Recycling: A New Initiative
“Posterity is from whom we have borrowed this planet and to whom we bear sacred responsibility.”
The objective of this initiative is to build awareness and increase participation in recycling at AIS. How are we doing this?
Primary School (New): All students and faculty in Primary school are participating by remembering to use the recycling bins. Every Thursday grades 1, 3 and 4 empty out the recycling bins on their floors, and on Friday, grade 5 students take the PS recyclables to the recycling receptacle near Plaut Plaza. Please talk to your children and ask them how this works.
A special thanks to the PS teachers for their support and to the PS students who participated in the months of November and December.
Middle and Upper School (Ongoing): There are blue recycling bins in different locations around MS and US. The students are encouraged to use them. Every Tuesday, the CAS students from the recycling club empty out these bins. We are in the process of planning an awareness week for recycling in the MS and the US (TBD). Please contact me if you would like to help.
What will be helpful to know
What can be recycled: Plastic bottles, Glass bottles (any color), Aluminum cans, Tin or Steel cans, Plastic gallon containers (water, milk and juice )
When in doubt about recycling plastic, flip the plastic container over and you will see a recycling sign (three arrows in the shape of a triangle). You will notice a number inside this sign. It usually ranges from 1 to 6. For now we will be recycling #1 and #2 plastic containers only.
Dreamsan is our official sponsor. Their four-yard recycling receptacle is placed behind Plaut Plaza. Please visit their web site at www.dreamsan.com to learn more about them.
For faculty members who do not have a recycling facility in the area you live in, please bring your recyclables to school.
For parents who don’t have a recycling facility in their areas, recycling receptacles will be placed behind the new Sports & Activities Center for you to bring your recyclables to. The exact location and size of the recycling receptacle will be decided after the gym is completed.
Effective immediately, we will be recycling (during and after school hours) at the following events hosted on campus: All Primary School events, all events hosted by the Admission office, the Spring Benefit, all events hosted by clubs, committees and associations.
Recycling bins are blue. There are small blue recycling bins for paper inside each classroom and big blue barrel and house shaped bins around AIS for plastic, aluminum and glass. We are doing combined recycling, which means there is no need to separate plastic, aluminum and glass.
Food for thought
Primary School collected about 125 gallons (in volume) of recyclables in two and a half weeks. Most of it was plastic bottles that children usually bring to school in their lunch boxes. It is estimated that PS will collect 950 gallons of recyclables from January 5 to June 10, 2005. This projected number is based on recyclables the children bring to school in lunch boxes. To give you an idea, we could fill Mr. Dal Sohi’s office in about three and a half years. This does not include the recyclables generated by events the PS teachers/parents host on campus during or after school hours.
Interesting facts about recycling
Recycling one ton of plastic saves 30 cubic yard of landfill space (Source: Smyrna Recycling Center)
Thirty-five 2-liter recycled PET bottles (plastic) make the soft filling called fiberfill inside a sleeping bag (Source: Browning-Ferris Industries)
Challenge of the month
The Primary School students are brainstorming for a name of their recycling club. The challenge was announced to them before winter break. Please help your child pick a name they think best describes our club. The winner will receive a prize.
Goal
The goal is to reach 100% recycling by the end of this school year. This means no trash in recycling bins and no recycling material in trash cans.