Schechter Environmental Club members decorate recycling receptacles and prepare signs.
February 07, 2008
AS PART OF Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union’s selection in the Green Flag/Green Faith Schools Program last year students in the upper school’s Environmental Club have come up with concrete measures to improve the school’s waste-management system.
After examining the West Orange school’s waste-hauling procedures, they presented to the school’s administration a plan that included alternate waste-hauling companies that collect recycling at competitive prices. The students’ research — conducted during lunch and on their own time — resulted in the administrators’ negotiating a much lower price and recycling pick-up with the current waste hauler, ultimately saving the school $9,000 per year.
“It was crazy contacting the companies and speaking with them at lunch or in between class. In the end it is worth it because this will help ensure that the program which we have worked so hard to create is long-term and is continued once we graduate,” said 11th-grader Rachel Lissak of South Orange.
As a result of the reduced costs, the administration was able to approve an environmental fund that would further environmental education and awareness in the school community. “We hope to use the fund in ways that would be helpful in educating everyone on living a greener life,” said Shayna Schor of Millburn, a 10th-grader. Planned uses for the fund include strengthening the school’s recycling programs, engaging speakers to discuss environmental issues, sponsoring energy conservation activities, and sponsoring field trips to nature centers and parks.
Members of the Solomon Schechter Environmental Club do a “waste audit,” examining bags of trash to see what items can be recycled or composted.
Schechter students have been working to institute a solid recycling program, conduct “waste audits,” install recycling bins, and encourage the school to purchase recycled content paper. They have also been working with the younger students.
According to head of school Dr. Joyce Raynor, “The entire recycling program has been student-initiated; they have provided the leadership not only to their peers but to the faculty and staff as well.
“We are proud of them not only for their social consciousness and passion about the issue, but about their ability to lead an entire school forward.”
According to Stacey Kennealy of Green Flag/Green Faith — an initiative intended to motivate faith-based schools to be more environmentally friendly — Schechter’s efforts “are much different than any of the other participants in the program in that the students have really helped to push things forward.
“I can tell you from firsthand experience that student activism on that level is very uncommon,” added Kennealy.