After we collected our trash for a week, we finally made it to the Andover transfer station!! I did not have very high expectations for the transfer station, however it was very interesting and I really enjoyed our time exploring the transfer station.
A lot of different things we had been talking about in class weeks before, we actually got to witness and learn more about at the transfer station. At first, we drove up and went to throw out our trash in something called the “Hopper.” The Hopper is a big machine that people throw their trash into and the hopper will crush and and move it into a big trailer like dumpster. The next thing we visited was the the building for recycling. Going to this building was definitely my favorite part about our visit to the transfer station.
In the recycling building there were a bunch of different areas and sections for different things you can recycle. Going into that building, I was baffled by looking at some things that people have thrown out, or wanted to throw out. I stood in the middle of this room and looked up at all of the different paintings and different pieces of artwork just wondering why anyone would throw these out. To the left of me, there was a table with books, cds, shoes, games, and a lot of other things that people could still use and could still own. The people who work at the transfer station really gave us a lot of good information about what kind of trash they see the most, what they do with it, and they had some funny stories about weird things they have found in the trash and recycling. They told one story about a pizza box. “We once opened a pizza box that someone there out and there was half of a pizza in it.” -Transfer station guy. That quote really made us all laugh and it showed how some people don’t know how to recycle.
One thing that the people who work at the transfer station said and they really try to emphasize that if you are recycling paper and cardboard it is key that you keep it clean. Nobody will buy it from the transfer station if there is anything that is not paper or cardboard and if it has any rips in it. “They want clean and dry paper, if someone gave you a bowl of M&Ms that had saw dust poured all over it, you wouldn’t eat it but you would if there wasn’t any saw dust. It is the same thing with paper.” -Alan. Alan our APES teacher, gave us a good analogy about why people don’t want want the dirty paper and cardboard. Someone wouldn’t eat M&Ms covered in saw dust, but nobody would ever think twice about a big bowl of nice clean M&Ms.
Overall, our trip to Andover, New Hampshires transfer station, was so fun and full of learning. My favorite part was the recycling building and seeing all of the different things people have thrown out. Another interesting thing we learned about was how different towns and cities, usually depending on how big the town or city is, use different methods to get rid of trash. Small towns usually have transfer stations like Andover, and larger towns and cities will have curbside pickups, material recovery facilities, and landfills/incinerators.
Our assignment to collect trash, the lab, and our visit to the transfer station taught me a lot and some things that I won’t ever forget. Ever since Ocean Classroom, my awareness for issues regarding pollution and trash has really kicked in and every assignment I get, or just in my regular day, I pay extra attention to the trash I am producing and where all of it is going. I also try my best to avoid producing a lot of trash to help save our earth. Transfer stations are not a place you visit on your regular routine day, however it is really worth the trip because of the things you will observe and the things you will learn which you will never forget.
APES Blog - Lila 