John Gray High School students ask public to help them help Cayman
(L-R) Year 10 student Kishana Burke, Year 11 student
Janae Ebanks and Year 12 student and President of
JGHS Recyclers Kamala Murugesu, count and assemble
six-pack ring holders onto a recycling tree.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Waste not, want not is the message that John Gray High
School (JGHS) recyclers are hoping that the public will adopt to help them in
their effort to collect plastic six-pack soda ring holders and aluminium tabs
from the cans.
Since resuming classes at the John Gray High school site
on Walkers Road, the recyclers have been actively trying to pick up where they
left off before Hurricane Ivan. They have reinstated their plastic six-pack
holder collection programme in which they collect holders and take them to
Bodden Beverages. The company in turn, takes 12-pack cases of sodas and
converts them into six packs by using the rings that the students provide.
According to recycling coordinator and teacher Christine
Whitehead, the programme is helpful because it means that the local soda
distributor will not have to bring more rings in from the United States.
Bodden Beverages also arranges for the shipment of any leftover holders to a
recycling plant in California.
The group was formed in 1996 by Mrs. Whitehead and
concerned students. And throughout the years members have always tried to do
their part to save the environment, but since Ivan’s passing, there has been a
large resurgence of environmentally-concerned students who are now more aware
of environmental fragility. They want to do their part to help protect it.
The Director of the Department of Environmental Health,
Roydell Carter said that as club sponsors, the department fully supports and
encourages the Recyclers’ efforts. “These students lead by example,” he said.
“We can only urge the wider public to follow in their footsteps.”
JGHS recyclers are hoping to expand their recycling
projects beyond the school’s parameters. They are in the process of trying to
get recycling trees placed in all public schools across the three Islands so
that they can also get involved and contribute. Presently the Lighthouse
School is the only other school that is helping to collect the six-pack ring
holders.
Apart from student participation, the recyclers also want
the community to become involved with recycling. “If the public contributes,
it will motivate us in our efforts, and with their support we will be able to
achieve a great deal more,” said Year 11 student and vice president of the
organization, Kimone Chambers.
The JGHS Recyclers are appealing to any members of the
public willing to assist them in preserving Cayman’s environment, to collect
six-pack soda rings and soda tabs. Items can be dropped off directly at the
high school in care of school secretary Marguerita Thompson, or collections
can be arranged by emailing recyclers at
johngrayrecyclers@hotmail.com.
More information about six-pack holder recycling and
other John Gray Recyclers projects can be found at
www.johngrayrecyclers.org.
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