Talking Green to Kids

Green is the word at Bluejacket-Flint and across the Shawnee Mission School District.

The elementary school's Green Team host two speakers last semester who educated more than 40 club members about new ideas in recycling.

One of the speakers was Gerould Sabin, who opened a store called the Elements of Green in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Mo., almost two years ago. Sabin sells all kinds of recycled products for the home, such as counter tops, flooring, and carpets.

To thank Sabin for speaking with the Green Team, the Bluejacket-Flint students made posters that hung in Elements of Green during First Fridays, a monthly art event in Kansas City.

The other Green Team speaker was Donna Utter from Abitibi Bowater who spoke to the club members about her company's recycling program Paper Retriever.

She told the story of how our used paper is remade into newsprint for newspapers at a mill in Arizona. Kansas City's paper fills four train cars a day and comes back in the KC Star and other papers about a month.

Bluejacket-Flint is among more than 40 schools and programs in Shawnee Mission that utilizes Paper Retriever recycling bins to help the environment and the schools. By donating recycled paper, the schools and programs earn money back for the district.

As of this winter, schools had donated more than 1,222.67 tons of paper to Paper Retriever and earned $27,552.24. Pawnee Elementary, Trailridge Middle, and Shawnee Mission North donated the most recycled material with 58.28 tons, 46.54 tons, and 54.71 tons respectively.

Bluejacket-Flint contributed significantly as well with 32.61 tons of recycled paper.

In April, all those tons will be worth even more for the district. Schools earn double dollars this month in honor of Earth Day, April 22.