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A showcase of new recycling equipment, funded by Madison County Recycling and Edwardsville High School, kicked off the high school's expansion of recycling plastic, aluminum, and glass along with its current paper program.
The equipment, which includes five paper carts and three transporters, will be utilized by students in gathering recyclables.
Madison County Board Chairman Alan Dunstan said the purpose behind the renovated recycling program is to establish recycling as a "second nature" routine.
"I fully support the EHS recycling project and am happy the county could assist with the purchase of the equipment," Dunstan said.
Operated by the EHS Environmental Club, all recyclables collected at the on-campus centers will be managed solely by students. The previous name of the Environmental Club was Students Caring About and Respecting the Environment (S.C.A.R.E.) . This year club sponsors Sherril Wible, Cara Perkins and John Ginestra changed the name to the Environmental Club to more properly coincide with their goals. Ginestra said it was decided to do campus-wide recycling in order to slow global warming, save space in landfills and give environmentally conscience students a means of helping the planet
Senior Austin Highley, a member of the Environmental Club, said he hopes students will take time out to fill the new recycling containers.
"It is just as easy to throw things in recycling bins as it is to throw them in trash cans," Highley said.
Recycling is not new at EHS. Paper has been the primary recyclable. Over the years other items such as eyeglasses, keys, six-pack rings and cell phones were added. This new plan expands EHS recycling to include aluminum cans, plastic soda bottles and glass.
EHS Principal Norm Bohensteihl provided $1,300 to fund the seven campus "recycling centers" and $350 for signage.
"I support recycling at EHS because EHS is like a city inside a city," Bohensteihl said. "We have over 2,500 students and 200 employees that are at EHS every weekday. If we can do our part to recycle for over 2,700 citizens, we can make a significant impact on the environment."
A unique feature of the recycling program is its plastics program. The special education students in Chris Sumptner's class sort the plastic bottles. The labels are removed from the 20-ounce bottles, then boxed and sent in postage paid boxes to TerraCycle, a manufacturer of plant food. The bottles are cleaned and filled with a solution of warm castings. The class receives 5 cents from each bottle.
