I am writing you about an issue that I feel needs to be addressed. It has recently come to my attention that PTHS is a 0% recycling facility. This truly concerns me. Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S. I, for one, am not willing to be a major contributor to that number, and I am sure that many others, teachers and students alike, would feel the same way, if made aware of the situation.

It seems that it would be only too easy to place our paper into recycling tubs, instead of trash cans. In 1993, U.S. paper recovery saved more than 90,000,000 cubic yards of landfill space. It is evident, that recycling the paper we use at Pine Tree would be a major step in the right direction, not only in reducing our environmental footprint, but also, in setting an example and inspiring positive action within our community.

I would love to get your suggestion on the next step. I think a survey of all Pine Tree teachers/staff would provide startling numbers as to the amount of paper we send to landfills each day, week, month, and year. This data would be a great and necessary recourse when presenting the issue to city and school administrators. Would it be possible to do a mass e-mail with some sort of survey system? Printing it and putting the survey in their boxes crossed my mind, but it seems a bit contradictory, also compiling paper data of that magnitude would be a nightmare (especially on top of AP homework!)

A change of any kind will take effort, contribution, and hard work, but I believe in something a wise man once said. "It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives." If a change is to occur, it has to start with the initiative a few, before it can spread to many.

Any feedback, ideas, or advisement would be more than welcome! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and respond whenever it is convenient for you.

Nathan Wood, PTHS junior student

Below is an article from PTO Today ....
PTO's Are Going Green No doubt about it -- green is growing. Over the past year or two, we've noticed a big increase in the number of groups going green. Groups are running recycling programs, holding walk/bike to school days, and setting up composting systems at school. Some groups help the school reduce energy use with simple measures like raising awareness about turning off lights and power strips when not in use. Others sell green-related fundraising items like reusable water bottles and even run environmental fairs where people can learn about the latest green techniques and tools. Green is such a popular trend that we've launched a new webpage where you can share your interest in making your school and your group more environmentally aware. Here's a link to that page and some other tools from PTO Today. Go Green community group page on ptotoday.com: Talk about all things green Go Green Night for families: A fun learning experience for kids and parents alike Make your school more green: Examples from PTOs around the country Make your PTO more green: Could your group operate in a more green-friendly way? We hope you'll check out these resources and, please, jump in and share what your group is doing. Tim Sullivan is the founder of PTO Today. To get more insight and ideas from Tim, visit our message boards or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/TimPTO.