By: Sara Sanner
This semester Oak Grove schools will have a recycling system that will be executed at all five schools. Sumrall Recycling will administer the recycling program, which consists of a detailed and efficient process.
The company will provide enough recycling bins for each classroom to have their own, as well as additional bins that will be placed in other areas around the school. Students and faculty are asked to place all of their trash in these bins with the exception of any food or drink, although drink bottles and food wrappers are perfectly acceptable. Sumrall Recycling will then collect the disposal in the bins and sort the trash into four categories: paper, plastic, aluminum, and cardboard. This is called “single stream” recycling. Each item will proceed to go through an intricate specialized cycle to create more of that item for us to buy.
This new system will drastically reduce the school’s waste which fills a four-yard and eight-yard garbage bin every day as well an 18’x7’ bin for cardboard. This change won’t only be beneficial to the environment, but also to the school. The high school itself will be saving more than $9,750 next year. The school currently pays Waste Management to acquire the school’s waste three times a week, whereas when the recycling system takes effect, the collection of garbage will be cut back extensively. Sumrall Recycling is providing this beneficial program for no cost at all. “We provide the bins and pick up for free. We just ask the school to take part in the responsibility of recycling,” Sumrall Recycling associate Cathy Dore said. The company will pick up the school’s waste every Friday.
With the reduction of trash, the custodial staff will get to focus more intently on the cleaning aspect of their job. Nancy Gholar, OGHS custodian, said “It will give us a chance to spend more time on the classrooms [cleaning].”
The impact of recycling is greater than the general public may think. The school’s most used resource is paper and recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74% less air pollution and uses 50% less water.
Administrators believe that the helpful global program is of necessity. “It is the responsible thing to do both in our school and our community as citizens. We want to promote the whole person educationally and environmentally,” Vice Principal for Academics, Helen Price, said.
Students are also awaiting the arrival of the recycling system with great enthusiasm. Freshman Nathan Maxwell said, “I think the program is such a good idea. Helping the environment by recycling is a great and easy way to make a difference as a school.”
