Every Friday, the hallway by the old mailboxes houses a small group of loyal students putting on blue gloves and getting ready to do the very important job of sorting through the school’s recycling. Since 2009, one of Grier’s science teachers, Mrs. Brubaker has promoted recycling on campus by providing a community service opportunity from 3:15 pm – 5:15 pm every Friday for students who want to try to reduce the waste buildup on campus.
Mrs. Brubaker explains that the recycling program relies upon members helping and supporting one another. Even her involvement in the program came as a result of helping another teacher. “There was another teacher here back when I first started that was trying to implement the program,” Brubaker says, “and I started helping her.” Today, the program still relies on this sense of community as students help each other sort through bags, hold doors open as their peers carry full bags to the dumpster, and generally lend a helping hand.
In the sixteen years that it has been established, the recycling program has grown into a weekly effort that tries to recruit as many students as possible to help with what can feel like a gargantuan task. However, recently, the volunteers have been scarce, which makes the recycling process often take more than two hours every Friday to complete. “We usually have leftovers from the week before because we can’t get it all done,” Brubaker said.
It was surprising observing recycling on Friday, January 24th when only three Grier girls, sophomores Cynthia Dai, Sandy Chen, and Christine He were there to help. The volunteers worked to pull out multiple half-filled water bottles from the bags they were sorting. The dumpster was already full of recycling that they wouldn’t have time to get through this week, and there were still more bags to be collected around campus. The task can definitely feel overwhelming for only three students to achieve.
Many people are reluctant to help with recycling because they don’t want to get dirty, but there is a job to fit each person’s comfort level. Students can choose between collecting the recycling, sorting through it, and dumping it into the dumpster to name just a few. Mrs. Brubaker’s regular helpers—her “professional recyclers”—often tend to help with the messier jobs, so nobody is forced to get messy if they don’t want to. New helpers can be as hands-on as their comfort level allows thanks to the willingness of the regular members to sort through the bags. The regular helpers are also pivotal in leading the group and helping new recyclers find tasks that suit them. “They can help people out and get people started if I’m not there right away,” Brubaker said.
Beyond getting community service and helping save the environment, some recyclers also see helping out as a chance to get their steps in. Recycling involves a surprising amount of exercise as they walk around campus to collect the bags. “I sometimes enjoy it if I can wear AirPods and listen to music,” said Christine He.
Mrs. Brubaker hopes that they can get more students to join in the effort to reduce waste and protect the planet. Even if students only have half an hour free on Fridays, they can help out for a short time before continuing on with their weekend, knowing that they have done their part for the environment. Mrs. Brubaker says, “If everyone made a little more effort, it would make a huge difference in the amount of waste that we make as a society.”
