My school should do things better
Dear Editor:
I am a fifth-grader at Elger Bay Elementary, where they teach us that recycling is the best thing for the planet, but they do not even recycle themselves! You see, they set up the recycling bins in every classroom, and we all sit there sorting out the recyclables and the non-recyclables.
One day, we found out that it all goes to the huge dumpster in the parking lot. The worst part is that all the teachers and janitors know, but they do not want the students to know!
Is it just to make it seem like they're doing the right thing!?
We have little kids at this school in kindergarten, who now know about this. They look up to the teachers and the principal, and now they think that if the grown-ups aren't doing it, why should they?
Another problem our school has is that in the cafeteria, they are using Styrofoam disposable trays for serving daily meals. They buy these environmentally un-friendly trays out of our tax dollars. How much do you think this would cost? Couldn't they spend this money on more useful things like sports, books, teachers, etc.?
They used to use these perfectly fine environmentally friendly, reusable, trays made out of plastic. They stopped using them because it required too much time to wash them after every meal.
They still have these trays. My friend and I went to talk to the principal about using the plastic trays instead of the Styrofoam trays, and he said that he would, but it's been almost a whole school year, and he still hasn't.
I love my school and wish they would do the right thing by saving money and the environment.
Ashley Jensen
Camano Island
Editor's note: At Elger Bay Elementary, about 80 percent of recyclables are recycled, said principal Jon Evavold. Sometimes, there is more to recycle than the school has room for in the bins, and then the excess does go in the dumpster.
Styrofoam trays are used at the elementary schools because it costs more to have plastic trays washed than it does to use the Styrofoam, he said. Washing the trays causes employees to work overtime. When possible, the plastic trays are used.
