After a long silence due to COVID, lunchtime at Scotchtown Elementary School has returned to its normal, noisy student-filled event.
Students talking and laughing about, movies, sports and other after-school activities can be heard throughout the hall.
Then the teacher starts calling students to finish up and head back to class. What happens next is very different than in the pre-COVID days.
Team Compost and Recycling Captains man three different carts where students separate their leftovers -- food waste, recycling and trash.
Working together, under the guidance of teachers, Jessica Harvey and Samantha Muhl, Scotchtown’s A+ custodians and Jhanna Levin, Environmental Outreach Teacher, Scotchtown students are becoming environmental champions.
Their understanding of the importance of composting our food scraps, switching to compostable food trays and separating out their recyclables in the lunchroom has created a system of teamwork and efficiency.
In appreciation of Scotchtown’s efforts to reduce food waste at the landfill and reducing methane emissions, we want to highlight the Captains in Action on America Recycles Day 2022.
More information about the City’s food waste collection (compost) program and other green initiatives is available at www.cityoflaurel.org/green.
