Members of the Carmel High School National Honor Society are providing school event recycling beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. They are creating recycle stations at each event where NHS members will be present and earn group hours to promote recycling of plastics, aluminum, and paper. Recycling will be provided at select high volume athletic, performing arts, and other after-school events. They are working with the school administration to streamline emptying the bins as well as ensuring that the recycling dumpsters can accommodate the extra recycling.

NHS students chose to purchase and use ClearStream recycling containers which educate visitors with clear bags, restricted openings, and bold signage. Putting clean recyclables into a clear recycling bag becomes automatic. The result is maximum recycling and landfill diversion rates, cleaner, greener, and safer events, and minimal contamination.

Recycle bins were placed near the water bottle distribution station at the event and also next to trash cans to help prevent contamination of non-recyclables in recycle only containers. NHS student volunteers assisted with many aspects of this fundraiser and family event.

The first NHS event recycling took place at the 2015 Carmel Education Foundation's Ghost's and Goblins 2K / 5K fun run and fundraiser. Hundreds of participants of all ages were each given a disposable water bottle at the end of the run, so there was a lot to recycle. Participants are encouraged to wear creative costumes to make the family event more fun.

This future Carmel Green Teen demonstrates that one is never too young to get started recycling and caring about our planet. Each year families who are part of the Carmel community come together to support our students and our schools. Recycling is a perfect addition to this event.

Recycling Plastic Water Bottles:

• Conserves energy
• Saves natural resources
• Reduces greenhouse gasses and pollution
• Reduces the amount of plastic waste that goes into our landfills, oceans, and natural environments

In fact, it takes two-thirds less energy to make products from recycled plastic than it does by using virgin materials. When one ton of plastic bottles is recycled, almost four barrels of oil are saved. That means there is more oil available for home heating, which in turn helps keep the price down. Furthermore, recycling just one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. The more plastic we recycle, the less chance it has to end up either in landfills or as plastic littering our landscape and our oceans. Thanks CHS National Honor Society!