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GreenStuy, a Stuyvesant environmental club, has been hosting an ink and toner cartridge drive since Monday, April 14. Used ink cartridges are collected in a box near the second floor bridge entrance. The drive will last until Friday, May 30.

According to their online club description, GreenStuy’s objective is to raise awareness about global warming, animal rights, energy sufficiency, and, above all, sustainability through recycling, volunteering, education and creative planning.

GreenStuy is collecting used ink and toner cartridges from the school and from students who bring cartridges from home.

“We’re collecting cartridges that will otherwise be disposed [and] sent to landfills,” junior and president of GreenStuy Marcela Rodriguez said.

“Since cartridges continually come, we will have [a drive] every two to three months,” Rodriguez said.

The empty cartridges are sent to Funding Factory, a company started to help groups raise money through recycling. Funding Factory recycles the cartridges and gives money back to GreenStuy to use for future projects.

GreenStuy will use the money from The Funding Factory to organize a school-wide cleanup and a plant sale, which will take place next week. The profits from the plant sale will be used to adopt pandas from the World Wildlife Fund.

GreenStuy hopes to collaborate with a school service club to host a clean up, which will include sorting recycling bins and cleaning the fifth floor cafeteria.

To advertise the drive, Rodriguez posted fliers in school, announced it in the school website and made a Public Address announcement.

According to Rodriguez, GreenStuy has collected about 40 cartridges from students.
“We still have room for improvement,” Rodriguez said. “We’re hoping for perhaps 20 or 40 more cartridges.”

GreenStuy has also been working in conjunction with The Stuyvesant Environmental Club (SEC) to collect cartridges. During the beginning of the drive, the SEC exchanged ink and toner cartridges for baked goods.

Physical education teacher and Assistant Program Chairperson Larry Barth began recycling toner cartridges approximately a year and a half ago.

“People call down for new toner cartridges and I store [the old ones] in a room on the 10th floor,” Barth said. “When there is enough to fill a box, the cartridges are sent to E-Cycle Environmental.”

E-Cycle Environmental recycles and disposes used electronic equipment. Money is given in return for recycled cartridges. The Stuyvesant Technology Department uses the money to purchase new equipment. “We’re recycling […] to get the most money for the school,” Barth said.

Recycling bins, used to collect plastic and paper, are placed on each floor with the exception of the first and 10th. However, according to Principal Stanley Teitel, the recycling bins are rarely used for its purpose. “We tend to use them for trash.” Teitel said. “We don’t seem to pay attention [to recycling].”

“Virtually nothing’s being recycled,” Rodgriguez said.