Schools

Tuckahoe Schools Go Green and Save Money

Heightened efforts are underway at Cottle Elementary School to reduce, reuse and recycle and the students are already seeing a direct impact on the school community's environment and budget.

 

In an effort to have the next generation of adults become more conscious of the environmental footprint they leave behind, the students at are getting a lesson in recycling and proof that their efforts are making a difference in their school community.

Beginning this school year, the Cottle classrooms and cafeteria will have a recycle program that will be run by the 5th grade students and after a two week training which includes the school officials, teachers, custodians, parents and the students, the children learned how many of the items they use are recyclable and what is actual garbage.

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On any given school day, 6-8 bags of trash are thrown away and headed toward landfills according to school officials and on the first day of the new program this year, the students were able to reduce the trash to one bag which school officials estimate will reduce trash removal costs.

According to Anna Giordano, the coordinator of the project at Tuckahoe and several other southern Westchester schools, 90% of the school lunch garbage is recyclable.

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"By teaching the students to sort their lunchroom waste into the different recycling categories, we will change the way they think about garbage. We are teaching them, hands-on, about sustainability and that their actions really do count and impact the earth," stated Giordano.

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New specially marked, color-coded containers will help the children recycle virtually everything they bring to school. Even previously deemed non-recyclable materials such as Styrofoam trays, juice boxes, chip bags, sandwich bags can be fully recycled, resulting in this 90% reduction of
garbage.

For more information on this exciting new project, you can contact George Albano at Cottle Elementary School at 914-337-5376.

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