July 19th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
Salem School students are learning to be environmentally responsible citizens by sorting nine types of goods at their school and then hauling the material to the Grantsville recycling
site in Garrett County. During the school year, 2017-2018, students and their Biology teacher, Beth Bicker, collected from the school and recycled more than 200 pounds of magazines, 160 pounds of
office paper, 150 pounds of newspapers, 100 pounds of cardboard, 12 pounds of glass, and 6 pounds of aluminum cans. In addition, over 12 pounds each of #1 and #2 plastics were recycled. Although the
weight of these plastic goods does not seem significant, this was the equivalent of twenty-four 36-gallon bags of #1 plastic (soda and water bottles, etc.) and twenty 36-gallon bags of #2
plastic (milk jugs, detergent bottles, etc.). According to a National Geographic infographic in the June 2018 issue, Maryland is part of an area in which more than 10,000 tons of plastic per year is not recycled, incinerated, or
landfilled. Worldwide, 18 billion pounds or 9 million tons of plastic per year winds up in the oceans. Salem School students come from all areas of Maryland. When they return to their own
counties, they will be able to take what they have learned about recycling, especially about
plastics, and apply it in their homes and with their families. If as few as 15 Salem School
students were able to recycle that much plastic at their school, imagine how much a school of
1500 students or a city of 15,000 people would be able to divert from polluting the world's
waterways.
Pictured Left to Right: Salem School Biology teacher, Beth Bicker, with students, DJ, Alliyah, and Breanna, pack up collected recycling items to be taken to the Grantsville recycling site.
.jpg)
