Residents should not be alarmed if they see a bunch of milk cartons dangling from tress in Westmont during the Thanksgiving holiday.
It is not some prank being pulled, but a lesson to students in how common household items can be reused and recycled.
Students at Westmont Junior High last week learned a new way to reuse everyday household items, such as making milk carton bird feeders.
Sixth-grade teacher Laura Riley recognized America Recycles Day by teaching her science classes about how to turn some common items that would get thrown away into useful items that can be recycled. The students participated in the lesson during their classes Friday, Nov. 20.
“The idea was to teach them that many things they commonly throw away each day can be recycled, and remade into something else,” Riley said.
Riley took the day to teach ways to recycle items such as batteries, printer cartridges, old cell phones and even video games in responsible and environmentally friendly ways.
As part of the lesson, small milk cartons that students drink from were turned into simple bird feeders that can hang from trees, instead of just throwing them away.
The students also used gallon-size milk jugs to take home as a receptacle for old batteries, cell phones and other small items that they can later take in for recycling, Ryan said.
“I recycle at home, but this a new way to help protect the environment,” said sixth grader Nila Davis.
Parent volunteer Chris Flynn said the students were asked to bring cartons from home, and the bird feeders were made from sticks that were picked up outside the school.
“It’s a good way to teach the students about how to reuse items,” Flynn said. “The idea is to make them think before just throwing things away in the garbage.”
Students were also given pencils that were made from old, worn out currency to show that, even money, once it can no longer be used, can be made into something different.
Riley said students participate in recycling at the school year-round, and each classroom has a bin for recyclable materials.
“My hope with this is that the kids will take these lessons with them, and practice it in their daily lives,” Riley said. “These are simple ways they can help preserve the planet through recycling.”
