People in other countries are becoming involved in recycling efforts. I saw this story today about recycling programs at schools in the Phillipines. It makes me wonder local students are going to be doing this school year. We hear a lot about Students Against Violating the Earth in Souderton. Are there other student organizations doing similar things? What are your plans for recycling projects this year?

Makati students back recycling
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Aug. 27, 2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Schoolchildren in Makati City are showing the way toward a greener lifestyle.
The city’s school-based recycling project has generated more than 7,000 kilos of recyclable materials from public elementary and high schools for the first half of the year, officials said.
Through the project dubbed “Batang Bantay Basura,” the city collected 801.5 kilos of mixed paper wastes, 236 kilos of mixed plastics and 6,832 kilos of polyethylene (PET) or plastic bottles from January to June.
In a report to Mayor Jejomar Binay, Department of Environmental Services (DES) chief Danilo Villas said the milestone was achieved through the enthusiastic participation of students, teachers and other school personnel.
“The project has become a venue for school officials and students to show their unity for a good cause, and at the same time to pursue an income-generating endeavor benefiting not only their schools but the barangays (villages) as well,” he said.
Batang Bantay Basura is a project of the DES in partnership with the Department of Education-Makati with the aim of inculcating in the students and school personnel the value of reducing, reusing and recycling.
It requires everyone in school to practice waste segregation, begin an environmental education campaign and launch a recycling drive.
The drive involves collecting recyclable materials like scrap paper, plastics and PET bottles, selling them to junk shops, and using the income generated to buy additional supplies and equipment for the school’s use, or for donation to the barangay.
Last year, the city government through the DES linked up with food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. for the recycling drive.
Under the agreement, the participating schools needed only to collect a certain weight of recyclables to exchange them for items like computers, overhead projectors, scanners and water dispensers, among others.
Villas said they are looking into other partnerships with the private sector to promote the city’s waste diversion and reduction program.

Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines