Recycle with RRC FCCLA

By: MaKayla Meier

The Red Rock Central FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) organization is going above and beyond again to help the school help the Earth. While FCCLA already recycles different types of papers and shoes, there seemed to also be a need to recycle the empty pop bottles, especially during ball games. This need is the reason Ryan Determan, Payton Vold, and Brandon Van Meveren toured the Redwood County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. The boys are doing a Star Event regarding the benefits and importance of recycling.

The FCCLA coordinator, Mrs. Goblish, contacted Brian Sams with the Redwood County Household Hazardous Waste Facility to see if he could help. Sams was able to donate two pop bottle recycling containers to the Red Rock Central High School building in Lamberton through grants they obtained. So, on Friday, November 16th, the boys, along with Mrs. Goblish, took a trip to Redwood to pick up two pop-bottle shaped bins and tour the recycling facility.

On the tour, they learned all about the recycling process and other fun facts. For instance, the state of Minnesota is the fifth best state in the nation for recycling and Redwood County is actually the second best county in the state for recycling. If Redwood County Environmental Office were to estimate recycling participation in Redwood County, they would say approximately 50 percent of the people in the county recycle. This has been made much easier with eleven rural drop sights. While on the tour, the boys saw what was recycled. From paper to oil, they saw it all. On average, two-thousand pounds of cardboard, six to seven hundred pounds of aluminum, and eight hundred to one thousand pounds of plastic, types two through five, are recycled there each month. Brandon saw some bales of paper loaded on a truck and could not believe their weight. When people recycle our old motor oil containers, they go to the facility. Payton was shocked that the amount left over in those bottles is drained and adds up to about fifty five gallons a month! Recycling all of these products is not cheap. The cost is about ten thousand dollars a month to recycle; Ryan was stunned that it could cost so much for a community service project!

The bins, donated by Redwood County Environmental Office, are to be placed by both the high school football field during the fall sports season and the high school gym all year round. For now, RRC FCCLA is only able to recycle plastic bottles in the high school buildings since the elementary building is not in Redwood County. The purpose of these bins is to help reduce the amount of bottles and cans that end up in the garbage. The bins can take both aluminum cans and plastic bottles. The cool thing about these bins is that they are actually made out of recycled milk jugs and detergent bottles. Ryan, Payton, and Brandon will be in charge of recycling the bottles placed in these bins along with the other recycled items around the school building including paper, cardboard, magazines, newspapers and tennis shoes! FCCLA collects recycling bins from the classrooms every three weeks. Once FCCLA sorts/separates the items, they are picked up and taken to the Redwood County Recycling Center where everything is categorized and then baled. Redwood County Environmental Office appreciates having white paper separated from colored paper because it provides more revenue!

Thanks to the generous donation of the Redwood County Environmental Office,

Red Rock Central and FCCLA can now do their part in making a healthy impact on the world. While recycling takes a lot of work, it is well worth it. Mrs. Goblish comments,“It’s an important service we can provide not only to our school, but now to our community as well.” After touring the facility, the boys realize how important it is to rinse those plastic milk jugs and throw away the lids—but leave the lids on oil bottles. It is amazing how a little effort can have a huge impact on our school, community and the Earth.

Ryan Determan, Payton Vold, and Brandon Van Meveren

Brandon Van Meveren, Ryan Determan, and Payton Vold in front of bales of aluminum and plastic

Ryan Determan, Payton Vold, Brandon Van Meveren and the pop bins