In response to being chosen to pilot a county-deployed recycling program, students at James H. Boyd have been stepping up to the plate to help save the planet.

Members of the student council have been especially important in keeping the program running like a well-oiled machine. Each week, council representatives collect the recycling bins from each classroom—one paper, one plastic—to weigh and record. Students take care of the paper, while the school janitors record how many bags of plastic have been removed. At the end of the month, the information is sent to the county.

“The students involved take this responsibility very seriously,” said student council advisor Mrs. Deborah Hemphill. “They’re the ones in the classrooms watching what their classmates recycle and what they throw away. They’ve been instrumental in encouraging their classmates to be more conscious of what they just toss into the trash.”

So far this school year, Boyd has recycled over 2,000 pounds of paper, which has saved approximately 17 trees.

“It’s important to help the earth in whatever ways we can,” said student council co-president Lily. “So we’re trying to set a good example and teach our classmates about taking care of our world.”