Los Angeles After-School Program Celebrates Earth Month With Recycling Festivals

LA's BEST and the American Chemistry Council organize Go H20! recycling festivals to underscore importance of reducing waste and maintaining healthy habits

News provided by

American Chemistry Council

Apr 23, 2010, 11:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- From Water Bottle Bowling to a Recycling Relay, LA's BEST students are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this week by hitting the playground. This is all part of the "Go H20!" challenge, a program developed by LA's BEST and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to educate students about the importance of recycling and healthy habits.

Together with LA's BEST, ACC is organizing Earth Day festivals at 91 LA's BEST sites throughout Los Angeles. As part of these festivals, students will learn about recycling and participate in a series of games and activities – all using recyclable materials – that make recycling and exercising fun.

"LA's BEST is excited to be celebrating Earth Day with ACC," said Carla Sanger, LA's BEST president and CEO. "This is an engaging way to encourage waste reduction and teach our students about recycling and healthy habits, all while having a great time."

The recycling festivals have been held at 91 LA's BEST sites throughout Los Angeles this week. Students have been testing their recycling knowledge through a trivia challenge and five different recycling-related games.

"We are excited to be continuing our partnership with LA's BEST, an organization that plays a critical role in educating students in Los Angeles. Recycling plastics can be easy, and thanks to LA's BEST, learning about recycling can be fun, too," said Steve Russell, vice president, plastics, American Chemistry Council. "This Earth Month, we're happy to be spreading the message of reducing, reusing and recycling."

The "Go H20!" challenge aims to educate LA's BEST students and their families about the importance of recycling plastics and reducing waste while emphasizing how drinking more water can promote a healthy lifestyle. Last fall, ACC supplied the LA's BEST program with 15,000 reusable plastic water bottles made from recyclable material. Students participating in the challenge learned why water is a healthy choice and how choosing a re-usable, recyclable container benefits the earth.

LA's BEST After-School Enrichment Program is the newest partner in the statewide recycling awareness campaign, "Plastics. Too Valuable to Waste. Recycle.(SM)" The campaign launched in 2008 when representatives from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, ACC and Keep California Beautiful initiated a beach recycling program at State Parks sites in the Los Angeles and Central Coast areas. The program soon spread to State Parks beaches in San Diego, Monterey, Santa Cruz, the City of Brentwood and the City of Woodland. For more information, see www.2valuable2waste.com.

LA's BEST – Better Educated Students for Tomorrow – is a nationally recognized after-school education, enrichment and recreation program serving more than 28,000 children with the greatest needs and fewest resources throughout the City of Los Angeles. LA's BEST After-School Enrichment Program provides a safe haven for children, ages 5 to 12, at 180 elementary school sites each day during the critical hours after school – at no cost to parents. Established in 1988, LA's BEST is a partnership including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector.

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 $689 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