To Recycle or Not to Recycle?

by Courtney Wight ’26 on October 2, 2025

environment

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.

EcoPC Hosts America Recycles Day

by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019

Campus

by Matthew Mazzella ’20

News Staff

The Environmental Club of Providence College (ECOPC) and the Sustainability Representatives will be hosting an America Recycles Day Celebration on Nov. 15, which will take place on Slavin Lawn from 3:30–5:30 p.m. The event is in tangent with the nationwide celebration of “America Recycles Day,” and will dedicate the day towards educating students about recycling and sustainability.

The event will host numerous activities to encourage students to stop by and learn more about making the Earth a cleaner place. The America Recycles Day Celebration will feature games and activities designed to educate the community about the importance, logistics, and benefits of recycling. The event will also offer snacks and prizes.

Payton Morse ’20, co-president of ECOPC, has always been passionate about recycling and is really looking to improve environmental conciousness around campus.

Morse stresses the importance of being environmentally conscious by saying, “We are focusing on recycling awareness at our event. We want the PC community to get a solid grasp on how to ‘recycle right’, because has an awesome and very accessible mixed recycling program that we want to take full advantage of.”

Another serious issue on campus is the disposal of trash in designated recycling bins. If there is any trash in these bins, the products will end up in a landfill.

Morse expresses her concern regarding this issue, stating, “Here at PC we often get truckloads of recyclables sent to the landfill because our recycling is so contaminated that it cannot be recycled. It is either contaminated with food or non-recyclables such as plastic bags and trash. This is why we want to raise awareness about recycling correctly!”

Lindsey Cartier ’21, marketing executive for ECOPC, believes recycling can be easy for students to adopt and implement into their lives.

In anticipation for the upcoming event, Cartier says, “The goal of the Environmental Club of Providence College is to spread awareness and educate our college community on ways to live a more sustainable life while on campus and post-grad! I think this event will be a great opportunity to spread awareness to PC students about how important and easy it is to recycle, and more importantly to recycle correctly!”

Jack Carson ’20 has always taken sustainability seriously, and always makes an effort to cut back on using any resources he knows he can cut back on.

Carson speaks on sustainability on campus by saying, “I always try do my part when it comes to helping out the environment. Whether it be turning off the water when I brush my teeth, separating my trash from recycling, or simply turning off the lights after I leave my room, I know even the smallest actions can make a big difference when it comes to sustainability. I admire the Earth we live on and its beauty, so I try to do my best to keep it that way by recycling and conserving resources, and I hope this event will teach others the importance in doing so.”

ECOPC hopes to have a big turnout on Friday as they look to spread awareness about the environmental issues that are taking place on campus and will look to educate students on ways they can help. The club hopes attendees of the event will learn that doing your best by making an effort to be more sustainable, no matter the size of the act, can go a long way in making the world a cleaner place.