RECYCLING FEVER: Competition inspires students to go green for ice cream
By Sydney Schwartz, The Patriot Ledger
November 9, 2007
MARSHFIELD -
Nine-year-old Shannon Moyse has been collecting phone books and
magazines all week.
Today, she’ll tote them to her elementary school in hopes of winning an
ice cream party for her schoolmates.
‘‘We’re doing it so we can do more recycling,’’ said Shannon, a
fourth-grader at the Martinson Elementary School in Marshfield. ‘‘I want
to do it because I like ice cream.’’
The paper-recycling effort is part of Marshfield’s second annual Phone
Book Drive. The town’s five elementary schools are competing with each
other to show their commitment to paper recycling - and for a schoolwide
ice cream party.
Last week, students at the Daniel Webster and South River schools
collected phone books and other glossy-paper items. This week, the
Martinson, Eames Way and Governor Winslow schools joined the contest.
‘‘I brought in tons of magazines,’’ said Governor Winslow student Connor
Clougherty, 9.
Today, those paper goods will be weighed at the transfer station. The
school with the highest per-person tonnage figure will be treated to ice
cream on Nov. 15, America Recycles Day.
Debbie Sullivan, the town’s solid-waste recycling and enforcement
officer, came up with the contest last year. She said America Recycles
Day ‘‘is a national campaign to raise recycling awareness. It asks
people to pledge to increase their recycling efforts.’’
The competing
schools already commit to recycling in the classrooms and cafeterias,
Sullivan said.
‘‘It’s just something for them to be aware,’’ she said. ‘‘They’re
recycling their milk cartons in the lunchroom now. Every year we try to
do a little bit more.’’
Eames Way won last year, but the competition was fierce, Sullivan said.
Martinson appeared to be in the lead Thursday, but Sullivan cautioned
that the outcome was still in doubt.