In observing the Carlmont campus, one might notice sets of three waste bins positioned throughout the school. These small clusters of bins, which include compost, recycling, and trash, are called tri-bins and are one of the Carlmont Green Team’s initiatives to make the campus more eco-friendly.
Green Team launched the tri-bins this school year in response to a mandate, Senate Bill (SB) 1383, requiring California schools to provide compost bins. SB 1383 is California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy implemented on Jan. 1, 2022.
“The regulations from SB 1383 aim to divert 50% of organic waste from landfills 75% by 2025,” read the Cal Cities page on “SB 1383 Implementation.”
Carlmont had recycling, compost, and trash bins before this school year and SB 1383, but there was a big problem with the bins, according to students.
“Proper waste sorting has been a major issue at Carlmont. Our compost bins are contaminated with trash and plastic recyclables to the point where whatever is in the compost bin ends up being consolidated with the trash,” said Aran O’Sullivan, one of the Carlmont Green Team’s co-presidents.
The members of Green Team were not the only students to observe this issue.
“Last year, every time I went to throw away my trash, the blue bin that was supposed to be recycling was full of trash,” said Alexandra Bieser, a sophomore at Carlmont.
Carlmont administrators also took note of students’ poor waste-sorting practices.
“The bins were added to encourage students to separate their trash into different bins according to the color and labeling on each can,” said Administrative Vice Principal Grant Steunenberg.
The tri-bins are not Green Team’s first attempt to enforce proper waste-sorting procedures. The club presented a waste-sorting presentation at the Homecoming Assembly a few weeks ago to spread awareness about the problem.
“Green Team was hoping to educate students on how to properly sort common trash items so that we can avoid further contamination of our compost in the future,” O’Sullivan said.
Compost bins and tri-bins have actually been present at Carlmont for a few years, but this is the first year that there are distinctly marked tri-bins all around campus. These new markings and clear colors make the tri-bins effective for sorting waste, according to O’Sullivan.
“I think it’s good for people who struggle with throwing away their trash. It’s more convenient and motivates me to be better to our environment,” said Jane Yoon, a sophomore at Carlmont.
Looking to the future, Green Team is working on an Idle-Free School Zone initiative that will target emissions during school pick up and drop off, according to O’Sullivan.
“Green Team is committed to improving Carlmont’s waste problem. The new compost bins are symbolic of those continued efforts,” O’Sullivan said. “All of the waste infrastructure is in place; now it’s just up to students to properly sort their trash.”
