Lift The Lid!

by Mina Brewer

You’re finishing up a great cup of coffee from the rez, and, being a responsible student, go to recycle it. But wait – what? This coffee cup doesn’t fit easily into the hole in the paper recycling bin! And what to do with the lid?! Breathe. Don’t give up. Lift the lid. (Well, both lids.)

Let’s see this in action.

First, take the lid off the coffee cup and put it in the plastic recycling bin. Ok? Next step.

Now you’re left with the paper coffee cup. You know it goes in the paper recycling bin…but how? The hole on the top is definitely not shaped to fit a cup like this. But here’s a simple solution: Lift the Lid!

Yes, the bin lids can sometimes be confusing, but for the most part, they help people around campus understand the majority of things that are supposed to go in them. Glass bottles, cans, plastic soda bottles, and other cylindrical things go in the glass, metal plastics bin (green), paper shaped things in the paper bin (blue)…Unless it’s a coffee cup…But just lift the lid! Don’t give up and throw it in the trash.

Ok – I know the trash bins right next to the rez pose another conundrum. Rectangular hole? Cylindrical cup? No lid to lift? Wha??? I’ve seen waaaay too many people shut down when they see this and throw the cup into the trash hole. But no no no! Here’s an easy photographic tutorial of how to responsibly say goodbye to your coffee cup.

Got it? One last thing – If you had a regular coffee without any foam or steamed milk, you’re good. However, if you’re more of a latte or mocha person, please try to rinse your cup out quickly before recycling it to get the extra goo off the sides.

Now put this info into use and tell all your friends to LIFT THE LID!