Laredo Students to Learn it Does Pay to Recycle
Written by admin, Sep 29, 2012, 0 Comments
Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
Borderplex contest winners receive prizes, pizza party, good feeling they helped Laredo environment
Laredo, TX— The 20th Annual Borderplex Directory Recycling Contest will once again pit local schools against each other in a friendly competition to see who can collect the most outdated phone books. Three winners will receive cash prizes, totaling $1,800. Additionally, Habitat for Humanity will host a pizza party for their efforts to help keep Laredo clean and beautiful.
“Children are an important part of the recycling effort, because they remind adults to recycle and by recycling, we can leave a better environment for them. Thanks to our schools participating in these contests, with local teachers taking the time to teach recycling, Laredo children are learning the importance of saving our environment,” said Willie Bote.
“The Borderplex Directory Recycling Contest significantly impacts Laredo’s environment, while children learn more about recycling,” said Raul Cruz, Borderplex Regional Sales Manager. “Hopefully, they will make recycling an important part of their daily life, keeping Laredo clean and beautiful, and preserving the Earth’s resources for much longer. Borderplex is committed to going green, and with the help of Laredo’s students, we are doing just that,” he concluded.
The Borderplex Area-Wide Phone Book contest began, September 27, 2012, will run through October 29, 2012, and is open to every school in both school districts and all private schools. In fact, this year, schools will only compete against schools in their district. One winning school will be crowned for UISD; one for LISD; and one for the private schools. The pizza party will be raffled to one winner among the three top schools.
Last year, a record number of schools participated: 44 schools from across Laredo competed; the previous year only 36 schools participated in the contest. In 2011, 34,755 phone books were collected; the year before: only 23,401 phone books were collected, an increase of 11,354 books.
According to a formula established by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the total number of books collected by the students saved 709 trees; the previous year, it was 477 trees; last year, 291,242 gallons of water were saved; the year before, it was 196,568 gallons of water; last year, children saved 137.63 cubic yards of landfill space; in 2010, it was 92.67cubic yards of landfill space; and finally, last year, 170,995 kilowatts of electricity, compared to the year before when it was 115,133 kilowatts of electricity.
“I want to highlight these figures, because I think it is extremely important that we honor and all the children for their efforts in collecting the books because there is a real and tangible impact to our local environment, to our resources. Each year, they all participate in this very worthy contest, and maybe they might win, and maybe they won’t, but obviously, everyone is trying their hardest to try to win and to try to protect our environment. These numbers are proof that win or lose, all of these kids making a difference in Laredo,” said District VII Council Member Jorge Vera.
Last year’s winners were: UISD – Kazen Elementary with 2,159 phone books; LISD – Dovalina Elementary with 3,139 phone books; and PRIVATE – Mary Help of Christians Elementary with 4,217.
For more information on getting your school involved in recycling, schools should contact Sylvia Garza, Recycling Coordinator for the City of Laredo Solid Waste Services Division at 795-2510 or via e-mail at sgarza2@ci.laredo.tx.us.
