School’s Recycling Efforts Recognized

By Brooke Stevenson
Seymour Primary was one of ten schools state wide to be recognized for their exemplary recycling efforts.
The primary school was honored for having one of Tennessee’s top 10 school recycling programs through the Good Sports Always Recycle (GSAR) program.
The GSAR statewide school recycling challenge winners were honored during the University of Tennessee vs. Alabama game on Oct. 23.
All of the winning schools received $500 to help continue their recycling efforts.
“The (GSAR) winners serve as an example for all Tennesseans and have worked extremely hard to preserve and protect the environment through their recycling and sustainability efforts,” said Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke.
Seymour Primary School Principal Jan Moore said that the school has been increasing its recycling efforts every year and when she saw the chance to share their efforts, she didn’t want to pass it up.
“I came across this chance to share with everyone what our school was doing,” Moore said. “I went ahead and just wrote up a summary report of what our school does.”
The schools were judged on the impact their recycling program has on their community, their new and unique approaches to recycling and waste reduction, their overall environmental efforts, as well as the investments they made to recycling.
Seymour Primary incorporates recycling in many of the everyday activities at the school.
“Although we don’t have a great facility for recycling here in Seymour, we try to do what we can,” Moore said.
The school recycles newspapers, mixed paper, phone books, cardboard boxes, plastic, and ink cartridges.
There are three recycling bins behind the school that the materials are sorted into.
“Those three bins are advertised as being opened to the public,” Moore said. “We don’t get any money for it; it is just a benefit for the community.
“It is all part of what we do here which is teaching recycling, model it, and encourage the children to practice it.
“We don’t want them to just hear about it here at school, we want them to practice it at home.”
The school also “recycles” clothes in their Eagle Boutique. Residents can drop off usable used clothing to the boutique.
“We are making an effort to be really conscientious of our earth and to leave it in the best condition for our children that come along in future generations,” Moore said. “That is our read drive behind this.”