Mission Statement: “Greensylvania” is intended to assist schools during the implementation and/or enhancement of their recycling program and waste stream reduction efforts, and to generate enthusiasm among students and teachers for recycling at school, at home and at special events.
Background: “RecycleMania,” a National competition between colleges and universities throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico, is conducted for 10-weeks during each spring semester. The competition was developed by two college recycling coordinators and was designed to generate enthusiasm for recycling and waste minimization among college students. Additional information can be found at the following website: www.recyclemaniacs.org.
During numerous “RecycleMania” presentations, it became clear that the Pennsylvania Municipal and County Recycling Coordinators, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and EPA, were looking for a way to bring that same enthusiasm to the K-12 students. As a result, “Greensylvania” was developed.
Purpose: Like “RecycleMania,” the purpose of “Greensylvania” is to not only generate enthusiasm for recycling but to teach the K-12 students how recycling benefits their school, their community, and Mother Earth, and what is at stake if we do not increase our recycling rate and divert additional waste from the landfills.
“Greensylvania” is designed to assist schools during the initiation and/or enhancement of their recycling programs by educating the administration, faculty, staff, and students alike concerning the benefits of recycling and reducing the use of virgin materials. The program encourages the participation of the faculty, staff, students, building managers, and custodial staff during the development and implementation of the school-specific program so that everyone is working towards the common goals of increasing the school’s recycling rate and decreasing their trash.
Academics: “Greensylvania” has incorporated a number of educational components into the program. Science/Chemistry can be addressed through a discussion of the chemical makeup of the commodities being collected; how the commodity can be reused or recycled; and how energy can be saved by reusing material instead of harvesting and utilizing virgin materials. Math can be utilized during the various calculations associated with the recycled materials including calculating the weight of the materials; the Economics of recycling including commodity markets and pricing; the concepts of supply & demand; and the importance of minimizing the use of raw materials during the manufacturing of paper and plastic products. Writing/Grammar skills can be improved during the development of the implementation plan; writing of press releases to be published in school, local, and county newspapers/newsletter; and the development of a final report at the conclusion of each competition.
Competition: “Greensylvania” will be conducted on a “Per Capita” basis to allow schools of all sizes to participate. The program is intended to include the faculty, staff, students, building managers, and custodial staff. The competition will be conducted during the month of October and the award will be announced in conjunction with America Recycles Day, November 15th. It is recommended that each school select an advisory committee, including the principal, a lead faculty member, the building manager, and the students, and the committee should be responsible for the development of the rules, logistics, and implementation plan that works for their school.
Benefits: “Greensylvania” is intended to increase the amount of material recycled by the schools both in mandated and non-mandated municipalities; to educate the administration on the various ways that they can reduce their overall waste, increase their recycling rate, and purchase items made of recycled material while saving money; decrease the volume of material going to landfills; improving public perception of the school; and it provides great educational opportunities.
