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MIAMI ?The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is
recognizing Miami Palmetto High School students for their commitment to
protecting and preserving Florida?s natural resources by winning the statewide
K-12 Recycling Pledge Card Contest. Across Florida, more than 18,000
participants pledged to adopt conscientious living habits such as reusing,
recycling, buying recycled products and encouraging others to develop these
important habits in 2009. DEP, Recycle Florida Today, Creative Recycling
Systems, Inc. and Publix Super Markets hosted the contest to recognize Florida
schools for outstanding environmental commitment.
?Recycling is perhaps the most important and easiest way for citizens to
conserve Florida?s natural resources and reduce waste,? said DEP Southeast
District Director Jack Long. ?I am pleased to see students from Miami Palmetto
High School leading the way to a cleaner, safer and healthier environment by
pledging to reduce, reuse and recycle.?
DEP officials are awarding teacher Ms. Pamela Schlachtman?s class with a
refurbished computer, courtesy of Creative Recycling Systems, Inc., for the
class?s pledge of environmental stewardship. The High School was one of three
Florida schools that submitted the greatest number of pledge cards. All pledges
were entered into a statewide America Recycles Day drawing and eligible for one
of three $100 gift certificates donated by Publix and a $100 gift card courtesy
of Recycle Florida Today.
?We are extremely proud that our students took part in this statewide green
movement,? said Miami Palmetto High School Principal Howard Weiner. ?There are
challenges to making sure our school is environmentally friendly but our
students have pledged their commitment to our ongoing recycling efforts and
we?re glad they are being recognized.?
Florida celebrates America Recycles Day each November to encourage residents
to make the world a better place by reducing waste. In 2006, more than 8.5
million tons of municipal solid waste was recycled in Florida, including 615,000
tons of newspaper, 117,000 tons of glass, 43,000 tons of aluminum cans and
57,000 tons of plastic bottles. For more information about recycling, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/recycling/.
To increase recycling throughout Florida, last summer Governor Charlie Crist
signed the Energy, Climate Change, and Economic Security Act of 2008 into law
which establishes a new statewide recycling goal of 75 percent to be achieved by
2020. Within the law DEP is directed to develop a program to achieve this goal
and submit it to the Florida Legislature for consideration by January 1, 2010.
For more information on the new statewide recycling goal of 75 percent, and to
share your comments on ways to achieve this goal and view comments from others
on our web-based forum, visit
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/recyclinggoal75/.
Contact your local county recycling coordinator to learn where to recycle in
your community, by visiting
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/
recycling/pages/contact_counties.htm.
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2012 State of Florida