Program promotes
recycling by schools

The project offers resources
to get schools started

Pearl City Highlands Elementary School raised $12,300 this year by recycling aluminum, plastic and glass beverage containers -- the most in the school's history.

State officials would like to see schools across Hawaii have similar recycling success stories.

Two weeks ago, recognizing the need to reach out to schools to educate and promote recycling, the state Department of Health collaborated with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant program to provide schools with a list of contacts and resources to help them start recycling programs.

"The sense we're getting is that people have a general idea, but they just don't know where to start," said Hawaii Beverage Container Deposit program representative Melody Heidel. "Our intent is to provide schools with a comprehensive resource to recycle and raise money. Recycling provides an unlimited and unrestricted source of fund raising. ... It raises money while simultaneously doing something good for the environment."

Heidel distributes resources such as a "Top Ten Reasons to Recycle" poster and a brochure titled "Hawaii Beverage Container Deposit Program: An Educator's Guide," which explains the deposit program's benefits, how it works and how students can get involved.

Although the outreach program is gearing up at the end of the school year, Heidel said it provides a great opportunity for her to meet with school officials so they can prepare a recycling program during the summer before students return for the next school year.

"I think it's great that other schools have a place to turn to for information," said student council adviser Gail Ogawa, who is in charge of the recycling program at Pearl City Highlands Elementary. "The resources help, and we're always looking for ways to improve."

The program's long-term goal is to develop extensive resources and curriculum on recycling for teachers to use in class. Eventually, Heidel wants to compile a database of all the schools successfully using recycling programs so schools can use each other as reference.

Heidel is composing an e-mail to principals from various schools to notify them about the new program, which will work with schools to meet their individual needs and bring informative presentations to their administrators, teachers, students and parents. At the moment, the program is primarily focusing on Oahu, but Heidel is happy to talk to representatives from neighbor island schools.

"There will always be a need for a program like this because it is a growing industry in which new information and resources rapidly become available," Heidel said. "It's good to get kids into the habit of recycling from when they are young. Hopefully, they will continue the tradition and transfer some of their enthusiasm to their parents."