Recycling

Students and staff at Crispell Middle School have taken recycling into many different areas of the school. According to an article on recordonline.com, "last year, with 725 students enrolled in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, a staggering 11,880 plastic garbage bags were used at Crispell during the 180 days that school was in session." That number seems unreal to me! Diving that amount of bags over 180 days, that amounts to about 66 bags used per day. But, since their efforts to recycle, they have reduce the amount of bags from 66 to 10-12.

The cafeteria at Crispell Middle School is also taking part in the recycling effort. Rather than having an abundance of trash cans for the students to dispose their garbage in, they now have recycling receptacles for each of the following: organic matter (fruit, vegetables, grains, cereal, pasta, napkins, paper bags); meat and cheese; milk cartons; plastic and aluminum; and juice pouches. To my surprise, the students divide out their trash as they are supposed to. They realize the difference that they are making and are willing to participate in the effort.

The organic matter that the cafeteria collects is transformed into an organic garden compost. Students and staff also use recycling bins for paper products (cardboard, brown paper, newspaper, magazines and envelopes) in all classrooms and offices. Students collect these paper products daily.

The students at Crispell Middle School are also collecting bottle caps from the lunch room as well in an effort to collect enough bottle caps to make a mosaic, using the caps to create an image on a plywood frame.

Without the support from the teachers and faculty, and the dedication and participation of the students, there is no way that this school could pull this off. This is an outstanding example of how it is possible for as many people as there are in a school to even make such a difference. Most would think it is impossible to get that many people to actually participate enough to make a difference. Well, Crispell Middle School is a prime example of how effective you really can be. To read this article in it's entirety, go to: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100113/COMM/1130312/-1/SITEMAP.

"In cafeteria and classroom, Pine Bush middle school recycles big time | recordonline.com." recordonline.com - Times Herald-Record - recordonline.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2010. .