It may seem hard to imagine the importance of recycling a bottle or piece of paper. After all, where does it even go? Many students’ knowledge of the recycling process doesn’t expand past the designated recycling boxes in each classroom. Truth is, paper and plastic bottles go through a lot after they leave the school.

Science teacher Sandy Breitenbach started the recycling program at PHS several years ago. Since then, teacher Julie Root and her class of teachers’ aides have taken over the responsibility.

Josh Howard ‘11 is one aide who collects recycling.

"We dump the recycling into specific dumpsters in the back," says Howard.

Republic Waste picks up recycling from all over West Michigan. They pick it up in truck loads and transport it to the local factory where it is processed.

The trucks first dump the material into the bay area and then the recycling goes onto a conveyer belt that sends it through a line of workers that sorts it.

Paper recycling goes through a machine that de-inks, shreds, and bales it. These bales are then shipped to the Allegan County Resource Recycling Center.

The main output of recycled material of schools is paper and cardboard. Approximately 95 percent of the schools in Allegan have a paper and cardboard recycling program.

PHS participates in the co-mingle recycling program, meaning that both paper and plastic is recycled.

"Not many schools participate in the co-mingle recycling program. That is definitely something we want to push for," says Republic Waste service representative Melissa Campbell. "Any material that is not recycled goes into landfills."

All recycled materials that are processed are reused in other products and materials. For instance, those plastic water bottles can be used to make micro fleece. Who knows, that little piece of plastic that you drank out of will soon be keeping someone warm.