A new partnership between Suffolk County and local schools will set up a recycling program to encourage students to be more environmentally friendly and to encourage students to form environmentally sound habits early on.
The Suffolk School Recycling program is part of the New York State Shared Services Initiative. As part of the pilot, Suffolk County will supply approximately 1,000 recycling bins to 11 schools.
County Executive Steve Bellone says the pilot program will reach nearly 6,000 students, and “Every student that learns the habit of recycling...that will be a lifetime of recycling and protecting our environment.”
Adrienne Esposito, executive director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said, “This is a very simple act with a very big meaning. Recycling saves money, saves our environment, creates green jobs and it also saves natural resources. That’s a lot of saving for one simple act.”
The partnership will help schools meet their New York State recycling mandate and save taxpayer dollars. Program staff will also share a voluntary curriculum with the schools to teach students about the recycling process.
The county is also working with a private company to provide dumpsters for each school building, as well as weekly pickups and proper disposal.
Bellone says the pilot should be up and running in the coming weeks and that the county anticipates rolling it out to more schools in the near future.