GREENLAND — High school students have taken a 10-year-old school recycling program to new heights, gaining state and national recognition.
By the Numbers
Recycle Bowl
-1,577 schools registered for the national competition in 2012, up 25 percent from the 2011 contest.
-901,508 students and teachers were reached by the contest.
-4.5 million pounds of material recycled.
Source: recycle-bowl.org/ov…
Greenland students captured the state title and ranked 117 out of 921 schools nationally that participated in the 2012 Recycle Bowl, sponsored by Nestle Waters North America. The contest is part of the Keep America Beautiful program to encourage sustainable behavior among students.
The students collected 2,887 pounds of recyclable materials. The amount equaled 9.65 pounds per capita based on the 299 students in the high school.
Some 25 students in the Environmental and Spatial Technology program collected paper, aluminum and tin from every nook and cranny of the school and metal from Ward’s Slough that runs behind the school.
Evan Johnson, an 18-year-old senior, said the metal found in the slough washed from a junkyard that used to be next to the school property.
“We were surprised by the amount collected,” Johnson said.
The students also found recycling to be a profitable venture, collecting more than $3,000, he added.
Tylor McClanahan, an 18-year-old senior, said some old computers at the school were stripped of reusable parts then sold for scrap. Students use the reusable parts for repair projects.
“Motherboards are worth a lot,” McClanahan said.
The recycling project is a good way for friends to spend time together while cleaning up the environment, he added.
Seniors Emily Sherer, 17, and Morgan Miller, 18, documented and calculated the weight of the different products. They said they were surprised at how much the students collected.
Seven in-state schools, including Haas Hall Academy and West Fork, reported results in the competition.
The Recycle Bowl began in 2011.