Students Read, Write And Recycle!

Friendly recycling competition awards $1,000 to local winning school

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May 07, 2012, 02:14 ET

WEST COVINA, Calif., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This past Friday, students from Merced Elementary celebrated their recycling efforts by receiving $1,000 for science and athletics programs and a pizza party. The students earned this prize for recycling a total of 4,514.7 pounds of plastic, aluminum, glass, and other valuable materials.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120507/SF02226)

It was the culminating event for "Read, Write, Recycle!", a program designed to teach students, grades K-5 in West Covina Unified School District, the importance and value of recycling. Along with 2nd place finisher Vine Elementary and 3rd place finisher Cameron Elementary, Merced Elementary helped recycle a grand total of 11,014.2 pounds of material throughout the competition, including 2,220.3 pounds of plastics. A total of 1,400 students from the three schools participated in the program.

The program is funded by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and supported by the efforts of the San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps (SGVCC), Keep California Beautiful and the West Covina Unified School District.

"Bringing the message about the importance of recycling to the youth in our communities is one of our highest priorities," said Steve Russell, vice president of ACC's Plastics Division. "We're always looking for ways to increase recycling awareness, and this group of partners built a program that delivered fantastic results."

Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez, O.D. and Assemblymember Roger Hernandez participated in recognizing the students for their efforts and encouraging them to continue putting their new knowledge about recycling into action.

"Recycling should be a part of our daily lives and teaching our children to recycle sets the standard for the world we all want to live in. I commend the students, teachers, and staff of Merced Elementary School for their efforts at making our community a safer and nicer place to live," said Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez, O.D.

"It's amazing how much the students have learned about recycling," said Gordon Pfitzer, principal at Merced Elementary. "You can already see how a program like this instills important values in our children. I hope it inspires them to continue recycling at school and at home."

SGVCC has worked with the school district for years, collecting recyclables and returning the redemption values to the schools. "We loved the idea from the beginning," said Daniel Oaxaca, Executive Director of SGVCC. "This program brings a focus to the students and their role as environmental stewards – and it aligns perfectly with our mission which is to provide valuable services to improve the environment in our community."

To learn more about Read, Write, Recycle!, please visit www.2valuable2waste.com.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is a $720 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is one of the nation's largest exporters, accounting for ten cents out of every dollar in U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure.

SOURCE American Chemistry Council