Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 5, 2010
Girls Preparatory School’s environmental program, one of Tennessee’s best
Jennifer Wiggins
Debbie Glasscock and Parker Mallchok of Girls Preparatory School receive a plaque form Teresa Shaffer of Eastman Chemical Company and Bob Kesling, the voice of the Tennessee Volunteers and UT’s director of broadcasting.
At the University of Ten-nessee vs. Alabama football game, Girls Preparatory School was recognized as having one of the top 10 school environmental programs in the State of Tennessee as a winner of the 2010 Good Sports Always Recycle (GSAR) statewide school recycling challenge.?
Debbie Glasscock and Parker Mallchok represented Girls Preparatory School on the field during the game, and the school received $500 to continue its environmental efforts.
“We are thrilled to receive this Good Sports Always Recycle award because it underscores our determination to educate our students to look beyond themselves and to be good stewards of their planet,” said Jessica Good, assistant head and upper school principal of Girls Preparatory School. “Our success is a direct result of our girls’ willingness to jump into these efforts wholeheartedly. In fact, we faculty have followed their lead from the onset of our recycling initiative. Thank you so much for recognizing our efforts.”
The schools were judged on the impact their recycling program has on their community, their new and unique approaches to recycling and waste reduction, their overall environmental efforts, as well as the investments they have made, and will continue to make, in a recycling program.?
Girls Preparatory School student body’s environmental efforts include recycling packing materials and the elimination of trays, plastic items and bottled water. The school purchases environmentally safe equipment and supplies and has an environmentally friendly roof over a patio, motion lighting and flushless toilets in some bathrooms. In addition, Girls Preparatory School provides organic scraps to be used as compost and frying oil to be used as biodiesel. Through the school’s recycling efforts, it conserves 200 gallons of water per day and eliminates the use of 178,000 plastic cups per year.
“The?Good Sports Always Recycle winners serve?as?examples for all Tennesseans and have worked extremely hard to preserve and protect?the environment through their recycling and sustainability efforts,” said Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke.? “I offer my?congratulations to the students, faculty and staff at these schools and my?sincere thanks for their ongoing environmental stewardship.? They are?improving the environment and quality of life on their campuses and in their communities, while?teaching others that everyone can work together to make a difference.”?
The Good Sports Always Recycle program is a collaboration among sponsors representing the lifecycle of a plastic bottle, with Eastman Chemical Company, the manufacturer; the Knoxville Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the distributor; Food City, the seller; and Waste Connections, the recycler.? Support for the program is provided by the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the recycling program is offered at all University of Tennessee athletic facilities.
“I am very proud of Girls Preparatory School for this Award,” said Tennessee Senator Andy Berke.? “They have set the bar for all of us as individuals and groups to keep our land, air, and water clean while saving money.”
This year’s winning schools’ programs represent every aspect of recycling – from everyday paper and plastics to composting and providing recycled frying oil to be used as biodiesel. However the most important part of the winning schools’ environmental efforts is the impact each school has on its community. Through their unique recycling and sustainability programs, the schools help teach students and families about environmental stewardship.
“We are always impressed with the creativity and dedication our schools put into their recycling programs and sustainability efforts, and we are excited to see more and more schools entering the challenge,” said Anne Kilgore, director, Global Sustainability with Eastman Chemical Company.? “On behalf of all of the sponsors, we want to congratulate Girls Preparatory School on their achievements this year, and we encourage you and other schools across the state to continue your commitment to a more sustainable future.”
Since the start of the program, 170 schools have been recognized for their environmental efforts, and Eastman has donated $85,000 to support their environmental stewardship.?
The Good Sports Always Recycle program also resulted in the recycling of more than eight million plastics cups in its first 15 years, and in the UT 2009 football season alone, more than 34 tons of recyclable materials were collected with a goal of 60 tons for 2010.
The Good Sports Always Recycle program was established in 1993 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to encourage recycling of PET plastic cups and bottles at UT home football games, and today, the program includes all athletic facilities at the University of Tennessee.
The program also includes a statewide educational outreach component that encourages Tennessee’s elementary through high schools to nominate their recycling program to be recognized as one of the top programs in the state.
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