, “All the other schools in the system, Miramonte and Acalanes, both have a really good compost, recycling, trash program, and you know, Cougs don’t lose, so we need to do that.”