Providence Schools Increase Recycling Rate More Than 17 percent

School effort is part of a successful citywide recycling campaign.

The City of Providence is celebrating yet another recycling milestone, having increased the recycling rate in our public schools by more than 17 percent since the beginning of the school year.

The significant recycling increase occurred in October and November, when Providence's Office of Sustainability partnered with the Providence Schools and custodial vendor Aramark to conduct a friendly recycling competition between all of the city's public schools.

On Tuesday, Providence Sustainability Director Sheila Dormody, Mayor Taveras' Senior Education Adviser Angela Romans and Providence Schools administrators held a ceremony to thank every school for their recycling effort and honor the schools at each level that recycled the most during the competition:

• Robert Bailey Elementary School recycled 4.7 pounds of waste per student
• Vartan Gregorian Elementary School recycled 4.5 pounds per student
• Nathan Bishop Middle School and Esek Hopkins Middle School each recycled nearly 2 pounds per student
• Alvarez High School and Providence Career and Technical Academy averaged nearly 3.75 pounds per student

"Mayor Taveras is encouraging everyone in Providence to recycle more, and our students, teachers and school administrators really embraced this challenge. Keep up the good work and keep doing your part to make Providence a greener city," said Romans.

The recycling effort in Providence's public schools is part of a citywide recycling campaign that is dramatically increasing recycling rates for the city. Since the launch of the "Big Green Can Just Got Greener" curbside recycling campaign in September, Providence has boosted its overall recycling rate by about 40 percent.

"Both in our schools and in our homes, Providence is recycling more than ever before, and this commitment to recycling will help build a more sustainable city and to save our tax dollars," said Sheila Dormody, director of Providence's Sustainability Office.