North Providence middle school students help with state's recycling efforts
Students at Birchwood Middle School in North Providence are participating in a new recycling campaign.
“By 2040, our landfills will be filled completely and we’re trying to prevent that,” one student told NBC 10 News Friday morning.
Others shared similar sentiments.
“When we put food waste into the landfill, it produces greenhouse gases like methane, and that warms up the environment and the earth, which makes climate change,” another said. “Composting it would be better for the environment.”
A letter Principal Brian Gilmore sent to students’ families notes that Birchwood is taking part in a pilot program, “Get Food Smart.”
It’s sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, as well as the Rhode Island Schools Recycling Club, with Birchwood becoming the first school in the state to take part.
Gilmore also noted that during a typical academic year, Birchwood “produces more than 8 tons of food waste of which approximately 2 tons is untouched or unopened, perfectly healthy food that could be shared or donated.”
According to the letter, the school has been recovering untouched, unopened surplus food and donating it to St. Thomas Church.
“Additionally, we will be sending food scraps to a local composting facility,” Gilmore said. “And over the course of the school year, we will work with our lunchroom team to implement strategies to prevent wasting food in the first place. We will also be composting for the use of our own gardens and greenhouse.”