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Recycling program expansion breeds results

"Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart!" These were the cries of the five Planeteers from the popular cartoon Captain Planet as they fought to save the world from the fiendish Eco-Villains. In more subtle ways, individuals and groups at St. Louis U. High have done their duty to protect the environment, by either promoting existing efforts or starting new recycling programs.

Since the beginning of the school year, efforts at SLUH to increase students’ participation in recycling paper, aluminum, and plastic have been taken up a notch. “We’ve had huge improvements,� said senior Cliff Leek. “We’ve come from doing nothing to doing as much as we can.� As a member of the AP Environmental Science class, Leek has played a key role in the recycling of paper.

The push for increased awareness of paper recycling was started by Environmental Action Club moderator Bill Anderson towards the beginning of the year when Abitibi Consolidated, Inc., threatened to remove their recycling dumpster from SLUH premises unless the school generated more paper waste. Since then the school has seen significant improvements. “There is less paper in the trash and more people putting it where it belongs,� commented Anderson.

From October 2005 to March 2006 about 5.093 tons (10,186 pounds) of paper were collected, averaging about 0.849 tons (1,698 pounds) a month.

Various students from different organizations collect the paper during homeroom on Tuesdays and Fridays. From there it is taken to the paper-recycling bin, which is located off Berthold Avenue in the senior parking lot. Anyone is encouraged to drop off paper waste in it, as SLUH gets paid a small revenue for the total amount. “That’s not the reason why we’re doing it, though,� added Anderson.

In another area, SLUH’s already successful aluminum recycling incentive, headed by Science Club moderator Steve Kuensting, is still alive and flourishing. The club, which also helps with paper recycling, collects aluminum cans and empties the drainage buckets in the cafeteria recycling bins daily. Kuensting takes the aluminum waste to the recycling center about every two to two and half weeks, averaging 60 to 100 pounds each collection. “There is a lot less cans in the waste stream,� said Kuensting.

Money earned for turning the cans in goes to the Science Club, and, with each pound of cans now worth about 75 cents, the club earns a lot of money. They use the money to buy club equipment, such as water purifiers, compasses, backpacks, and a used GPS device.

About four weeks ago, senior Tony Meyer set up boxes in the cafeteria to collect plastic bottles for recycling. “I decided you don’t have to be part of an organization to help the environment. You can do your own thing,� Meyer explained.

He got the idea from doing work grant in the cafeteria everyday and seeing bottles in the trash. “I noticed the amount of bottles thrown away, found some boxes, and there you go,� Meyer said. Every Friday he takes about two full trash bags with him to be recycled at his home. He doesn’t get any money for it but gets to help out the environment for free. Meyer, who will be graduating, said that plastic bottle recycling will be assimilated into the rest of SLUH’s program next year, along with aluminum and paper.

Meyer continued, “If you estimate about 25 to 30 plastic bottles a day, multiply that by the number of school days in a year, and times that by the four years of being in high school and not recycling, you get a lot of wasted bottles.

“By everyone taking two extra seconds to put their waste in the right containers, we’re heading in the right direction,� summed up Leek. Without a doubt, Captain Planet would be proud.

Published: June 14, 2006 | By: Kevin Casey | Categories: News Section, Students
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