In the fall of 2025, students entered the Sorting Resources Video Contest, creating instructional films about how to correctly sort waste in the school cafeteria. The video was screened in science classes for all middle and high school students in January of 2026. 

Congratulations to our winning team: TJ Cairo, Eva Dedvukaj, Maya Ljuljdjurovic, and Sophie Edibe for their submission: Trash Gamblers

New sorting guidance signs created by the Irvington Green Team which are now placed above the cafeteria bins.  The following guidance was provided to science teachers to share with students after screening the film. 

IUFSD Sorting Resources Video: how to sort at the cafeteria and why 

As of November 2025

The rules for what can be composted and recycled differ by region and institution and are determined by their destinations.

Trash (Wasted Resources)

Waste that cannot be repurposed will be trucked to the incinerator in Peekskill. Sending unnecessary waste to the incinerator is harmful because it increases air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and toxic ash production, all of which undermine regional climate goals and public health. Incineration destroys materials that could otherwise be composted or recycled, wasting resources. 

On top of this, the Peekskill facility is located near predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods that have long borne a disproportionate share of Westchester’s pollution burden, meaning our everyday disposal choices directly impact communities that are already overexposed to asthma-causing pollutants and industrial infrastructure. Reducing waste isn’t just good climate practice—it’s a matter of equity.

Unfortunately, the hot cups and red-checkered boats in our cafeteria contain a waxy coating that cannot be processed in our county’s recycling nor composting facilities.

*Note: Pour your liquids into the water refill drain and not into any bin.

Compostables

Our food scraps go to Sustainable Materials Management in Cortland Manor, a commercial facility. Commercial composting facilities can accept a wide range of materials—including meat, dairy, bones, cooked foods, compostable paper products, and even certified compostable plastics. In addition to all food and napkins, the school trays and utensils are specially sourced and compostable.
*Note: Pour your liquids into the water refill drain and not into any bin. 

Large scale facilities can convert all of these items because their systems reach very high temperatures, maintain controlled aeration and moisture, and can break down pathogens, fats, and tough organic matter. The food scraps are blended with shredded tree debris in a precise ratio that varies from batch to batch. This balance, combined with proper aeration and an average temperature of 130°F, creates optimal conditions for beneficial bacteria and fungi to break down the organic materials. While the process is rooted in science, there’s also an art to perfecting the ratio with each batch. These resources will be fully repurposed into nutrient-rich compost—often called "black gold"! 

Learn more: https://smmcompost.com/how

Recycling

Metal, glass and plastic (no.s 1-7) can be recycled. As much food as possible should be scraped into the compostables bin. If food or liquids are left in containers, they will be considered  “contaminated” and rejected for recycling and should be thrown away. 

*Note: Pour your liquids into the water refill drain and not into any bin. 

Recyclable materials will be trucked to the Material Recovery Facility in Yonkers where humans and machines will sort them for their next life.  Because Westchester separates these items from paper and cardboard (dual stream vs. single stream) Westchester repurposes 90% of the recycled materials in the following ways:  

Glass
Crushed into “cullet” and sent to regional processors. It’s reused as:

• feedstock for new glass bottles and jars

• aggregate for roadbeds, drainage projects, and construction fill

Metal (Aluminum & Steel Cans)
Sold to metal smelters.

• Aluminum becomes new beverage cans—often back on shelves in as little as 60 days.

• Steel becomes rebar, appliances, and construction materials.

Plastics (#1–#7, depending on market conditions)
Sorted into bales and shipped to domestic plastic reclaimers. Most commonly:

• #1 PET → new bottles, clamshells, and polyester fibers for clothing, carpet, and insulation

• #2 HDPE → detergent bottles, drainage pipes, plastic lumber, and decking

• #5 PP → storage bins, automotive parts, reusable containers

• Mixed plastics → industrial plastic lumber or fuel for specialized manufacturing
  
  

Cartons (milk, juice boxes)
Sent to specialized U.S. mills where the fiber becomes paper products and the plastic/aluminum layers are used in composite materials. 

Conclusion

When we sort our waste well, we lighten the load on overburdened communities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen a more ethical, regenerative local economy. These choices ripple outward: they protect our forests and waterways, support green jobs, and model the kind of responsibility we want our children to inherit. In a world that often feels out of our control, proper recycling and composting are practical, everyday ways to tangibly improve the future.