Module 6 Synergy for groups!

                        Ah! we have made it to part six in the saga to prevent unwanted waste from entering our landfills by teaching recycling habits to students. This week I find it interesting that students and teachers are working together as teams against waste! In my local area of Anchorage, Alaska the school district has a program where teams can come together get certified and teach their entire school about recycling. On this same website, they list similar information as the EPA such as stopping on a ton of paper waste could save 15-17 trees, and recycling this same among could save 7000 gallons of water. (Bardauskas, 2021). This week I wanted to focus on team efforts to create new and better ideas for recycling.

                         For this week to make sense I need you (the reader) to focus on the fact that teams create and drive change in the world. Teams at these schools are focused on recycling but what gives them a reason or something to value out of this program? How about creating jobs as the EPA states that 681,000 jobs or more than 37.8 billion in wages were given to employees based on increases in the recycling sector. (EPA, 2020). This shows that the world is changing and innovating based on the idea that we could reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is something we should all want from our schools, students, teachers, and directors.

                        So, what do we need to make this happen? We need caring and innovative workers like you and the green team to do your part and make this world a better place! We have previously mentioned the green team as they have created a guide on how to start up a program in your current school district. Furthermore, the state in this guide “To encourage continuously buy-in to the recycling program, as well as effective participation, the Recycling Coordinator should work with the Recycling Team and the recycling service provider to track the volume of recyclables diverted from the school.” (Green Team, 2020). This all leads to a stronger group of people who hopefully work together to create a bright future.

                         So, what does this all mean for you? Well, I challenge you to find your passion and match it with a local group around you. Once you have done that spread your ideas on how we can make recycling better and see what solutions you uncover. Once you have done this report back to me via email and let me know what ideas you have to save our planet. Remember, in life, we only get some much time and so many resources. I suggest you use the ones you have wisely and try to make as much change as possible.

 

References

Bardauskas, M. (2021). Recycling / refuse, reduce, Reuse, Rot, recycle, and rethink. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.asdk12.org/Page/7943

EPA. (2020, October 29). Frequent questions on recycling. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/recycle/frequent-questions-recycling

Team, G. (2013, May 09). The Green Team. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://thegreenteam.org/

Media

Google. (n.d). [image of handes going around in circle] Retrieved February, 23, 2021 from https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enKR788KR788&sxsrf=ALeKk00c3Z2OZaKQqosEbvSusHCtlR2AXQ:1614148158688&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=synergy+image&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiY0_O88oHvAhUCrp4KHWlqAHMQ7Al6BAgEEDg&biw=1021&bih=525