bmiller4212
Registered: December 2009
Posts: 1
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Lately there has been a lot of talk about the environment. I have heard about all the things we can do to help and it seems pretty simple. However, it doesn’t seem like I witnessed that many people making these simple changes. That’s when I heard that our school was beginning a Green Club, focused on helping the environment. I decided to join to try to do my part in helping and encouraging others to help as well.
Once I was a member, we began brainstorming ideas and I came up with the proposal of a school wide recycling program. When green club first began last year the initial goal was to incorporate recycling bins throughout the school. They were able to convince the administration to place bins in the commons, however they were only available during lunch. That was a far as our school’s recycling program went.
It did not go far enough for me. Once I decided to continue this project I was put in charge of forming a recycling committee. I recruited people that believed in the goal and that were committed. With the few members we had we began planning our approach. We had what seemed like nothing but opposition against us even within the club. I guess our project seemed too ambitious because even our group moderator was discouraging us instead of encouraging us. This only made us more persistent.
We had no money for our group to purchase recycling bins and our moderator wanted to buy expensive ones with circular holes in the lid. However, the cost was $200 and up for those types of bins. Instead I had my group research alternative bins at lower costs. In my opinion it didn’t matter what type of bin was available. As long as there were recycling containers accessible people would use them. We found a local ad for Menard’s where they had huge recycling bins for $12. We formed a plan of how many we needed, where we would put them, where we would store them, and how to get the money.
That is when we asked the office for the president of the booster club’s contact information. We contacted him and asked if there was anyway we could attend a meeting to speak about our plans. He agreed and the next meeting we presented our ideas for the recycling program. We asked for their help with purchasing the bins and gave them all the information we collected. Our plan was to first get recycling bins available at football games. We placed them next to every garbage can and near the entrances and exits. Booster club controlled managing the set up and tear down of all school activities so we had to ask for their approval to put them out. They were happy to not only do that but to store them when they are not in use. We encouraged Green Club members to sign up to empty the bins after the games and help booster club store them.
Football is over but our recycling program has just begun. Booster club was so impressed at how well we accomplished our goal and handled our project that they were willing to allow us to put the recycling bins out at all home events. We have also encouraged the administration to make recycling bins available at all times. We have been able to keep the recycling bins available in the commons from breakfast until after lunch. Once lunch is finished, they are emptied, and ready to be put in the hallways. We are still working on getting them out right after lunch, but as for right now they are put out after school.
We are still working on expanding our recycling program but we are off to a great start. We have been expanding the project to now include ink cartridges. All it takes is some time, effort, and initiative to complete your project. By doing simple things such as recycling you are making a huge impact on the environment.
The impact is immeasurable. Just by adding these additional recycling units we have made Xavier a more environmentally friendly school. By doing something as simple as recycling my school has helped to reduce air pollutants, saving energy, and reducing greenhouse emissions. I cannot tell you the exact numbers but from one campus we can save thousands of trees. We are not only helping the planet but in the long run we are helping ourselves and our future. All it takes is a little initiative.
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