Going green

Students at Cordua Elementary School envision more life for empty milk cartons than eternity in a landfill.

Last week, fourth- and fifth-graders kicked off a new recycling and composting campaign that aims to divert food waste and recyclables from trash bins. Behind the lunchroom stage, students tacked up colorful hand-drawn posters with phrases like "Cordua kids, let's recycle" and "Go green. I can compost."

"It's good for the environment because it's good for kids to recycle," said Mirella Simon, 10. "It's gonna save the school money, and it's gonna save the district money."

As students finish their daily meals, they will empty what's left in their milk cartons in a bucket, toss the carton in a recycle bin, shake their compostable food (like apple cores and pizza crusts) into another bucket and dump anything left in the garbage. Students anticipate the change will dramatically reduce trash production.

"We went through the garbage one time, and the milk cartons were like 50 percent," Mirella said.

During the recycling kick-off assembly, students performed a skit they wrote, called "The Great Garbage Caper." With a cameo by Principal Lisa Goodman, they talked about trash accumulation and paper waste.

"If we don't recycle, it's gonna stink up your school," said Reynaldo Breedlove, 9. "And it's not good for the environment."

"If we wouldn't recycle, our landfills will be all filled up, and we won't have any land for us," added Jose Villafuerte, 10.

The fourth- and fifth-graders also snapped along to a music video of Jack Johnson's song, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," and hosted a game of "Recycle to Win It." A relay race competition, students had one minute to sort crumpled paper and squished milk cartons into designated buckets as their peers shouted, "Go! Go! Go!"

"How many of you thought you were too young to recycle?" teacher Kerry Yates asked, hands shooting up into the air. "All of you are going to make a big difference in helping our environment. One little change can lead to big changes."

Students also talked about how all foods could be traced back to soil in some way — whether growing grass that feeds cows that become hamburgers or growing trees that sprout apples. Through composting with worm bins, the students can turn their food waste back into soil.

"So our landfills don't get any fuller," said Daija Johnson, 10. "And we'll have more water to drink and for animals to swim in."

Her fourth- and fifth-grade class also wants to lead the school's switch from plastic foam food trays to paper, which could be recycled.

"We are going to get rid of Styrofoam because it's bad for the environment," Mirella said. "It fills up landfills. What are we gonna do with the trash when the landfills are full?"

"And when you put hot food on it and you eat the food, it can be dangerous," added David Feceu, 10.

The main obstacle to the switch is cost, the students said. The plastic foam trays cost 3 cents, compared to 4 cents for paper.

"There are so many kids in the district, it would cost a lot," said Cristina Feceu, 9.

By cutting back on trash costs through recycling milk cartons, the students hope their savings can offset the switch to paper trays.

Their school milk container recycling program would be the first in the Marysville Unified School District. In November, Yates was awarded a $1,000 mini-grant from the district as part of her class's project, and through outreach, students have sparked interest from Kynoch and Cedar Lane elementary schools to join Cordua's efforts.

Yuba City Unified began a milk carton recycling program in August and has since reduced its trash production, said Jackie Sillman, recycling coordinator with Recology Yuba-Sutter. She applauded Cordua's efforts, saying not only does it keep waste out of landfills and save schools money, but it teaches students ways to increase recycling at home.

Students agree.

"I think we got the word out for us to recycle more," said Will Pedersen, 10. "Here, it's a small school, but if we spread the word to bigger schools, we can make a bigger impact."

CONTACT Ashley Gebb at agebb@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4783. Find her on Facebook at /ADagebb or on Twitter at @ADagebb.