Local schools recycle more than 400,000 pounds

Target Recycling at School is a recycling collection and environmental education program that the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority offers to local schools. During the 2023-24 school year, more than 35 local schools participated in the program that primarily facilitates mixed paper and cardboard recycling on school grounds. Collection containers are painted a light blue with a picture of mascot Recycling Ben.

The contest is held during an eight-month period to encourage schools to recycle. Schools compete in one of three categories: elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. Each category has a first and second place and most improved winner.

Schools are compared by recycling rate, which is calculated by dividing the number of students by the weight of recyclables collected. During this last contest, the participating schools collected 416,030 pounds of recyclable materials, mostly paper, for an average of 19.9 pounds recycled per student. That’s the weight equivalent of about 139 hippos and saves 360 cubic yards of landfill space.

The top schools for 2023-24 in the elementary school category were Learning Tree School in first place and New Hope Elementary in second place and most improved.

For middle schools, the winners were New Hope Middle in first place and Christian Heritage in second place and most improved.

For high schools, Dalton High School was first place, the Northwest Georgia College & Career Academy and Phoenix High shared second place, and Coahulla Creek High School won most improved.

To encourage recycling efforts within the schools, the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is awarding them with classroom prizes such as recycling bins, carts to carry the recyclables on and benches made from recycled plastics.

Throughout the year teachers and staff are reminded that Target Recycling at School facilitates recycling by providing an outdoor container to collect paper for recycling. About once a week, or as needed, the container is weighed and emptied by the recycling truck.

A monthly report is provided to school representatives who are on the email list for the program. You can register for the list at http://eepurl.com/YEEM or call (706) 278-5001. Even though recycling collection is provided, it’s up to each school to decide how to manage recycling collection inside.

To make a recycling program really successful there has to be a person in the school responsible for running the program during the school year. Usually, this is the teacher or staff person that leads the school’s green team or Earth Club. Schools that have gone above and beyond the minimal recycling requirements have done so because the recycling program is part of the culture of the school.

A free environmental education program provided by Target Recycling at School further supports school recycling programs, and many schools take advantage of this program. This lets students visit the recycling center and landfill to see why recycling matters in-person, or the educator can visit in the schools and bring the learning to them.

School recycling programs help establish community norms, teach individual responsibility and environmental stewardship, give participants a hands-on learning experience and make a difference in reducing the amount of waste produced at the school. Recycling is an all-inclusive activity that the whole school can rally around all year long.