COLUMBIANA Crestview high school students clean up with recycling drive
The recycling effort helps fund field trips and supplies for biology classes.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- Crestview high school sophomores measure fun by the ton as they collect newspapers, magazines, cardboard and aluminum cans.
The sophomore biology students have a recycling drive six times each year, and business was brisk Thursday.
"It's fun," said Jennie Bable. "The money goes to all sorts of things."
"We learn to recycle, and it helps the environment," said Jen Haroff. "The money goes for good causes."
Biology teacher Kathy Cattrell said the students work hard unloading cars and filling a tractor-trailer with newspapers and cardboard. The biology classes began the recycling effort nine years ago, and the largest collection then was about 7 tons. So far, the single day record is 21 tons.
The amount of money generated depends each time on the going rate for newspapers and aluminum cans, she said.
The recycling drive takes place every other month and once in the summer. The students will return July 31 for the summer effort. Cattrell said that though the drive is advertised 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., many people start arriving up to two hours earlier.
She said both residents and students are well-trained by this time of year. People in pickups, sport utility vehicles and sedans pulled up to the semi, and the students moved the recyclables to the truck in bucket-brigade fashion.
Besides the paper products, the students also collect aluminum cans for the school's ski club. This time they also gathered food for The Way Station's food pantry.
Cattrell said the school pays for the driver's salary and the gas for the tractor-trailer, which is donated. The newspapers are recycled into housing insulation, she said.
Still helping out
Natalie Fraser began helping with the recycling drive when her children were in school. She also assisted with the taxidermy classes, and some of the recycling profits help pay for taxidermy so students can see and touch the wild animals they are studying.
Fraser's children have all been out of school for more than five years, but she still helps with the recycling efforts.
"The first time I came I brought so much to recycle, I thought I should help unload it," she said. "I enjoy the kids, and they have fun. Some parents aren't able to help, but I can. I just keep coming back."
Sophomore Liz Zimmerman said the recycling drive is a real eye-opener.
"We learn to recycle because when we're doing this, we can see how wasteful we are [as a society]," she said.