KALAHEO — The dedication of the new Kalaheo Elementary School Administration Building is not until January 2013, but principal Erik Burkman already has the first award, which will grace its trophy showcase. Wednesday, Burkman and Kalaheo School PCNC Mahealani Contrades-Brun,
KALAHEO — The dedication of the new Kalaheo Elementary School Administration Building is not until January 2013, but principal Erik Burkman already has the first award, which will grace its trophy showcase.
Wednesday, Burkman and Kalaheo School PCNC Mahealani Contrades-Brun, on behalf of the 512 students who attend the school, accepted the 2012 Green Leaders Award from Reynolds Recycling.
“This is a special award because as you can see, more than half of the students raised their hands when asked how many participate in the school’s recycling program,” Burkman said. “This is an award they each helped earn.”
Terry Telfer, president of Reynolds Recycling, said this is the first time they have presented the Green Leaders award to a school, Kalaheo School joining an elite group of businesses and organizations, which have demonstrated excellence in recycling.
“They were selected from over 170 schools from within the state and join other Green Leaders including The Outrigger Group, The Kidney Foundation of Hawai‘i and the U.S.S. Missouri,” Telfer said. “This is quite an award considering how this little school in Kalaheo beat out larger schools from throughout the state. We just wanted to honor one of our outstanding recycling participants.”
Telfer said they have followed the progress of Kalaheo School’s recycling program since 2007 and from that time, Kalaheo School students, parents and staff have recycled more than 38,000 pounds of aluminum cans and plastic bottles.
“That is more than 19 tons of material, which was diverted from the landfill,” Telfer said. “Aluminum cans are recycled into new aluminum cans in as little as six weeks; plastic bottles are shipped to China where they return as new carpeting, clothing and shoes. Glass is recycled into new glass bottles and containers.”
Contrades-Brun said recycling at Kalaheo School begins at an early age and continues school-wide.
“When students start kindergarten, they are each presented with a recycling shirt, which they wear one day a week when they bring in recyclable items,” Contrades-Brun said. “Throughout the school, the students are greeted by PTSA volunteers who accept the recyclables at the Recycle Center at the front of the school.”
The items are then sorted, smashed and processed by PTSA volunteers and students in an area designated for recycling before being turned in to Reynolds.
Telfer noted that Kalaheo School has also been an award winner for several times in the Cash for Cans program, earning awards of $1,000 to $1,500 for the state program.
He added Kalaheo School was also a national award winner from the Can Institute.
“This includes schools in the Western Region,” Telfer said. “Those are schools West of the Mississippi River. It’s quite an award.”
Reynolds Recycling is a locally-owned company which has been serving Hawai‘i’s people for more than 30 years, states its website.
During that time, Reynolds Recycling has paid out more than $150 million to Hawai‘i residents for their recyclables. Of that amount, more than $2.75 million has gone directly to schools to fund important programs and projects.
Reynolds Recycling has more than 40 locations on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and the Big Island and is the state’s largest beverage container recycler. Visit www.reynoldsrecycling.com for more information.
