DeKalb County School District, consisting of 137 schools, is one of the first counties in the state to have reached 100 percent recycling compliance. The accomplishment is the result of collaborative efforts among the students, administrators, teachers, and staff of the DeKalb County schools “to keep the earth beautiful.”

The culmination of an innovative, three-year partnership between the DCSD Operations Division and DeKalb County Sanitation, the program started with a contest between schools to see which one could recycle the most materials. All schools were provided with 18-gallon recycling bins for every classroom and 65-gallon roll carts for common areas such as cafeterias and hallways. Custodial teams at every school received training on recycling protocol and collection procedures. Fernbank Elementary School’s Go Green Club even organized members of their club to collect recyclable materials from every classroom and dispose of them responsibly.

We recycle to keep the earth beautiful,” said fifth grader, Kara Henderson, 5th Grader, at Huntley Hills Elementary.

Peggy Davis, principal of Kelly Lake Elementary School, said, “The recycling program has brought a new awareness to our students. They have embraced the responsibility of recycling today to create a better tomorrow.”

The project has also helped the school district save money since the cost of recycling is typically less than disposing of waste.