In the world we live in today, no matter how interconnected technology has allowed us to become, there is always a bubble that surrounds us. We can read and attempt to learn about what we don’t know, yet it is impossible to know about everything happening around us. However, it is our responsibility to know what is happening in our communities and work to ameliorate the issues because even if we are not impacted by a certain issue, others just like us are. Ignorance is our privilege in many ways, and I hope that as I work to create this column, I can slowly chip away at our ignorance one piece at a time.
This week’s topic is the climate: more specifically recycling. Our climate is suffering, and we are, too. The adverse effects of climate change impact marginalized and statistically poorer socioeconomic communities the most, whether through natural disasters, displacement, or inadequate access to resources. So I think the best contribution we can make as students is to not only educate ourselves but also others around us, to practice sustainability and good recycling methods more consciously.
Recycling is an exact practice: With even one unrecyclable item mistakenly placed into the recycling bin, the whole bag will be placed in the trash. This is an unfortunate truth that most civilians are not aware of. It can be agreed upon by most people that generally recyclable items are paper, select plastics, cardboard, bottles, and cans. However, it is more complex than that. These three rules for recycling are crucial to maintaining the integrity of the practice and making an effective impact:
1) DO recycle bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard with all lids and plastic wrapping taken off. DON’T recycle: plastic bags, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, Ziploc bags, flexible packaging (such as phone case boxes, chips bags, or juice and soup pouches), plastic lids, plastic “to-go” containers.
2) Before any item is put into the recycling bin, it must be rinsed completely and dried, and all food and liquid must be washed away, leaving no residue in the container.
3) Items in recycling bins should never be bagged, recyled items should be directly placed in the bin. The trash bags used to gather all items in a recycling bin are not recyclable and thus if recyclable items are placed in those trash bags, they go to the trash, defeating the whole purpose of recycling.
Now that the basic rules have been addressed, I’m sure many of you reading this were not aware of two out of the three rules, which is not your fault. However, now that you know, I hope you are more conscious of what you choose to recycle and how.
I would also like to dedicate a portion of my column every week to highlight activists or organizations who are working to make a difference. This is also helpful for students just like myself to get involved and fight for reform. At Rutgers, many such organizations exist, including but not limited to: RU Climate Reality, Rutgers Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA), and RU Thrifty. Additional organizations in the city of New Brunswick are listed as follows:
I acknowledge that these short pieces every week are not enough of an effort to solve these significant local and national issues. Still, I hope that with a few minutes of your day, I can at least educate a few people to live more sustainably and become a little less ignorant about the issues in their communities. The climate crisis will not be diminished without the collective action of millions of people, but on an individual level, every one of your contributions matters.
Ignorance is Privilege is a biweekly series. Come back on Fridays for more!