Reduce Reuse Recycle

                Although recycling may seem like a modern concept introduced with the environmental movement of the 1970s, it's actually been around for thousands of years. Prior to the industrial age, you couldn't make goods quickly and cheaply, so virtually everyone practiced recycling in some form. However, large-scale recycling programs were very rare, households predominantly practiced recycling. Recycling became important in the 1930's but faded off after the postwar years because of the economic boom. The first Earth day and the environmental movement in the 1960's started recycling back up.

One of the main reasons for recycling is to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills. Landfills usage peaked in the 1980s, when Americans sent more than 150 million tons of garbage to landfills each year. Today we still dump more than 100 million tons of trash into landfills. Even though modern sanitary landfills are safer and less of a nuisance than the open dumps of the past, no one likes having a landfill around  And in heavily populated areas, landfill space is scarce. 

  The use of paper in industrialized nations continues to increase, in some cases accounting for almost 20 percent of all household garbage. Although, trees are used to make paper as a renewable resource, old growth forest are chopped down to make room for pulpwood trees, which are quickly planted and harvested to make paper. Recycled paper results in a significant net savings in terms of water and energy used, as well as pollutants emitted into the environment. 

  Luckily Mr. Wil Tuggle the seventh grade science teacher at Gulf Shores Middle School and his 5^th period class have been reducing the trash at GSMS by setting recycling buckets in all the classes. They take the trash and other recyclable objects to the high schools recycling dumpster every Monday and Thursday. The students who have been recycling in Mr. Tuggles 5^th period class are Kali Templeton, Olivia Helms, Shelby Parker, Parker Mason, Savannah Kichler, Geovanna Martins, Trenton Stafford, Marcel Lowell, Zac McConnel, Wynn Chambliss, Sai Patel, Mac Busbee, Robbie Wiess, Aloisio Gomes. They all have been putting in a lot of hard work to reduce the trash at GSMS and are highly respected for all they have done.

Shelby Parker said, "It's kind of nasty but for a good cause and I'm so happy that we get to use the clippers instead of touching the trash!" Savannah Kichler said, "We go by every classroom every Tuesday and pick up the recycled boxes that teachers and students use on a daily basis. It's a good way to help our community and school to reduce waste." Kali Templeton said, "We try to think of ways to improve our school. Someone thought of recycling so we decided to try it. Since then almost every room in the school is participating, we are happy to help.

By: Savannah Wilkinson 7th grade, Ginny Taylor 8th grade

Sai Patel, Shelby Parker, and Parker Mason student of Mr. Tuggle's
Agricultural Science Class as they help G.S.M.S. recycle.
Photo By: Sydney Ayers and Sunny Billion