Fifth-grade Teacher Maggi Alexander of Cumberland Named 'Recycler of the Year' by RWS

PORTLAND – The Recycling Committee of Regional Waste Systems has named Maggi Alexander, a fifth-grade teacher at Drowne Road School in Cumberland, its “Recycler of the Year” for her commitment to involving her students in recycling efforts.

Recycling Committee Chair Susan McGinty (left) presented the award to Alexander at the recent RWS annual meeting in Freeport. Each year, the volunteer committee honors an individual, group or corporation that has increased or improved recycling in southern Maine.

The Recycling Committee was most impressed by Alexander’s commitment to recycling and the unique and interesting ways in which she gets her students involved in programs that are making a difference in their community.

This year, Alexander’s class participated in a program to collect and recycle a number of difficult to dispose of items, including cell phones, empty printer cartridges, laptops and palm pilots. Her class advertised in the community to collect the items and recycle them through “Cartridges for Kids”. A portion of the money collected by recycling the items benefited the school, but most went to Zambia to provide breakfast, school supplies and playground toys for school children there.

“We applaud Maggi Alexander for involving her students in a recycling effort that is beneficial on so many levels,” said McGinty, a Cumberland resident. “They reached out into the community to help remove potentially harmful E-waste and ink from the waste stream. And in doing so, her classroom is also making a difference in the lives of students just like them on another continent. This is the type of program that truly deserves recognition.”

Gary Glick, a science teacher at Falmouth High School, received the “Recycler of the Year” award last year and Ruth’s Reusable Resource Center in Scarborough was recognized in 2003.

Alexander has consistently and enthusiastically engaged her classroom in recycling efforts through the years to compliment SAD 51’s longstanding paper recycling program. When her class was located at Memorial School in North Yarmouth, Alexander and her students participated in a composting program at the school and used the compost to fertilize gardens they planted on school grounds.

The “Recycler of the Year” award is part of an annual recognition program initiated by RWS to promote and encourage recycling in the region. RWS also has a recycling mascot called “Reggie” who is available for public and school events, and a recycling display for towns to use at fairs, events and in town offices.

Regional Waste Systems is a non-profit solid waste management corporation that is owned and operated by 21 cities and towns (Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hollis, Limington, Lyman, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Portland, Pownal, Scarborough, South Portland, Waterboro, Windham and Yarmouth), and also has six associate member towns (Baldwin, Hiram, Naples, Parsonsfield, Porter and Standish.)

The waste-to-energy plant operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and complies with state and federal Clean Air emission standards. Each year, RWS processes more than 170,000 tons of trash. The heat created by burning the waste generates steam, which is then transformed into enough electricity to meet the needs of 15,000 homes.

RWS has the largest, most comprehensive municipal recycling program in the state, recycling more than 17,000 tons of recycled materials each year. Established in 1974 after Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough decided to form a cooperative to handle their waste disposal, RWS today is governed by a 28-member board, consisting of officials appointed from member communities. RWS accepts solid waste and recycled materials from these communities. For more info, visit the RWS web site at www.regionalwaste.org.

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