Sheryl Stivens (centre) from Envirowaste and Ashburton College environment committee members (from left) Timmy Vaevae, Lisa Drummond, Rosie Twamley, Hannah Mae Jerao, Flynn Taylor, Lanelle Millar-McArthur, Jewel Pantaleon and Oskar McLauchlan are preparing for the rollout of new recycle bins at the school next term. Photo Colin WilliscroftThere’s a new set of three Rs coming to the fore at Ashburton College.

Reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmatic and now being complemented by their more modern-day cousins: “reduce, re-use, recycle” and to reinforce the importance of the latter, a new recycling scheme is being rolled out at the school next term.

Envirowaste educator Sheryl Stivens has been working with the school’s environment committee to get the scheme up and running.

Sponsorship of $3700 will mean 30 bright yellow recycle bins will soon be placed around the school, along with labels and promotional material so students are reminded what can be recycled and what must still be placed in rubbish bins.

Stivens, who was at the school yesterday to tell Year 12 and 13 students about the initiative, said the aim was to reduce the amount of material that ended up in the landfill.

“Not only is it a waste of resources, it’s incredibly costly,” she said.

She ran through a list of things that should go into the new recycle bins but stressed that disposable coffee cups and chip pottles were out, as they have a plastic or wax covering that makes them non-recyclable.

Polystyrene cups fall into the same category.

All recycling collected at the school will go to the materials recovery facility (merf) in Timaru, where it will be mechanically sorted and baled, ready to be processed and turned into new products around the world.

Stivens said it was very pleasing to see young people get behind the scheme.

“It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s the old thing – never believe that a single person, group or idea cannot make a change,” she said, referring to the drive behind the initiative was students wanting to take action and do something about the litter they saw.

By Colin Williscroft © The Ashburton Guardian - 5 July 2017