Students Focus on Reading, Writing, and Recycling

Students Focus on Reading, Writing, and Recycling

Local students learn to reduce wasted food at school and home.

As the school year gets into full swing, one subject that students and educators are focusing on together is recycling. Athens Services’ Recycling Coordinators are busy helping by conducting education and outreach at local schools. School administration, teachers, custodians, cafeteria staff, and students all play an important role in implementing successful organics recycling programs.

A major focus this year is California’s Senate Bill 1383, an organics recycling law that affects schools, homes, and businesses. Students bring their lunches to school or eat cafeteria lunches, leaving food scraps to be recycled.

St. Sebastian School in West Los Angeles is one example. Before the school year, Athens recycling coordinators met with school administrators and staff to provide training and help set up organics recycling infrastructure. Once school was in session, Athens Recycling Coordinators visited the campus and gave a presentation to Pre-K through 8th-grade students.

Students learned about the environmental importance of recycling and composting and their role in implementing zero waste practices at their school. During the event, they were shown how to use lunchtime recovery stations to sort their recycling, organics, and trash.

Recycling Coordinator presenting to children

“We show them what goes in each container at the school. We aim to teach them that everyone can participate in some way, no matter how small. The whole school can have an impact,” said Recycling Coordinator Evelyn Jauregui, based out of Athens’ West LA office.

During the presentation, Evelyn asked students to identify which items belonged with waste, recycling, and organics.

“We discussed why this is important for everyone to get involved to reduce the environmental impact of food in landfills,” Evelyn said. After the presentation, students got an up-close look at a collection vehicle.

West LA Zero Waste Manager Alex Han said the program’s outreach goals are the following:

Educate all stakeholders
Provide the accurate level of recycling, organics, and trash service
Assist the school in identifying their Zero Waste approach/goals
Implement sorting stations and signage
Gain a larger perspective on what happens to waste items

“We want schools to know the larger issues of how landfills and wasted food impact the environment and how schools can make a difference by sorting properly,” Evelyn said.

“We are so pleased with the presentation. The kids are still talking about it during lunch and recess to figure out which item goes in which container,” said Admissions Coordinator Arby Guevara-Munoz.

For more information on organics waste, go to Athens Food Waste Recycling.