Chesapeake Charter School Recycling

party301

i'll think of one.....
Okay forumites, I need your help (if any of you are willing). The Chesapeake Public Charter School (CPCS), which my son attends, is currently participating in a program called the Dream Machine Recycle Rally (Dream Machine Recycle Rally). The point behind this program is to raise awareness of recycling programs, earn points towards school supplies, and also to provide support to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. Along with these benefits the contest enters the top 50% of schools in the program into a weekly drawing for a chance to win one of two $5000 Green Leader prizes. At the end of the contest the school with the highest average collection per student will win a $100,000 Green School Makeover. Part of the mission statement for CPCS is to raise awareness for the environment and to support "green" efforts. However the school is only partially funded through the state and is required to makeup any shortfall in operating costs through fundraising and donations (typically around $60,000 per year). Needless to say this contest has the ability to greatly benefit CPCS.

So I would like to see if any of you guys out in SOMD.com land would be willing to help by saving your recyclable aluminum cans (non alcoholic) and plastic bottles for this program. My son and I would be more than happy to pick them up from you, either at your home or at an acceptable meeting place (I am willing to do my best to make this easy on anyone who can help out) or you could drop them off at CPCS as they have a collection container in front of the school (the old Catalina Driving School). If anyone is willing to help out please let me know by PMing me and I will provide some contact information so we can get in touch.

CPCS is currently in 6th place nationwide with 115 cans per student collected. However the 1st place school is currently at 294 cans per student (Top 10 Leading Schools - Dream Machine Recycle Rally). So as you can see we could really use the community's help in this endeavor. THANKS FOR READING THIS POST!!!:howdy:

PS. The contest runs until May 1st.
 

party301

i'll think of one.....
What exactly are the benefits of recycling?

I will assume that this post is in jest, however I will give a couple of answers.

1) the need to bury less crap in the ground or burn in incinerators.
2) less expenses at the local government level (St. Mary's County currently pays to have its trash shipped to other locations)
3) lower consumer prices as it is cheaper to used recycled material as opposed to mining raw materials
4) lower dependence on foreign oil (remember, plastic is made out of oil)
5) it is environmently friendly

:yahoo:
 

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
I will assume that this post is in jest, however I will give a couple of answers.

1) the need to bury less crap in the ground or burn in incinerators.
2) less expenses at the local government level (St. Mary's County currently pays to have its trash shipped to other locations)
3) lower consumer prices as it is cheaper to used recycled material as opposed to mining raw materials
4) lower dependence on foreign oil (remember, plastic is made out of oil)
5) it is environmently friendly

:yahoo:

Hhhmmm, interesting: Recycling can be a waste of money

Quote: "Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America. A waste of time and money, and a waste of human and natural resources." - The New York Times.

Most of what makes people feel good about recycling is based on misinformation. We've been ingrained with the belief that we are wasting all of our natural resources. Now, the government subsidizes $8 billion of our tax dollars to improve the situation.

Few people know that almost all the virgin pulp that goes into making paper is produced on tree farms that wouldn't exist if we didn't use these trees to make paper. Secondly, it's a fact that we have three times more trees than we did in 1920. Recycling paper is a manufacturing process that can save landfill space but produces a harmful chemical sludge that must be disposed of properly. It would be safer to allow these products to biodegrade naturally.

According to the New York Department of Sanitation, it costs $50 to $60 a ton to pick up the regular garbage and take it to a landfill. It then costs $150 a ton to deal with the recyclables, and at least 40 percent of what is separated to be recycled ends up in the same landfill as the regular trash anyway.

We've been told that recycling will help save money and resources, but if that were true we would be paid to recycle. A good example is aluminum. It costs less and uses less natural resources to recycle aluminum than it takes to mine more bauxite to make more products. If the same was true for paper and plastic, we as citizens would be paid to recycle them and not need the government to spend billions of our money.

It's a hard truth to face that we can overlook the important details when we think we are doing something good. Recycling may have important applications in the future when we find a cleaner, safer way to reuse products. But until then, we should save time of sorting through our garbage and focus on reducing consumption.
 

party301

i'll think of one.....
While I did not post this thread to start a debate on the merits of recycling I posted it to see if the community would be willing to help a local school that is not entirely funded by taxes raise some extra money.

However for those above me that seem to think that recycling is a waste of time and effort (i mean who wouldn't believe the comdeic talents of Penn and Teller) please check out part of Standfords website on recycling (PSSI -- Stanford Recycling Center). I know that Standford may not have quite the same pedigree as Penn and Teller or the New York Times, but it might provide some useful information.
 

party301

i'll think of one.....
Hhhmmm, interesting: Recycling can be a waste of money

Quote: "Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America. A waste of time and money, and a waste of human and natural resources." - The New York Times.

Most of what makes people feel good about recycling is based on misinformation. We've been ingrained with the belief that we are wasting all of our natural resources. Now, the government subsidizes $8 billion of our tax dollars to improve the situation.

Few people know that almost all the virgin pulp that goes into making paper is produced on tree farms that wouldn't exist if we didn't use these trees to make paper. Secondly, it's a fact that we have three times more trees than we did in 1920. Recycling paper is a manufacturing process that can save landfill space but produces a harmful chemical sludge that must be disposed of properly. It would be safer to allow these products to biodegrade naturally.

According to the New York Department of Sanitation, it costs $50 to $60 a ton to pick up the regular garbage and take it to a landfill. It then costs $150 a ton to deal with the recyclables, and at least 40 percent of what is separated to be recycled ends up in the same landfill as the regular trash anyway.

We've been told that recycling will help save money and resources, but if that were true we would be paid to recycle. A good example is aluminum. It costs less and uses less natural resources to recycle aluminum than it takes to mine more bauxite to make more products. If the same was true for paper and plastic, we as citizens would be paid to recycle them and not need the government to spend billions of our money.

It's a hard truth to face that we can overlook the important details when we think we are doing something good. Recycling may have important applications in the future when we find a cleaner, safer way to reuse products. But until then, we should save time of sorting through our garbage and focus on reducing consumption.

While I will not argue with you over the benefits of recycling paper as it can biodegrade quickly in the right settings and trees are a renewable resource Even the article you pointed to says that it cost less and uses less natural resources to recycle aluminum than it takes to mine more bauxite to make more products.

another interesting article Does it cost more to recycle a plastic bottle than to make a new one? » Scienceline which talks about the benefits of recycling aluminum and plastic which if you will note is what the original post was asking for.
 
also the following should be noted. They need the aluminum cans and plastic bottles to NOT be crushed as each can/bottle needs to be scanned using its UPC Barcode.
 

LadyCoyote

New Member
Saw the article about the charter school's efforts here -- that's excellent. I recycle weekly but I will drop my stuff by the school instead so y'all can get credit for more items. Good Luck!!:buddies:
 

Sula

WDF. So worth the wait.
Saw the article about the charter school's efforts here -- that's excellent. I recycle weekly but I will drop my stuff by the school instead so y'all can get credit for more items. Good Luck!!:buddies:

Very cool! Thank you so much, the kids really do appreciate all the help.
 
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