RWS Recycling Committee Names Winner of High School Essay Competition

Katherine Driver of Freeport receives $1,000 scholarship

PORTLAND, Maine - The Recycling Committee at Regional Waste Systems Inc., a non-profit municipal solid waste and recycling organization serving 27 towns in southern Maine, has awarded a $1,000 scholarship to a Freeport High School senior for winning an essay competition about recycling.

Recycling Committee members selected the essay submitted by 17-year-old Katherine M. Driver of Freeport as part of an annual competition open in the communities served by RWS to high school students who are accepted or enrolled in post-secondary institutions.

This year, students were required to review a recycling-related copy of the comic strip "Cathy" and then answer the following question: "Paper vs. Plastic: How can we become environmentally conscious consumers?" (Note to editors: A copy of the winning essay is available below.)

Driver is a senior honors student active in field hockey, cheering, drama and music. She competed in the All State Music Festival Chorus for two consecutive years, served as president of the National Honor Society and studied science for four years, including a senior course specializing in environmental science. Driver will attend Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this fall. The $1,000 scholarship will be used toward tuition, books or other fees.

Carol Fritz, chairwoman of the Recycling Committee at RWS, awarded the scholarship to Driver during an awards ceremony at Freeport High School on June 8. "An essay contest is a great way to promote recycling among our younger population by requiring them to think critically about an important issue," Fritz said. "Katherine's essay really stood out, but we were very pleased with the quality of all of the entries."

Essays were submitted this spring by high school seniors who are residents of any of the 27 cities and towns served by RWS. Those communities are: Baldwin, Bridgton, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harrison, Hollis, Limington, Lyman, Naples, North Yarmouth, Ogunquit, Parsonsfield, Porter, Portland, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, South Portland, Standish, Waterboro, Windham, and Yarmouth.

Students entering the competition were required to demonstrate a history of academic excellence and community involvement. All contest materials were evaluated and judged by the volunteer Recycling Committee, made up of RWS board members from member communities.

Regional Waste Systems Inc. is a non-profit solid waste management corporation that is owned and controlled by 21 cities and towns, and also has six associate member towns. RWS is also the largest municipal recycling organization in the state. Established in 1974 after Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough decided to form a cooperative to handle their waste disposal, today RWS is governed by a 28-member board, consisting of officials appointed from member towns.

RWS accepts solid waste and recycled materials from these communities and also has a comprehensive, state-of-the-art recycling program with more than 100 recycling bins in 60 locations. For additional information on RWS, visit the RWS web site, http://www.regionalwaste.org.

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WINNING ESSAY

Paper or Plastic?
By Katherine M. Driver

Paper or plastic? A seemingly simple everyday question, but so much more complicated than meets the eye. Many who feel that they are environmentally conscious, like Cathy in the cartoon of the same name, choose paper because of biodegradability. The cashier brings up an interesting point though, what do you put in your paper bag? Are we as "environmentally friendly" as we think we are?

In a year, the average American generates about 700 kilograms of waste. Of that waste, about 57 percent goes to landfills, 30 percent is recycled and the rest is incinerated. Compared to other countries, America has a high recycling rate. Even though our recycling rate is impressive, this fact may be misleading. Americans produce more trash than other countries with a comparable standard of living, so although more is recycled, a huge amount of waste still ends up in landfills. So how can we become more environmentally conscious consumers? If Americans were more aware of the products that they were using and throwing away, the amount of solid waste generated in America would greatly decrease.

Americans have already embraced recycling. Most communities have at least some form of recycling for plastics, paper, cardboard, and other recyclable materials. Recycling is still a relatively new field. Industries, particularly the plastics industry, are putting large amounts of time and money into research and development of more efficient, less costly recycling techniques.

Some benefits of recycling are readily recognizable, such as conservation of resources and pollution reduction. The New York Times, for example, uses 62,000 tress to publish one Sunday edition. This number has been greatly reduced because 40 percent of the paper waste in North America is recycled. Sixty percent of aluminum beverage cans are recycled, 36 percent of glass containers are recycled. Paper, aluminum, and glass can be recycled and then used to make new containers. This helps to conserve the original resources that are used to make the products as well as reduces the amount of pollution that ends up in landfills or incinerators.

There are a few problems with recycling, especially the recycling of plastics. Eighty-seven percent of the plastics that are manufactured are recyclable, but only between 25 and 30 percent of those are recycled. Because there are many different kinds of plastics, each one has a different recycling process. They can't be recycled together, they must be separated into groups depending on the type of polymer the plastic is made of. Additionally, there is often a low marketability of some recycled materials. If there isn't a demand, the material, even if it is recyclable, may end up in a landfill because no one wants it.

From an economic standpoint, recycling is a very good idea as long as the recycled goods can be marketed and used in new products. As consumers, it is important for us to support recycling efforts. We should buy things that are recyclable and make sure we do recycle them. We should also buy goods that are made of recycled materials. If we support companies that recycle by purchasing their products, they will recycle more. In our own towns, we should also push for more types of recycling, so we can recycle a greater variety of materials. Even though it may take us a little more time to separate our trash and sort recyclable products, we are saving ourselves in the end by reducing waste and conserving resources.

One of the most effective strategies for waste reduction is reuse. Many things that American consumers buy are meant to be used once and thrown away. If we as consumers spent a little more money initially and buy products that are meant to be used again and again, we are doing the environment and ourselves a great service. We should buy beverages in refillable glass containers instead of cans or throw away bottles. Instead of using paper towels and napkins, using sponges, washable cloth napkins, and dishtowels reduces the amount of paper wasted. If we were more aware of the products that we purchase and try to buy alternatives for the ones that are meant to be disposable, this would have a huge impact on the solid waste in this country. Reuse is the key to waste reduction. Waste is a reflection of our society and standard of living. In the age of instant gratification and convenience, environmental concerns are often put on the back burner in our personal lives.

With all of the technology that is available to us now, we should be able to find many ways to take care of our waste efficiently. Research is being done now to improve the waste disposal practices of America. For now, though, each person needs to be responsible for himself. Everyone needs to make an effort to do what he or she can to help the environment. So next time you go to the grocery store, paper or plastic? Neither. Bring your own reusable cloth bag.
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About the author: Katherine M. Driver, 17, of Freeport is a senior honors student at Freeport High School who will attend Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this fall. Her essay was chosen as the winner in a contest sponsored by Regional Waste Systems Inc., a non-profit municipal solid waste and recycling organization serving 29 towns in southern Maine. RWS' volunteer Recycling Committee asked high school seniors to review a recycling-related copy of the "Cathy" comic strip and then answer this question: "Paper vs. Plastic: How can we become environmentally conscious consumers?"