Borough, Students Collaborate on DPW Calendar

For the first time ever this year, Paramus residents have a color-coded calendar to tell them when to take out the trash.

The Department of Public Works and students teamed up to create the 2012 Sanitation and Recycling Calendar, a full-color guide that replaces the old all-text DPW brochure.

Guy Picone, DPW superintendent, said the calendar is what the people wanted.

"It's just clearer and it seems like that's what everybody was requesting," Picone said.

Picone approached the Paramus Environmental Commission and Maggie Touloughian, AP Environmental Science Teacher at Paramus High School, for help in creating the calendar. Picone hoped the calendar could be a class project.

Each day on the calendar is color-coded to show residents what goes out, when to do it and where the DPW is picking up. Each page has tips on conservation, recycling and nature.

For example, the January page tells residents how to conserve energy during the winter, while attracting hummingbirds is the topic of choice in May.

The calendar has received high praise so far, Picone said.

"A lot of positive comments," Picone said. "We've gotten some letters, we've gotten some emails."

The project combined several disciplines for Richy Polsky and Ronny Greylin, the Paramus High School seniors who worked with the DPW on the calendar. The students had to research each tip that went into the calendar, but also had to create an attractive design and manage a project with several parts.

For next year's edition, Picone hopes to work with Paramus High School students again. He's considering holding a contest for students to design posters about recycling for inclusion in the 2013 calendar.

Since becoming head of the DPW in 2011, Picone has made an effort to work with the Environmental Commission. Together they have discussed ways to encourage commercial recycling, and on Feb. 18, the DPW and the Environmental Commission will conduct a firewood giveaway.

Touloughian hopes the Borough and the schools can continue to work together as well.

"I'm just happy that the Environmental Commission, DPW and the students of Paramus High School could work together," she said. "I hope this is one of many projects that we can do like this."