Central Valley School Received Recycling Excellence Award
Amy Hughes, Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) Project Coordinator invited schools, churches, libraries, etc. across the KLBB area to participate in the Crayon Recycling Program during the 2015-2016 school year. Participants were given collection boxes and information about crayons being composed of paraffin wax which contains petroleum, a chemical that is toxic to our environment, and that decomposition of crayons can take decades, which are great reasons to keep them out of our landfills. Crayons were then collected after the school year ended and weighed electronically. In total 87 lbs 7 oz of crayons were collected for recycling or reuse purposes.
On Thursday, December 1, 2016, Amy Hughes, Keep Loup Basin Beautiful Project Coordinator traveled to the Central Valley Elementary School in Scotia to present them with an Environmental Excellence Award in Recycling and some recycle craft books for their excellent environmental stewardship practices. Central Valley Elementary was one of sixteen schools who chose to participate in the Crayon Program and collected 12 lbs and 12 ounces of crayons. The collection of these crayons prevented them from entering our landfills and causing adverse reactions to our environment. All participants should be commended in their environmental kindness and encouraged to continue the great work during the 2016-2017 school year. In fact, Amy would like to challenge Central Valley to collect even more crayons this year.
All crayons collected are brought back to the KLBB Office, sorted into recycle facility boxes or reuse boxes. The reuse crayons are then distributed to daycares, hospitals, clinics, restaurants, etc that are in need or show interest. The recycle crayon boxes are then sent to Lake City, Colorado to a National Crayon Recycling Program where they are melted and used to create new handcrafted “Crazy Crayons” that can be formed into new shapes and sizes.
If you are interested in contributing to the Crayon Recycling Program there are many area schools that are collecting. To see if your school is on this years collection list or if you would like to add your school as a collection location please visit www.keeploupbasinbeautiful.org to find the school participation list and the school registration form.
Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) is grant-funded through the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) and Keep America Beautiful; and is a project of the Loup Basin RC&D Council that promotes litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling, and beautification. KLBB serves thirteen counties in central and north-central Nebraska. For more information about KLBB’s education programs, email KLBB at [email protected], visit www.keeploupbasinbeautiful.org, or like them on Facebook. Contact the Loup Basin RC&D office (308)-346-3393 or stop by the office at the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway Interpretive Center, 330 South Highway 11 Burwell, Nebraska.
Burwell Elementary Receives Crayon Recycling Award
Amy Hughes, Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) Project Coordinator invited schools, churches, libraries, etc. across the KLBB area to participate in the Crayon Recycling Program during the 2015-2016 school year. Participants were given collection boxes and information about crayons being composed of paraffin wax which contains petroleum, a chemical that is toxic to our environment, and that decomposition of crayons can take decades, which are great reasons to keep them out of our landfills. Crayons were then collected after the school year ended and weighed electronically. In total 87 lbs 7 oz of crayons were collected for recycling or reuse purposes.
On November 10, 2016, Amy Hughes, KLBB Project Coordinator, and Janet Sanders, KLBB Affiliate Director, visited Burwell Elementary School and presented them with a Crayon Recycling Award Certificate and some fun recycle craft books for all of their hard work and amazing environmental stewardship. Throughout the 2015-2016 school year the Kindergarten, 4th grade, 6th grade, and Art classes collected and turned in 40 pounds of crayons preventing them from having adverse effects on their environment. Darrin Max (Principal), Maureen Bird (Kindergarten), Kathy Curry (4th Grade), and Karen Anderson (Art) should be and are very proud of their students for doing and learning about how to reduce, reuse, and recycle items that otherwise harm our livelihood. Amy Hughes challenged the 2016-2017 Kindergarten, 4th grade, 6th grade, and Art classes to surpass the 40 pounds and the challenge was received with determination in kid’s faces. Anyone who would like to help them in their collection goal and/or has crayons that they would like to get rid of is invited to drop them off at Burwell Elementary in the Office. We cannot wait to see how many pounds are collected this year!!
There are also many other area schools that are participating in the Crayon Recycling Program. To see if your school is on this years collection list or if you would like to add your school as a collection location please visit www.keeploupbasinbeautiful.org to find the school participation list and the school registration form.