Reading, writing and recycling
Students in area schools learning how to be more garbage-conscious
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| John Swistak Jr. photo - Collinsville High School senior Damien Elledge, 18, dumps paper into a recycling bin at the high school. |
"The balers have been delivered and set up and Highland Recycling collects (the cardboard) for free," Linenfelser said. "He also picks up the plastic at the schools, which he doesn't make money doing."
CHS faculty recycling advisor and teacher Barbara Lindauer said students have already identified locations for 12 recycle bins for plastic around the campus."The custodians are using the baler for food packaging from the cafeteria, computer equipment from the school and office supplies," she said. "The students wanted 20 bins for plastic containers, but we are going to start out with 12 and then order more next year."
Granite City schools also have paper bins and elementary schools participate in the county's milk jug lid, keys, printer cartridge and can recycling programs.
Grigsby and Coolidge middle schools recycle paper and printer cartridges, and high schoolers reduce, reuse and recycle cans and paper.
Similar programs are also in place in the Madison and Venice school districts.
Tread on recycling
Recycling isn't just for paper and plastic anymore. Many are beginning to realize that nearly everything we use can be recycled.
Students collect ink cartridges and other various items such as athletic shoes, which are used for recycled rubber surfaces.
At Edwardsville High School, the recycling club last year began expanding its waste reduction to include not only plastic bottles but glass and even batteries with 11 recycling centers located throughout the building.
In addition to paper and now plastic, the school recycles toner cartridges, cell phones, batteries and keys.
"Last year was a transition year for us and it was student-driven," said John Ginestra, a faculty advisor for the EHS group along with Cara Noyes. "But we are also lucky to have the support of the administration and the district."
Their next challenge, he said, is getting a grant that will replace paper towels in restrooms with blow dryers for hands.
"I think we are seeing a generation of students who know at this level what's going on with the environment and have committed to do something about it," said Ginestra. "I think that's good news for all of us."
Recycling at home
It's easy enough for students to recycle while at school but recycling at home has to be as important if they are going to be lifelong recyclers.
Recycling at home is easy and starts with knowing what can be recycled. In Madison County, residents can place all kinds of materials in those green or blue plastic recycling bins including: newspapers, magazines and catalogs, junk mail, corrugated cardboard, telephone directories, aluminum cans, tin/steel food cans, glass bottles and jars, plastics with a No. 1 or No. 2 symbol.
When recycling, remember to remove lids from plastic and glass bottles and jars and put those lids in the regular garbage. It's not necessary to remove labels. Also, break down or flatten boxes and remember to sort recyclables with containers at the bottom of the bin and paper items in a plastic or paper bag on top of those items.
To obtain a recycling bin, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Troy, Maryville and Glen Carbon residents should call Midland Waste at 656-6883. State Park Place residents should call Lambird Disposal at 669-2062. Collinsville Township, Granite City, Mitchell and Nameoki Township residents should contact Waste Management East at 257-8734.
To learn more about residential recycling programs visit the Madison County Recycling Web site at madisoncountyrecycles.com.
