Jordan-Jackson Students Get a Lesson on Recycling

From Keep Mansfield Beautiful:

Over the course of three days in June, approximately 500 students at Mansfield’s Jordan/Jackson School received a crash course on litter and recycling.

The program, delivered by Keep Mansfield Beautiful executive director Neil Rhein, was designed to be fun, interactive, and educational.

“Over the past several years, volunteers in Mansfield have devoted serious amounts of time and money to help clean up litter in Mansfield,” said Rhein. “Now, we are trying to tackle the problem from the other end by teaching students not to litter in the first place and to recycle as much as possible.”

During each 30-minute lesson, students discussed how litter affects people, wildlife, local communities, and the world’s oceans. Video clips highlighted the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and showed how plastic recyclables are transformed into new products, such as park benches. The program concluded with a recycling relay race that taught students what can be recycled at school and at home, what can recycled at the Mansfield Green Recycling Center, and what should go in the trash.

In conjunction with the recycling lessons, 10 new recycling bins were recently installed in the Jordan/Jackson’s cafeteria, hallways, and playground. Funding for the new bins was provided by a grant that the Town of Mansfield received from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

“Research shows that in order to increase recycling rates, we need to make it as convenient for people as possible,” said Rhein. “Placing recycling bins in every corner of the school buildings makes it easy for students, staff, and visitors to recycle and sends the message that the Jordan/Jackson school is an environmentally friendly school. Higher recycling rates also save money for the schools, because the tipping fee waste haulers charge for recyclables is significantly lower than the fee for trash removal.”

“Our students, staff, and visitors are making good use of the new recycling bins,” said Teresa Murphy, Principal of the Jordan/Jackson School. “The students loved playing the recycling relay race and are now better equipped to think twice before throwing something away. Teacher feedback about the lessons was very positive and we plan to continue this wonderful relationship with our community partner, Keep Mansfield Beautiful.”

Earlier this year, Keep Mansfield Beautiful used its own funds to purchase 60 classroom recycling bins and 10 cafeteria recycling bins for the Robinson School. Going forward, the organization plans to work with administrators to increase recycling rates at the Qualters Middle School and Mansfield High School.

“If you visit the athletic fields, the gymnasiums, or the cafeterias of Mansfield’s schools, it’s clear that we’re only recycling a small percentage of the waste that is being generated each day,” said Rhein. “Keep Mansfield Beautiful is working to change behaviors by educating students about the right way to recycle and by helping school administrators install bins to make it as easy as possible for students and the custodial staff to recycle.”

Photo Credit: Keep Mansfield Beautiful