Students work to save planet thanks to recycling grant.

Students make a game of filling the recycling bin

Recycling efforts have been expanded in six schools of the William S. Hart Union High School District this year, thanks to an $18,500 grant from the City of Santa Clarita.

The grant is being used to support recycling programs at Bowman, Saugus, Valencia and Golden Valley high schools and Rio Norte and La Mesa junior high schools. Specific programs at each school were developed with assistance from the recycling coordinator and head custodian at each school. 

The grant will fund 1,000 large plastic recycler bins, blue recycle bins with recycle log and recycle hole in the lid, dollies to help transport the bins to collection areas, large desk-side containers to be placed in copier areas at each site, 32-gallon lunchroom and outdoor containers, and large green recycle bins. The grant also will help cover costs of advertising the recycling program through in-house campus television ads, posters and publications.

The Hart District is already committed to helping the City meets its recycling goal,” explained Leigh Hansen, supervisor of purchasing for the district. “This grant will allow us to aggressively pursue recycling on half of our campuses.” She added that two more district schools expressed interest in the program but could not participate in the grant program because they are outside the city limits.

The Hart District has been a major supporter of the city’s recycling effort since 2005, when the district reduced the number of trash containers on its campuses and replaced them with recycle and green waste containers.

“The district also receives support from LA Conservation corps,” Hansen explained. “They pick up the recycle material from our Burrtec bins and issue a check directly to the school for the redemption value. Golden Valley and Valencia have been using this program for two years.”