WHAT'S NEW

District 54 celebrates Earth Day
with environmentally friendly events

School District 54 invites the community to join its efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. A newly created Recycling Committee is hosting two events this month.

No Waste Lunch Day
Join School District 54 in a celebration of Earth Day 2008 by participating in a No Waste Lunch Day on Tuesday, April 22, 2008. All 27 District 54 schools are promoting this event.

All District 54 students and staff are encouraged to bring their lunch in reusable containers, to eat with metal or reusable plastic utensils, to use a cloth napkin and to drink from reusable water bottles.

The average student who brings a disposable lunch to school each day generates 67 pounds of waste in one school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste each year – roughly the size of a dump truck – for every 280 students. We can stop the waste.

Electronics Recycling Event
In an effort the reduce waste in our community as well, District 54’s Recycling Committee is hosting an Electronics Recycling Event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2008. Bring your old electronics to the District Office, 524 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg.

For more information on what will be accepted, click on this Electronics Recycling flyer. All items will be collected by Midwest Technology Recyclers. None of the items collected will ever reach a landfill. For more information, visit www.MidwestTechRecyclers.com.

Gym Shoe Collection at District 54 Nature Center
The District 54 Environmental Education Committee is collecting rubber-soled gym shoes in April as part of the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Program.

The various shoe components are ground up to create different playing fields. Nike also uses them to create surfaces in underserved neighborhoods. The shoes should not contain metal parts and be tied together.

Each month throughout the school year, the committee encourages recycling of a variety of items and then donates them to a good cause. Previous efforts have included collecting used cell phones, inkjet computer cartridges and products for an animal shelter.

Bring your donations to the Nature Center, 320 W. Wise Road in Schaumburg during the month of April between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The phone number at the Nature Center is (847) 357-6338.