RECYCLING ROUND-UP A SMASHING SUCCESS
Students and from 11 Manatee County Schools smashed last year´s record-setting total for collecting plastic bottles during an eight-hour period during the 2nd Annual Lockheed Martin and Manatee County Schools Recycling Round-Up held Thursday, April 21, 2011 at Sugg Middle School in Bradenton, Fla.
The recycling total amounted to 138,373 bottles collected equaling 11,080 lbs. Those figures obliterated last year´s record of 69,000 bottles collected totaling 5,440 lbs. Last year´s Recycling Round-Up total made history when it set an official Guinness World Record for collecting the most plastic bottles recycled in an eight-hour period.
The Recycling Round-Up was a prelude to Earth Day 2011, which was observed internationally on Friday, April 22, 2011. The purpose of the Round-Up is to infuse district students with a personal awareness and a passion when it comes to recycling practices to protect the environment.
Lockheed Martin Sr. Communications Manager for Corporate Environmental Remediation Gary Cambre said the event, “was a great partnership between our Corporation and the Manatee County School System where we also support a variety of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) initiatives. This is an outstanding event to promote recycling and also to demonstrate to students that we can all make a difference with our Go Green efforts to help preserve and restore our environment.”
Some of the ways recycling awareness was conveyed to students included; booths and educational displays about energy conservation; a Hybrid Garbage Truck; a Recycling Educational Vehicle which contained interactive videos, games, contests and prizes.
“This has been an incredible experience for everyone involved and it´s a great way for our schools and community to come together to show our students the importance of recycling,” said Patrick Gallagher, Energy and Recycling Specialist for the Manatee County School District. “It´s important for students to learn that by working together, we can make a difference.”