Spencer Finley

Business & Science Editor

sjf5814@psu.edu

An email to Behrend students this week included a video of sanitation workers on campus removing a plastic bag from a recycling truck and implored students to recycle properly. According to the email, “Entire dumpsters of recycling can end up in a landfill” if even one plastic bag is put into the recycling bins. 

As previously mentioned, the email instructed students to “KNOW what can be recycled,” and to “Put TRASH in its proper place – a trash bin.” But the email failed to include a list of what can and what cannot be recycled and what belongs in a trash bin. In light of that, this is a fairly general breakdown of what can and what cannot be recycled according to Penn State. 

Most kinds of papers can be recycled, including things on printer paper, newsprint and most kinds of cardboard. Certain kinds of plastic can be recycled, including most disposable water bottles and even plastic food storage containers. Most metal products can be recycled, including clean aluminum foil and cans. Glass can be recycled at Behrend, including both clear and colored glass. Labels do not need to be taken off of glass products before they are thrown in the recycling cans. 

If there is any doubt as to whether a product should be recycled, throw the item away. It is better that one item that may or may not be recycled be thrown away than an entire dumpster full of products that are definitively recyclable be thrown away. In order to reduce the potential for confusion, a helpful graphic has been provided by the University and is included alongside this article. Remember: When in doubt, throw it out.