To think that all schools across the country should stop selling plastic water bottles in their cafeterias seems like an arduous task. Of course large amounts of plastic are jeopardizing to our planet, but if students are taught about recycling properly, then we should be allowed to have plastic water bottles in school.

It almost seems impossible to think that one plastic water bottle can be linked directly to pollution. Saying that a plastic water bottle being used by a student is the main culprit for pollution is simply wrong. Is it just the student’s fault, or could it be the way students are taught about recycling? Although the impact of plastic is harmful to the Earth, the main reason why it has such a detrimental effect on us is because of the way we dispose of it. But what if instead, our school system could be put to blame for these environmental issues.

As a freshman in high school, almost all of my classes this year are planted with one blue recycling bin that is not used as often as it should.  If we continue to use plastic items in school, then all we need to do after is throw it in the recycling bin, right? What if I told you the recycling bins in school and the regular trash cans are actually mixed together into one big dumpster at the end of the day. They are not sorted through to make sure some things are being recycled. Well, the plastic at Glen Rock High School is not being recycled, in fact the large blue recycling bins stand tall in our classrooms for no actual reason. So it seems quite hypocritical for Glen Rock schools to ban plastic water bottles, even though they seem like they don’t care about the environment themselves, especially when the proper way to recycle is not taught.

I think that with the right amount of education on recycling, the school system will succeed in their curriculum, and will also succeed in teaching an important life lesson. So, with the help of spreading the word and advocating about recycling, plastic water bottles should still be allowed in school.