Student Recycling Program Rewarded With Cash

(Monday) April 19, 2010

By Carla Branch
Alexandrianews.org

LCTA Recycles written on their fence with milk containers. (Courtesy Photo)

When the City of Alexandria announced a plastic bag recycling contest for elementary schools in September, 12 Alexandria City Public Schools entered. Last week the three winners were announced. Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy won $1500 for recycling the most plastic bags; Charles Barrett Elementary School won $1000 for the second highest number of recycled plastic bags and Douglas Macarthur Elementary School won $500 for the third highest number of plastic bags recycled. Prize money must be used to support each school’s green projects. And the schools are required to support on those efforts.LCTA also got a Trex bench made from recycled plastic bags.

“We are so excited that so many of our public schools participated in the contest and at the number of plastic bags they have recycled between September and April 10,” said Stacy Herring, a recycling specialist with the City. “All of the schools did very well.”

The contest was cosponsored by Trex, the leading brand of alternative decking, railing, fencing and other outdoor products. Trex gets its plastic and wood fibers from reclaimed or recycled resources including sawdust and used pallets from woodworking operations and recycled plastic grocery bags.

The students at each school collected plastic bags each day and a volunteer delivered all of the bags to participating Safeway, Giant and Harris Teeter stores in Alexandria. Trex retrieved the bags from the stores for use in their products.

The schools will receive their awards at Earth Day celebrations on April 24.

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