Contacts:
Nancy Treffry
Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority
(831) 755-1300
Email: nancyt@svswa.org

Annie H. Gardiner
Gigantic Idea Studio, Inc.
 (510) 339-1363
Email: annieg@speakeasy.net

SALINAS VALLEY SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY pilots RECYCLING PROGRAM at alisal high school

Recycling program reduces waste and teaches students to be stewards of the environment

Salinas, Calif. (October 5, 2005) – The Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority (SVSWA), in conjunction with BFI Waste (BFI), launches a recycling program at Alisal High School in Salinas.  Besides helping to reduce trash going to landfill, the pilot recycling program gives students the tools and information to be good environmental stewards.  With full classroom participation, BFI estimates that the Alisal recycling program will reduce the school’s annual waste by 180 tons – that is nearly one pound of recyclables per student, each school day.

The Alisal recycling program is a “replicable model that can be used at any of the Salinas Union High School District schools,” says Alan Styles, resource recovery coordinator at the SVSWA.  “Thanks to a donation by Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, a long-time supporter of recycling, we have 1,000 produce boxes that can be distributed throughout schools for recycling paper.”

The recycling program has three parts.  First, the SVSWA conducts a waste audit to identify everything that can be recycled and, thus, kept out of the trash.  Second, the SVSWA provides decals and boxes for mixed paper recycling in each classroom, while BFI provides 32-gallon carts for mixed recyclables – paper, plastic, aluminum and glass.  Daily, the students transfer classroom recyclables to the BFI pick-up carts, which are painted in the Alisal Trojan school colors of green and black.  Third, the SVSWA gives recycling presentations in science classes and helps student leaders implement the program.

There are many benefits to starting a school-based recycling program.  A school can earn money with a recycling program, support the environment, and cut its garbage bills by reducing the size of the dumpster or frequency of pick-ups.  BFI provides free recycling to all schools in Salinas.  For information on how to start a school-based recycling program, contact Alan Styles at 755-1300 or alanst@svswa.org at the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority.

About the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority
The Authority, formed in 1997, is a joint powers agency made up of the cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Salinas and Soledad, as well as the eastern half of unincorporated Monterey County. The agency promotes the environmental health of the Salinas Valley through planning, public education and management of an innovative solid waste system. The Authority can be reached at 755-1300 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday or on the web at www.svswa.org.

About BFI Waste Services
BFI Waste Services, a subsidiary of Allied Waste Industries, Inc. and the second largest solid waste company in the nation, began working with the City of Salinas in July 2001. Allied Waste provides residential, commercial, and industrial services to more than ten million customers in locations throughout the continental United States and Puerto Rico.

About Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation (NASDAQ: SSCC) is the industry’s leading integrated manufacturer of paperboard and paper-based packaging.  Smurfit-Stone is a leading producer of containerboard, including white top linerboard and recycled medium; corrugated containers; point-of-purchase displays; multiwall and specialty bags; and clay-coated recycled boxboard; and is one of the world’s largest collectors and marketers of recovered fiber.  In addition, Smurfit-Stone is a leading producer of solid bleached sulfate, folding cartons, flexible packaging, and labels.  The company operates approximately 250 facilities, located primarily in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and employs approximately 35,000 people. www.smurfit-stone.com

The Authority, formed in 1997, is a joint powers agency made up of the cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Salinas, Soledad as well as the eastern half of unincorporated Monterey County. They promote the environmental health of the Salinas Valley through planning, public education and management of an innovative solid waste system. The Authority can be reached at 755-1300 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday or on the web at www.svswa.org.


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