“Which trash do I throw this out in again?”

“It doesn’t matter, just throw your apple in the paper bin. It all goes to the same place anyway.”

Dirty tissues, organic waste, and styrofoam coffee cups continue to find themselves in the gray or black recycling bins, or the white paper only bins, rather than the trash where they are supposed to be discarded. There is rarely a bin in the Single Stream recycling program that is full of the materials that it is designed to hold.

The efforts of the Environmental Club and Facilities Manager Mike Gorman to introduce Single Stream recycling in 2014 is slowly becoming irrelevant as students continue to disregard the rules for the program.

It’s partially understandable; Single Stream bins can be confusing. With unclear signs directing students to the correct bin to throw away trash in and seemingly relaxed concern for the environment, the practice of recycling has become sloppy.

However, just because it takes a little extra thought and time doesn’t mean we should become environmentally ignorant. Do not take the easy way out and throw a coffee cup into whichever bucket is the closest. If a coffee cup is not rinsed out and is disposed of in the wrong bin, the rest of the recyclable material in that bin is contaminated and cannot be recycled.

Perhaps a more straightforward design would get people to check before they chuck their trash into the wrong bin. Pictures of products acceptable to dispose of in each bin would be helpful, but students should also take the initiative to ask their teacher in which bin they should throw their trash.

The environment should be the concern of everyone; the Earth is our future. Generations to come must live off of what the planet provides, so let’s do our part to keep it clean. The system can work, but only if the Algonquin community as a whole truly practices the Single Stream program.

Though the signs that direct people to the proper bin to dispose their waste in can be unclear, it is still the duty of everyone in the community to do their part and pitch in. By reading the signs, the Single Stream system can make a difference in the world. Even though this impact is small, when paired with the eco-friendly efforts of other towns, the effects of a healthier Earth can be achieved in this community with just a little extra effort.

The unsigned editorial reflects the views of The Editorial Board.