Tests are thrown into the trash. Notes are tossed into trash buckets. Worksheets are thrown away too. Soon enough, all of these materials are given away to public landfills, which ultimately harm the Earth. Instead of throwing paper away, the Norwin Works! program began collecting recycling materials in November for teachers and students to recycle.

The Norwin Works! program is a work-based learning program that teaches students with disabilities various work readiness skills, in order to succeed in the workforce. The program currently recycles materials from classrooms on the second Friday of every month. 

“We [Norwin Works! students] work around the building doing cleaning and maintenance kinds of tasks, as well as deliveries,” said Mrs. Malissa Cheplick, Norwin Works! adviser.

The program only recycles paper from recycling bins in classrooms at the moment, but it is planning on recycling more in the future. After collecting, the students go to dispose of the paper. 

“Students go around and grab the buckets of recycling and take them out to the paper retriever box that is in the back dock of the school,” Cheplick said. 

In the beginning, the Norwin Works! program offered shredding services to teachers in the building as well.

“We sent out emails to teachers requesting items to shred and a few asked if we ever considered recycling paper as well,” Cheplick said. “We got permission from Dr. Choby and started this monthly recycling endeavor.”

The Norwin Works! program continues to recycle paper every month, helping out both teachers and the environment by doing so.

Soon, the Norwin Works! program plans to offer copying services as well to teachers once the copier is ready for use.