“Reduce, reuse, recycle.”

With the growing importance of environmental protection, a daily visit from students collecting recycled items isn’t out of the ordinary. The recycling program, launched by the students of Solar and Research 4, has been in full gear for five years. Students in this class have completed AP Environmental Science and got either a four or five on the exam, exhibiting their mastery of the subject and affording them the opportunity. Every day, they make their routine visit to each class to collect recyclables and take them to the large bin for recycling.

“We save the world,” senior Andrew Grossman said.

Recycling reaps benefits for the planet’s wellbeing, but helps Palmetto in the process. The program reduces the school’s solid waste output and helps extend its resources, and the school receives ten cents for every pound of recyclables. The recycling program acts as a tool to build leadership skills and a sense of responsibility among students.

During the past four years, cellphone collections played an important role in the class’s recycling initiative, as they contain recyclable metals that are difficult to mine and obtain. The recycling program is performed as a facet of the Fairchild Challenge, which the class participates in annually.

“Some of the recycling programs we do are part of competitions, and the school is rewarded,” senior Josh Barkow said.

. Overall, the program is extremely beneficial; however, the class runs into a few obstacles in the process. Many students put non-recyclable items in the recycling bins in their classrooms, which can cause some issues.

“The biggest problem we have is people contaminate it with things like tissues and paper towels,” said Ms. Schlachtman, teacher and head of all the recycling the school does. “They throw food in it as well.”