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City of Buffalo Press Releases

Posted on: June 13, 2019

Mayor Brown Recognizes 32 Schools for Completing Inaugural Environmental Champions Program

Buffalo, NY – Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced 32 Buffalo Public Schools successfully completed the City of Buffalo’s first-ever Environmental Champions Program. The program, which ran from February 22nd through May 11th, educated nearly 12,000 students, teachers and school staff on the benefits of waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

“This joint program between the City of Buffalo and Buffalo Public Schools was designed to raise awareness about environmentally-friendly waste management as my Administration’s 34andMore initiative continues toward the goal of diverting at least 34 percent of Buffalo’s waste from landfills,” Mayor Brown said. “Through this program, waste reduction and recycling rates are increasing in Buffalo Public Schools, and our Environmental Champions are taking that message home to their families and neighborhoods.”

Through the inaugural Environmental Champions Program, 196 additional recycling totes were added in the 32 participating schools across the City, and new recycling practices were put in place at the BPS commissary. Those actions are expected to result in greater recycling tonnage in 2018, and beyond.

“We thank Mayor Byron Brown and his team for bringing this program to our schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash. “As we ready our students for college and careers, they must also understand the importance of good citizenship through stewardship of the environment. I applaud the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Public Schools teams for setting a higher bar as true champions of the environment through 34andMore.”

The Environmental Champions Program challenged K-12 students and staff in schools district-wide to achieve multiple goals, including: establish a School Green Team, meet with the City’s Recycling Coordinator Sashti Balasundaram, conduct a recycling audit, develop a school recycling awareness campaign, and organize an Earth Day event.

“We all know how important it is to educate children about the environmental benefits of recycling and other waste management practices,” said Susan Attridge, Director of Recycling. “The ECP program is preparing them to be the next generation of environmental stewards.”

In addition to receiving an Environmental Champion Program completion certificate in a ceremony June 6, 2018 at East H.S., each of the 32 schools will receive an environmental-themed prize valued at $500. Prizes include: grassroots garden kits, a compost units, classroom recycling bins, and gardening supplies.

The Environmental Champion Program is one of many efforts Mayor Brown has initiated to boost the City’s recycling rates.

“Since my Administration switched to single stream curbside recycling in 2012, overall recycling rates have climbed from 15.9 percent to more than 28 percent. We are continuing to add new initiatives to educate our residents and increase participation,” Mayor Brown said. “Much like our Environmental Champions Program, our Let’s Do This! Program creates a friendly competition between block clubs to boost recycling rates, and our pilot Food Scrap Recycling program, is diverting qualifying residential and commercial leftovers to the Massachusetts Avenue Project to be converted to gardening compost.”

On Saturday, June 9, 2018, the City will sponsor a free Shredding Event, with clothing recycling and a GoBike donation drive, from 9 a.m. to noon at Front Park, on Porter Avenue.

THE 32 BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHICH HAVE EARNED THE TITLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION ARE:

#3 D’Youville Porter Campus

#17 Early Childhood Center #17

#19 Native American Magnet School

#27 Hillery Park Elementary

#32 Bennett Park Montessori

#42 Occupational Training Center

#45 International School

#48 #48 @#39

#54 Dr. George E. Blackman School of Excellence

#59 Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet Annex

#64 Frederick Law Olmsted School