By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
tribune managing editor
KEYSER — The practice of recycling is growing by leaps and bounds in both of Mineral County’s high schools.
Frankfort High School has a recycling program so successful that the Green Team has collected thousands of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and pounds of newspapers, and Keyser High has been getting double benefit from their program by donating the proceeds to Special Olympics.
The Mineral County Board of Education heard presentations on the success of the recycling programs from both schools Tuesday evening.
“We have collected materials from 225 individuals,” FHS instructor John Ritchie told them.
Noting that the goal of the program has been to introduce students to the concept of recycling, he told the board he would “like to get at least half of the school
involved.”
Student Isabelle Shepherd said the Green Team has thus far taken in 3,624 aluminum cans, 6,626 plastic bottles, and 4,133.75 lbs. of paper during their Fridays-only collection.
In addition, 26,910 can tabs have been collected to be sent to the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown.
Ritchie said he has already taken two loads of bottles and paper to a facility in Paw Paw, using a van supplied by the county. A salvage yard in Wiley Ford is accepting the cans from the school.
Any proceeds the students receive from their recycling efforts will be put back into beautification projects at the school.
Ritchie said the students are also reaching out to the feeder schools in the Frankfort district, and have been able to collect cans, bottles and paper from Fort Ashby Primary, Frankfort Intermediate, and Wiley Ford Primary.
At Keyser High School, students have “adopted” Pine Swamp Road and periodically pick up trash to help keep the route clean.
According to student Whitney McKenzie, any money realized from the cans they turn in for recycling is donated to Special Olympics.
McKenzie also told the board members the Green Team purchased material bags and were giving out one cloth bag for every five plastic bags their fellow students turned in, as well as one fluorescent bulb for every burned out light bulb the students brought in.
“We hope to one day be able to put recycling bins in the county,” she said.
Freshman Luke McKenzie then gave a Powerpoint presentation on the importance of recycling, pointing out many common and little known facts about the effects of the program.
“Plastic is not biodegradable,” he said, “but what do we put our trash in? Plastic trash bags.”
He offered a number of things which each individual could do to help keep the earth green, including turning off lights when you leave a room, or turning the heat down just two degrees.
“Trust me, you won’t freeze,” the confident teen told the officials.
Board member Kevin Watson congratulated McKenzie on his enthusiastic presentation and asked him to consider presenting it to other schools throughout the county.
