Category: Opinion

by Courtney Wight ’26 on October 2, 2025

The Ever Complicated Question

Recycling is extremely important on campus, and all students should know how to properly recycle. It is disheartening to take my recycling down to the trash room and see that our recycling bins are absolutely disgusting and full of non-recyclable items. I understand not everyone may know how to recycle, but that’s okay! College is a place to learn, grow, and develop skills that will be used for the rest of your lives. Therefore, Providence College must emphasize recycling education to ensure the students who graduate from PC enter the world with the knowledge of how to live sustainably.

Recycling is simple and boils down to one rule: when in doubt, throw it out. If there is ever something that may or may not be recyclable, just throw it out. The contamination of recycling is detrimental, as all the properly recycled items may have to be discarded. Contamination is costing Rhode Island taxpayers, as the rejected loads of recycling have a fee of $20 per rejected ton and a maximum of $250 per load for the city or town where the load originated. Contaminated loads risk the overall operation, as there is a chance of equipment breaking due to the improper materials entering the recycling machines. While Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC)—the main organization that handles recycling within the state of Rhode Island—admits its equipment needs an upgrade, that does not change the need for recycling education across the state.

I have witnessed numerous instances on campus where students are confused about whether or not their items are recyclable. One case I frequently see is a half-full or almost finished Dunkin’ or Starbucks plastic drink cup. If the student deposits their cup into the recycling bin, it can contaminate all the other items in the recycling bin since the liquid inside will likely leak. To be properly recycled, all plastic containers must be emptied and rinsed before being placed in the recycling bin. In this case, to prevent contaminating the entire bin, a person should engage in the previous rule by throwing out their plastic cups.

Another recycling mistake I see many fellow students make is forgetting to break down cardboard. Cardboard is one of the easiest things to recycle, but many students fail at the final step. All cardboard must be broken down before it can be recycled. I have seen numerous recycling bins full in the trash room, simply because there are a couple of cardboard boxes that haven’t been broken down. Breaking down cardboard is an easy step that goes a long way to make sure the recycling is properly done and to make our trash rooms cleaner by reducing the likelihood of the recycling overflowing.

Finally, PC needs to promote the multipurpose recycling area located in Lower Slavin by Dunkin’. For example, there is a specific place to dispose of batteries since it is hazardous to throw them away with regular trash. This is a serious safety concern, and more needs to be done to educate students so they can enter the world with the necessary knowledge to not only live sustainably, but also safely.

I believe PC needs to do more to educate incoming students since they are least set in their ways and most willing to learn new habits. PC should mandate proper and updated signage regarding the recycling policies on campus, especially since recycling policies vary. Furthermore, all students living on campus should have a recycling bin in their dorms. I know this is not always the case; therefore, all students should know that if there is no recycling bin, students can put in a work order and Physical Plant will supply them with one.

I know many students across campus who want to do their part, learn to improve our campus, and keep it safe. However, without mass-scale initiatives pushed by the administration, widespread change is not possible. As a member of ECOPC for over three years now, we have tried to push recycling to be included in Freshman Orientation, yet we have not received the proper support to make this a reality. In my final year at PC, I will continue to educate others about proper recycling, but without the support of the administration, I am not confident the change I want to see is possible.