Valencia High School recycling club was recognized by district and city leaders with a festive event, Thursday.

In 2012, the City of Santa Clarita joined together with the Hart Union School District, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles Conservation Corporation to establish a recycling program with junior high schools and high schools throughout the district.

“We’ve done fundraisers to get funds in order to set up these recycling bins and the district has also helped us by providing us with 30 bins,” said Kenshu Tanabe, president of the Valencia High School recycling club. “We’re trying to come up with posters to put on the recycling bins so that people are more aware that environmental change and climate change is actually real and happening.”

The student-led club encourages students to recycle beverage containers on school grounds.

Related: William S Hart School District To Implement Program To Alleviate Food Waste And Child Hunger

“We’ve seen a huge increase in recycling on campus, everyone has become more aware of the environment and actually putting the bottles into the recycling bins instead of the normal bins,” said Tanabe.

The program not only helps the environment, but also generates money, which is donated back to the school to be used for student programs.

“I think it’s an awesome program, it gives them incentive, gives them an opportunity to be proactive with something that’s really good for the environment,” said mayor Laurene Weste.

The future holds more recycling plans to achieve the club’s goal of improving recycling in the community, according to the club’s presidents.

“The more we’re able to explore expanding programs with our youth, the more responsible the future is for everybody in the community,” said Weste.

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