City and Students Celebrate “America Recycles Day” Through
                             Successful Recycling Efforts at Moline Schools


The City of Moline, Keep Moline Beautiful Commission and Moline School District No. 40 are celebrating success while promoting “America Recycles Day” on Sunday, November 15.

The City of Moline, a local leader on recycling issues, will celebrate America Recycles Day by announcing it has collected more than 5 million pounds of recyclables since implementing single stream curbside recycling in March of 2008. Sharing in this success is the recycling effort that is taking place at Moline Schools.

In April of 2008, the City of Moline partnered with Moline School District No. 40 to bring recycling education to elementary students. Today, Moline School District No. 40 Schools have a successful recycling service thanks to the students.

Like many of the elementary schools in Moline, the student council members at Butterworth School are in charge of their school’s recycling program. The students collect the blue recycling baskets from over 16 rooms, emptying the recycling into four large recycling carts, taking them out to the parking lot for pick up and then returning all blue baskets and carts back to their places. “We couldn’t do this program without them,” says Rolonda Cabel one of the teacher student council coordinators. “Kids love to help, so it makes them feel good that they are helping their school and helping the planet at the same time.” By managing the recycling, the student council members are participating in a "real life" learning experience that reinforces the educational material in the Moline Recycles! Educational Kit developed by the Blue Can Group, in conjunction with Keep Moline Beautiful, the City of Moline and Midland Davis.
The educational kits, based on Illinois state standards, were developed and distributed to Moline elementary school teachers to help educate students about the city’s curbside recycling program, to teach recycling as a life skill, and to encourage family participation at home. The kits included literature, samples of recycled materials, natural resources, and recycling flashcards. Each kit also contained a recycle pledge sheet for each student to take home and have their parents sign. Participating schools reaching various levels of participation receive awards sponsored by Midland Davis Company.

In May of 2008, seven elementary schools received a special reward for achieving 75% return of recycling pledges. The reward, which was a chair shaped like a hand and made of recyclable materials, was presented to seven schools by Mayor Don Welvaert and Midland Davis Company. Those schools were: Butterworth, Jane Addams, Black Hawk Area Education Center, Franklin, Horace Mann, Hamilton and Ericsson.

“Moline students, and the use of the recycling kits, has contributed greatly to the success that the Moline curbside recycling program has enjoyed,” said Mayor Don Welvaert. “I congratulate these students and their parents for their participation. Not only are they helping their schools, but they are also helping to preserve their environment for future generations to come.”

About the Blue Can Group
The Blue Can Group is a group of volunteers dedicated to the recycling effort. The group is comprised primarily of teachers, and has a strong emphasis on education.

For more information on America Recycles Day and taking the Recycling Pledge, visit www.nrc-recycle.org/americarecycles.aspx. For more information on recycling in Moline, click here.