Texas School Goes Beyond Usual Recycling Education for Global Reform

HOUSTON, July 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Awty International School in Houston, Texas is striving to become a zero-waste campus. Quite an ambitious goal for a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade private school. Awty educational program combines high academic standards that celebrates all cultural, national, and linguistic diversity. Preparing its graduates to be global citizens who are concerned with contemporary issues and visions for the future.

Olivier Logette, the school's sustainability coordinator, wants to educate Awty students about issues regarding recycling, up-cycling, and refurbishing daily items used in school activities. Challenging them to think about how small environmental actions can contribute to the greater global good for generations to come.

"Our school already had a recycling program designed for the normal waste streams: paper, plastics, and metals," Logette stated, "but we realized that what was left out was school related wastes: writing instruments, electronics, ink cartridges and batteries from their school electronics."

Logette was able to find companies that collect and recycle, upcycle or refurbish those waste stream items, some for a fee, others for free. "We wanted to capture and collect those school related waste items and needed a comprehensive, self-sorting station that accommodated such collections."

After some research, Atwy chose the GreenDrop Recycling Station from Pacific Cascade Corporation. The unique GreenDrop Recycling Station was developed through the multi-year efforts of the Portland Trail Blazers head office and the Moda Center. The arena's landfill diversion rate increased from 38% in 2007 to over 90% in 2012, in part by replacing old-style garbage cans with GreenDrop Recycling Stations. GreenDrop stations helped reduce landfill contributions by visually showing users how to properly dispose of recyclable items. GreenDrops were a key tool in reducing their venue's environmental footprint through fiscally responsible, and sustainable operations.

"Everyone here at Awty loves those GreenDrop stations and the fact that our school goes beyond the normal recycling streams. Our students, faculty, and staff find the bins present themselves very well and are very functional," added Logette.

Generally, GreenDrop Recycling Stations are used in commercial applications and have advertising or branding areas on their front panel. Logette, a biology and geology teacher, came up with a unique opportunity to involve more students in this zero-waste project. "I am always trying to extend sustainability in all courses and levels as much as possible. Our Art teachers were very happy to participate when I approached them with the project. Normally, the blank advertising space on the bins are great for marketing, but in a school situation, it doesn't really make sense. That space gives the art students a permanent exhibition to display their art and help promote our zero-waste goal."

To discuss how GreenDrop stations can enhance your recycling/composting educational program, please contact Pacific Cascade Corporation.

CONTACT
Pacific Cascade Corporation
Lyle Peters
Vice President, Sales
14208 N.W. 3rd Court, Suite 200
Vancouver, WA  98685-5759
(360) 574-9313 ext 211
1-800-292-7275 ext 211
[email protected]

ABOUT AWTY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Awty International School was founded in 1956 as a pre-school by Mrs. Kathleen "Kay" Awty. In 1978, formally merged with the French School of Houston, and soon thereafter purchased the current campus property. In 1984, officially became "The Awty International School", a 26-acre campus. Awty is Houston's premier international school, offering students a rigorous path to graduating with either an International Baccalaureate diploma or a French Baccalaureat diploma. Awty is the only Houston academic institution accredited by the French Ministry of Education.

ABOUT PACIFIC CASCADE CORPORATION
Since 1987, Pacific Cascade has been providing the Parking, Hospitality, Traffic Enforcement, and the Environmental Sustainability Industries with products to manage and support their effective operational needs.
GreenDropRecycling.com

SOURCE Pacific Cascade Corporation