FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2012
SAN JOSE ELEMENTARY RECYCLES 5,700 POUNDS OF
PAPER DURING DEP EARTH DAY RECYCLING COMPETITION
~Kindergarten
through 12th grade students participate in county-wide recycling competition~
Pamala Vazquez, DEP Southwest Assistant District Director, (top left), Dunedin Mayor Dave Eggers (second from right top) and Pinellas County Schools staff celebrated the recycling
efforts of San Jose Elementary School, winner of the Earth Day 2012 competition.
DUNEDIN –The Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) today celebrated San Jose Elementary School students and teachers in their commitment to
recycling. As part of a challenge from DEP, students recycled 5,712 pounds of paper, the most among Pinellas County Schools.
DEP and Pinellas
County Schools held a recycling competition in honor of Earth Day, which
is April 22. Throughout March, DEP monitored how many pounds of paper each school recycled. DEP honored San Jose’s kindergarten through
fifth grade students and staff with Florida State Parks passes.
“We are encouraged
that San Jose Elementary School is committed to teaching our children the value
of environmental stewardship,” said Pamala Vazquez, DEP Southwest Assistant District
Director. “Recycling is an easy way to protect the environment and preserve Florida’s
natural resources for future generations.”
In addition to collecting paper for the competition, San Jose Elementary
School students also collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles for recycling. The school has also been the most energy efficient
elementary school in Pinellas County for the last two school years.
So far this calendar year,
Pinellas County Schools have collected nearly 700,000 pounds of paper
and they are projected to reach 4 million pounds for the school year. Pinellas County Schools also won the 2011
Florida Green School Award for their proactive recycling efforts.
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