Does AMSA recycle? The fact that it’s even a question is telling. The answer is yes, but the story of how–and why students, teachers, and even administrators are confused–is a bit complicated.

The most common misconception that has made its way through the rumor mill is that AMSA used to recycle and then stopped. Explanations as to why range from cost to who knows.

As for the bins in classrooms …

“Students wanted to do it so they got the bins and then never got anywhere with it,” science teacher Kelly Antonuccio said when asked why recycling bins would be everywhere if the school didn’t, in fact, recycle.

The truth is, in 2010 AMSA paid a company to pick up and recycle paper and plastic goods from the school. One year later, after realizing this was not financially feasible, administrators turned to KLT Industries, a company that offered to recycle paper and cardboard for free.

At the time, many students were inquiring about starting a recycling program because they were unaware that the school already recycled.

Technically, the school does not have a recycling “program,” because that would require all recyclables to be sorted after being deposited into both the trash and bins. Many people have misinterpreted this, thinking the school does not recycle at all; however, it just means that any recyclables put into trash cans are not sorted.

An actual program would consist of sorting through trash cans and making an active effort to make sure that everything recyclable gets recycled.

“If anyone wanted to start a [comprehensive] recycling program, they would have to find a cheap or free way to do it,” Facilities Director Eric Lane said.

Material currently put into the recycling bins is ultimately placed into a container, located near the lower school, operated by Allied Waste Services, a new services provider.

Just this year, KLT Industries starting charging for service that was previously free. Thus the change to Allied Waste Services, which caused even more confusion.

The repeated changes and lack of communication concerning them is thought to be the cause behind the rumors that AMSA once recycled and then stopped.

AMSA’s agreement with Allied Waste Services calls for single-stream recycling to pick up the material at no charge. This is a process in which all recyclable material gets put into one container instead of being sorted by the collectors.

Single-stream recycling, according to Mr. Lane, is the common standard for how waste gets recycled. Everything that goes into the recycling bins in the classrooms gets taken out to a trash receptacle between the upper and lower school buildings and gets picked up once a week by Allied Waste Services.

The recycling bins in most of the classrooms were recently re-labeled by the cleaning staff in an effort to inform everyone what materials can go in them, but this was not clearly communicated, adding to the confusion.

When people think they see the recycling bins being emptied into the same trash receptacle that all the other trash goes into, it’s actually going to a separate place to be recycled. It may look like trash because it is all together, but that is just how single stream recycling works.

The various rumors and speculation around school have led to confusion even among members of the school administration.

“I don’t think we are recycling,” AMSA Principal Dr. Michael Curry said. “It’s certainly not evident to me without asking because I know that I don’t have a recycle bin right here [in the office].”

Substitution Manager Sheila Warner brings home her paper and other goods from school so that she can recycle them.

Confused students are throwing paper, plastic, cardboard, and other things into the trash because they think none of it is recycled.

“I’d be willing to recycle if the school would,” junior Arin Smalls said. “The students are willing to do their part. The school just has to do theirs.”

The school is–it’s just that the recycling taking place seems to be one of AMSA’s best-kept secrets.