Schools duke it out in recycling tilt

Public and private schools, as well as the rest of the community, are being invited to join this year’s 2nd Annual Islandwide School Recycling Contest, which aims to encourage people to properly manage their waste at home and at school.

Department of Public Works’ Division of Solid Waste Management program manager Robert Jordan said the competition aims to increase awareness, especially among children, on the significance of recycling.

Jordan said that recycling is rewarding too. “We want to tell people that there’s money in their trash,” he said.

This year’s competition includes recycling of five major solid wastes found in the community: pulp products and cardboard, glass, aluminum, metals and plastic bottles.

Jordan said they also extended the competition to 10 weeks instead of just 10 days, like what they did last year. He said the extension would allow the participants to collect more wastes for recycling.

The deadline, however, for submission of the recyclable wastes is on Sept. 30 only.

So far, 15 schools from private and public schools have already registered. The awarding ceremony would be held on Nov. 15 at the Solid Waste Management Office in Lower Base Drive in Puerto Rico.

Prizes at stake include at least $500 for the top winner.

Even those who don’t win in the contest will not go home empty-handed, as Jordan said they will pay the participants for the recyclable materials they will forward to the Solid Waste Transfer Station in Lower Base Drive during the competition.

He said this is part of the division’s “Buy Back” system. For example, for every pound of aluminum the students deliver, they will receive 30 cents per pound. Jordan said the 30-cent rate is good only during the contest. They usually pay only 25 cents per pound of aluminum.

Committee member Erika Maratita said the community is also invited to participate by helping the schools of their choice. She said community members could forward their solid wastes to the schools that are participating in the competition.

Jordan said judging will be very easy because his office has the most accurate tracking mechanism for the forwarded recyclable wastes.

The contest is in its third year in the CNMI.

America has been celebrating National America Recycles Day since 1997. The national celebration will also be held on Nov. 15.