Today, the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change were joined by Derm Flynn, Chair of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) at Elwood Regional High School in Deer Lake to announce the launch of ‘Recycle at School’ in the western region.
Through the program, the MMSB and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District are providing 45 schools with colour-coded recycling bins, as well as educational resources to help students and staff properly sort paper, mixed containers and refundable beverage containers. The program has also been adopted by Immaculate Heart of Mary, a private school in Corner Brook. Recycle at School will support schools in participating in Western Regional Waste Management’s mandatory recycling program.
The Recycle at School program was first piloted in 2014 in select schools in the Eastern Waste Management Service Region. Key findings from the pilot identified the potential for schools in Newfoundland and Labrador to divert approximately 50 per cent of their daily waste from landfills through recycling efforts. In 2016, the program was implemented in 43 schools in the Central Regional Waste Management service region. With today’s announcement, 89 schools in the province are now using the program.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, schools lead the way in environmental initiatives, providing creative learning environments that empower youth to make positive efforts to reduce their waste.
MMSB and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District are committed to exploring further opportunities to expand the ‘Recycle at School’ program to schools in areas with access to recycling services.
Quotes
“Our climate is changing and so are the ways in which we live every day. Through this program, students in the western region of the island now have more opportunities to learn about the value of recycling and the significant, positive effects it can have on our planet.”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
“The ‘Recycle at School’ program has paved the way to educate students about the importance of recycling at school and then bringing those tips home to their families. “The simple act of reducing, reusing and recycling our waste can have a tremendous impact in protecting our environment and supporting people in our communities in unique ways.”
Honourable Bernard Davis
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister Responsible for the MMSB
“Recycling is one of the best things we can do for the environment. ‘Recycle at School’ demonstrates the importance of recycling to youth, while also providing them with the skills required to effectively sort their waste at school, and also at home and in their communities. The educational resources designed by MMSB to support this program take the guess work out of recycling and help students and staff make the right choices when disposing of waste. This program plays a key role in fostering a culture of environmental change that will protect our environment for generations to come.”
Derm Flynn
Chair of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board
“The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is pleased to continue its partnership with the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board to foster an understanding and appreciation of the value of recycling amongst our students and staff. When we instill this understanding in young people, in particular, they take that knowledge into their homes, and into adulthood, for the future benefit of all.”
Tony Stack
CEO/Director of Education
Newfoundland and Labrador English School District
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Learn More
Recycle at School Educational Resources
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Media contacts
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca
Lynn Robinson
Environment and Climate Change
709-729-5449, 694-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca
Jackie O’Brien
Multi-Materials Stewardship Board
709-757-3696, 682-6657
jobrien@mmsb.nl.ca
Cheryl Gullage
Newfoundland and Labrador
English School District
709-758-0032
cherylgullage@nlesd.ca