Second Graders Refuse to Take ‘No Recycling’ for an Answer

Recyclables may be losing value due to the economy, but that certainly doesn’t mean people are going to stop recycling. One second grade class in West Virginia decided to fight back after their county decided to put an end to their recycling program, starting a letter-writing campaign and continuing to gather recyclable materials.

The class had begun recycling for the first time ever as part of a special project just a few weeks before, and their teacher, Rachel Fisk, was surprised at how enthusiastic they became. It caught on throughout the school, with students in other grades dropping recyclables off in Fisk’s classroom. Then, parents began sending in their paper and plastic in huge shopping bags. So, you can imagine how disappointed they were when their city recycling program was cancelled.

From the West Virginia Gazette:

Last month, Norm Steenstra, director of the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority, wrote to mayors across Kanawha County, saying that the agency would suspend collections of plastic, glass and cans for at least one month. Paper still will be collected.

Steenstra cited dramatic changes in the national and global markets for recyclables. He wrote that storage space is very limited at the Slack Street facility and “we are not able to market several items at this time.”

Last week, her students skipped recess one day and wrote letters to South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens and Gov. Joe Manchin.

“In 30 years when we will only be 38 years old, what will the Earth be like if no one recycles?” one student wrote.

The New York Times’ ‘Green Inc.’ bloggers contacted Ms. Fisk to learn more about what her students were doing to get the recycling program started up again.

The children got down to business. They wrote letters to the mayor and governor, and wanted to make a television ad to inspire everyone to keep recycling.

Last week, just as the recycling was about to stop, the city found a way to save it. The paper, which the county still accepts, will be recycled locally, and “we’re going to take the rest to Ashland, Kentucky,” said Gerald Burghy, the public works director for the city of South Charleston.

Ms. Fisk said she is proud of her second-graders. “It goes above and beyond the fact that they wanted to continue to recycle,” she said. “They wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

How awesome that these kids were so motivated to keep on recycling. It warms my cold, dark heart to imagine the things that kids like this will be able to accomplish in the years to come. Cue that annoying Whitney Houston song…

Link [Green Inc.] + [West Virginia Gazette]

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