Encorp Atlantic’s Recycling Heroes in School program is kicking off its second year with excitement and rapid growth. In just the first few weeks of the school year, more than 30 new schools inquired about the program and started their enrolment process. With over 70 schools actively participating and more enrolling daily, the race to be one of the top 5 performers — competing for exciting prizes — is on!
Last year, the program made a big impact, with schools collecting and recycling an impressive 810,000 used beverage containers (UBCs) tracked through our EnSys-Connex point-of-sale system. Student Recycling Ambassadors helped turn these everyday recycling efforts and bottle drives into powerful fundraising tools for their schools.
Our goal is to inspire the next generation of lifelong recyclers, and we’re committed to expanding the school program each year. We plan to recruit at least 50 new schools annually until all or the majority of New Brunswick’s 300+ schools are partnered with local redemption centres, actively engaging students in UBC recycling and building a greener future. We’ll also be collaborating with the NB-based Gaia Project. This non-profit charitable organization aims to empower youth to take action on climate change through classroom programs related to energy, food, transportation, waste and more. After conducting Trash Tracker waste audits in schools, Gaia Project educators will refer schools to Encorp to set them up with beverage container recycling. The Gaia Project will also develop a series of classroom resources, such as lesson plans tailored to each grade level for Encorp, which will be made available to teachers so that they may easily integrate beverage container recycling into their curriculum.
