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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Platte City, Missouri, USA

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7338733873387338733873387338733873387338recycling
Platte City, Missouri, USA

tmalottki



Registered: December 2009
City/Town/Province: Platte City
Posts: 1
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(Photo created on Paint using a Google image)
It might be surprising that the inspiration for the project was from the typical high school cafeteria. One day, I was just sitting down to lunch with a group of friends and I noticed that most of my friends were drinking Gatorade, so I looked up to see who else was bewitched by the sports drink. That’s when I observed that close to everyone in the cafeteria was guzzling down the refreshing beverage. It wasn’t the drink itself that surprised me, it was the countless number of plastic bottles that were being slam dunked into the trashcans. I was immediately reminded of the fact that those bottles would wind up in landfills, to remain in the earth with their non-biodegradable bodies. I began to puzzle over the options; I could either do something about it, or fume that nothing was. That’s where it began.
I spent the next several weeks writing an editorial about recycling for my school newspaper and working with a friend of mine to start a recycling club. When I began to research about the compatibility of recycling and my school, I became voracious for information. I found that the total number of bottles in vending machines at my school was around 2112 while there were no recycling receptacles, and nothing was being done about it. That’s when the club began to build momentum.
At first, starting the club was tricky. My friend and I were responsible for getting the word out, so we began by contacting a sponsor, and creating a group on Facebook. Then we had to present our case for STUCO in order to get funding for bins. We pulled our hair out worrying about the first club meeting; plenty of time was spent organizing the first day, and the topics we would discuss during. The meeting was rough. The students were rowdy, and had a hard time listening because my friend brought in snacks to get people interested. We were nervous too; it was hard looking at a group of our peers and expecting them to listen to what my friend and I had to say about recycling at our school. In the end though, it really paid off.
After a rocky start, the club finally started going somewhere. Not only did the club get enough financing from STUCO for bins, but it also started earning money by cleaning the stadium after soccer games. It got big really fast, and a lot of people helped out by recycling. And that was just in the first few months it started.
This year, the club has raised over $200 by holding a raffle and volunteering to clean up the stadium. During one of the cleanups, I convinced two of my friends that we should clean up behind the athletic shed which had never been touched before. We ended digging up old Pepsi cans, chip bags, and even a car tire! It was disturbing to discover the things that people easily throw on the ground, even when a trashcan is right there. We know that we’re not cleaning up the entire city, but it’s nice to know that what we do makes a difference. Citizens can now enjoy the stadium during the summer and after practices without having to watch out for sticky gum, plastic bags, or bottles that might get in the way of their workout.
When the weather is nice, I like to walk to and from school and around the city. It is always nice to get out of the house now and then and get some fresh air into my lungs, but the tranquility of my walks usually end when I find chocolate milk bottles, and Ziplocs on the sidewalk; it just make the world a little uglier every time I pick up a piece of trash when on my way to the library or grocery store. That was one of the big reasons for me starting the club. I just don’t think the world looks as beautiful when I know we’re uprooting its vitality and trashing the landscape. Did Monet ever paint a masterpiece with litter? It’s because it’s not supposed to be there, so why do we put it there?
The club is currently planning to make a trip to the other schools in the district to talk about the importance of recycling, and we have plenty of time for other recycling opportunities before the year ends.
At first, the club just started out as a dream; I didn’t think it would become a big hit in our school. Because our community is small, it’s all about citizenship, and I found that this would be a long leg of helping our city out the best way we can. The mayor may not know that two high school students started a recycling club, but servitude isn’t about being descried. It’s about helping your community in the best way you know how. For some it might be fundraising for the local fire station, or helping out in a soup kitchen, but for my friend and I, it is cleaning up the community, one bottle at a time.
Even though my friend and I graduate in less than five months, I plan on continuing to volunteer to recycle in college, and educate others about what they can do to help. Part of me is worried about leaving the club at my high school behind because I’m not sure if anyone will have the drive to keep it going. The other part of me is excited to come back after a semester into college to see that the club is striving, and that the club and the people in it are determined to make Platte City a better place for everyone. I have hope, that what my friend and I started in high school is a revolution, and that it will make its mark on the history of Platte County.
· Date: December 31, 2009 · Views: 4121 · File size: 4.6kb · : 200 x 168 ·
Hours Volunteered: 240
Volunteers: 20
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 17 & 13 to 18
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