This year was the kick-off for a recycling program within our school. Our elementary school was chosen by the city of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools to see how recycling can work within an inner city school community. Administrators and city environmental officials came to our school and gave a detailed presentation about recycling. They demonstrated how not only can adults recycle but children can too. Recycling is very important all across America. The push for recycling has been going on in several communities but is finally making its way into more inner city communities. Children love to recycle and have been taught about the recycling process in school but up until now have not been able to put this learned lesson to work. Recycling is necessary for saving our planet and it is about time the inner city has developed programs for school children. There are many statistical facts that support why recycling is an important thing to do. According to greenteam.ohswa.org:
While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 52 percent of all paper, 31 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled.

Not only do schools have the potential for generating substantial revenues through recycling, the children love to participate. They know and understand what the recycle bins look like and what can and can not be recycled. They are becoming more conscious about paper and plastics in recycle bins versus the trash can. They are taught on a daily basis the various products that are generated through recycled materials. They understand that a milk carton today can become a school uniform shirt tomorrow.

The in-school recycle program is made up of a coordinator and students willing to pitch the recycled items collected at the end of the day. Recycling in the schools not only teaches children how to save the planet it teaches them responsibility. Recycling save money, protects the environment, conserves resources, reduces the need for new landfills, prevents global warming, and more (care2.com). Recycling in schools also teaches good citizenship and caring for the land that we live in. Each time a student throws their paper in the recycle bin and not the regular trash can they feel a sense of pride because they know that they have just done something good for the planet that they live. The students that are chosen feel like they have a job to do and are dedicated and make sure that the recycle bins are dumped in the proper bins and usually get upset when they see someone throwing paper in the regular trash can. So, what is recycling all about and what are they really learning? They are leaning that:
Reducing waste, reusing materials and products, and recycling are some of the most powerful ways individuals, households, institutions and businesses can protect their communities and the environment. Recycling greatly reduces the amount of material buried in our local landfill which extends the landfill lifespan. In addition to preserving landfill space, there are many reasons why recycling is good for our communities. (p2pays.org).

The recycling program has given our students a sense of pride and they feel good about what they are doing. Most of all they know that they taking a giant step in saving the planet. With our school being the first in our community, other schools have their eye on us and waiting for their chance to be part of this great environmental project. Recycling is necessary for saving our planet and even though our school is the first in our community to be chosen to participate, others schools are patiently waiting their chance to save our planet.

Work Cited
Bullman, Holly. Http://www.p2pays.org/ref/41/40956.pdf. PDF. Land-of-Sky Regional Council, July 2007. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. .
Hall-Jackson, Terri. "Recycling in Schools Care2 Healthy & Green Living." Care2 - largest online community for healthy and green living, human rights and animal welfare. 28 Oct. 2008. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. .
"Recycling Facts." School Recycling - Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority, 2008. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. .