Small school makes big green strides

Swift River School in New Salem has managed to reduce its waste by 75 percent this year.

Kids learn first hand about recycling and composting. They put lessons into action each day.

Stations throughout the hallway are color-coded. One bucket is for cans and bottles; Contents will be recycled. Another is for paper waste, including paper towels, which will be composted. The last is for garbage.

Larry Ramsdell, head of maintenance at the school, estimates 90 percent of the trash is tossed into the recycling or composting bucket.

The aggressive recycling and composting began as a pilot program last year in the 5th grade. Now, pre-K through 6th grade, the effort is school wide.

"It's very important to them. They live in the woods. We spend time in the woods as a class. And they just don't want it all messed up!” Second grade teacher Carolyn Croteau told 22News on Wednesday.

Croteau admitted that it took a little time for children to adjust to the routine, especially in the cafeteria. There, paper waste is mixed with food for composing.

But today… “It’s now down to a system. We now don’t even have to prompt anymore. They just do it. I think the biggest question of the day is: ‘Which recycle container do I put this in?’”

Croteau explained it was easy to motivate her young students. They throw trash in the proper bins inside the classroom. Helpers then bring the sorted bins to hallway stations where they are emptied. Kids, Croteau commented, love to have jobs and help when they’re little.

With less going in the garbage, Ramsdell said Swift River School is saving resources and funds.

“It’s way less. We’ve go one ton of compost not going into our dumpster per month,” he said. “[The cost] is very minimal. And what we’ve saved on bags and the reduction on having our dumpster emptied… It more than paid for itself already!”

“If 150 kids can do it, 900 kids can do it,” Croteau said to conclude her interview.

Although the Swift River School is small, students are learning a big life lesson about caring for the environment. First and second graders told 22News they don’t want the world to be covered in trash.