Belleville Students Learn Recycling Lessons

Eighth-graders turned trash into treasure, when staff the Essex County Environmental Center visited their school and taught them how to make paper out of discarded materials.

Dave Alexander,  from the Essex County Environmental Center, came and showed the students how to make paper with a blender, water, and shredded paper, according to school officials.

 Students found a good use for old school projects, and donated them to shred in order to make more paper.  

The lesson was designed to illustrate to students the importance of recycling.

Drying racks made from old wood and discarded screens were also used to dry the paper after it was made. 

Besides making paper, students talked about various items and learned how long they take to decompose. They learned that a diaper, will take up to 20 years to decay. 

Alexander's visit to the Belleville Middle School was paid for from a grant funded by the Landsberger Foundation. 

This real-life lesson helped the students make a solid connection to their learning with the end result being a tangible, useful product, school staff said.