Franklin Pierce cuts back on recycling

by Liam Robinson
edited by Tyler Comeau

Recently, Franklin Pierce has announced there will be rollbacks on the collection of recyclables. With the amount of students and how much average waste is produced by one person, it is too expensive to recycle as much of the “acceptable” material, given the amount contaminated with food product.

(Photo: Liam Robinson)

Franklin Pierce has strict recycling policies, which make it difficult for students to understand what can be mixed in with the recycling. Mainly, the food waste contamination from things like plastic cups or pizza boxes, make recycling the material difficult-to-impossible. This means the school has to pay to ensure a certain chunk of the recycling is burned at a landfill.

One of the most used recycling dumpsters was located behind the Granite dorms, and has since been removed. This dumpster in particular was often sent to landfills to be burned.

“It’s really a watershed type situation, where no matter what because everybody’s recycling is pooled into the same place. A majority has to be thrown out, which is a huge cost to the school,” said John Powell, head of the janitorial staff.

(Photo: Liam Robinson)

There is a metal recycling dump behind facilities down by campus safety, however there is no current means for pickup. Students are encouraged to deliver their cans to facilities for a better way to ensure the metal is ‘reused 1’.

Students should look into local buy-back stations for things like cans and scrap paper, according to Powell. Walmart has a can counter and there are services throughout Keene and Jaffery that make pickups of recycling for a cost.