Check out the full report here!
On Thursday, November 21st, Earth Team interns at Arroyo High School got a better picture of the waste management habits of their campus by completing their first waste audit of Arroyo lunchtime waste. A waste audit examines how effectively people sort waste into trash, recycling, and compost bins. This process involves collecting and sorting waste materials to understand what types of waste are generated and contamination rates among the three waste streams. During the audit, teams physically examine bin contents, weigh out the different material types, and record the data.
Interns were lucky enough to be joined by the Janitorial Manager Mr. Jorge Bolanos. Mr. Bolanos worked with his team earlier that day to set aside that day’s lunchtime waste for the interns. Mr. Bolanos even brought along reinforcements to support the effort: Mrs. Bolanos, Ruben(7), and Alberto(4). The Bolanos family is very passionate about recycling and waste sorting in their household as well as at the young boys’ elementary school!
The interns took on the challenging task of analyzing over 18 bags of lunchtime waste, weighing in at over 100 pounds! Of course, safety comes first, so students geared up in gloves, aprons, and safety glasses. Then, interns processed each bag by weighing it, then separating and categorizing different types of materials.
Arroyo Earth Team interns were a bit grossed out by the concept of the waste audit at first, but very quickly got into the activity. Ruben and Alberto were experts in bottle/can recycling, and were quick to spot the recyclables among the waste. Earth Team interns were incredible role models and were so inclusive to the younger boys. Everyone was able to enlist Alberto to run recyclables to the bin, and Ayden even made sure Ruben was able to take part in weighing up the bags.
While students were shocked by physically seeing the contamination in their waste stream, they were not surprised. Many of the usual lunchtime waste items were difficult to sort into the appropriate bin even for Earth Team interns with multiple waste sorting lessons under their belts.
Many recyclable items had been contaminated by food or drink and were no longer actually recyclable. However, instead of composting soiled paper and cardboard and landfilling the plastic, some of the items ended up being “wishcycled.” Wishcycling happens when people put items in recycling bins hoping they are recyclable, even when they’re not sure. This common practice can actually contaminate recycling loads and make the recycling process more difficult and expensive. When non-recyclable items or contaminated recyclables enter the recycling stream, they can lead to entire batches being rejected and sent to landfills instead.
This is one of the many reasons Earth Team interns performed this waste audit. When they return from fall break, the interns will begin the data analysis phase of their project. They will calculate contamination rates in different waste streams then analyze the data to identify patterns in waste contamination. By understanding the current waste management habits of others on campus, interns can develop targeted educational campaigns and interventions to improve waste sorting practices. At the end of the day, the interns sorted 6.9 lbs of recycling, 71.3 lbs of compost, and 22.3 lbs of landfill waste.
This hands-on experience provided students with real-world application of scientific methodology while getting involved in their school sustainability efforts. This student-led initiative represents an important step toward understanding and improving waste management practices at Arroyo High School. The insights gained from this audit will help inform future sustainability efforts and educational campaigns on campus. Earth team would like to thank the Altamont Education Advisory Board for funding this project.
