Clarendon Hills Middle School Eco Eagles to Host Recycling Drive

The Clarendon Hills Middle School Environmental Club “Eco Eagles“ is hosting a recycling drive on Saturday, May 4 at the school (301 Chicago Avenue, Clarendon Hills) from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Accepted items including clothing, fluorescent bulbs, small electronics, PCs, A/V components and TVs. (TV and monitor recycling requires a fee ranging from $10-40 depending on size.) Attendees can also purchase CHMS organic worm-composted dirt. The Eco Eagles vermicomposting (worm composting) initiative reduces the school's lunch preparation waste and creates the fertile organic dirt, which is ideal for gardening.

This is the second consecutive year the club has hosted the event, which will be done in partnership with AVA Recycling in West Chicago. Club co-sponsor Ryan Cantrell notes, “The Eco Club members were really excited to build on the success of last year's recycling drive. They have been very focused and worked really hard to coordinate this event. This is a positive way to help not only our school, but also the broader District 181 and DuPage County communities. Mrs. Kathy Cox (co-sponsor) and I couldn't be more proud of our students' efforts.”

Other activities the club has led this year include a battery recycling drive and a clothing and textile recycling program with USAgain. They have also continued to model and encourage waste-free lunches in the school’s cafeteria and have begun research into the plausibility of employing solar panels to reduce the school's energy use.