On July 7, Department of Environmental Protection Waste, Air, Radiation and Remediation Deputy Secretary Krishnan Ramamurthy and the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania Executive Director Jennifer Summers highlighted the student winners of PROP’s 2022 Earth Week Poster and Video Contest.

There were 12 winning posters and three winning videos [to be posted on PROP’s website]--

Poster Winners

-- Lilliana “Lilly” Lohsl, Penn Mont Academy, Blair County

-- Samira Patel, Penn Mont Academy, Blair County

-- Ella Beiswenger, Saint Michael School, Cambria County

-- Ava Itle, Saint Michael School, Cambria County

-- Mia Anderson, Ramsey Elementary, Westmoreland County

-- Hunter Trout, Ramsey Elementary, Westmoreland County

-- Kierra Kelly, George Washington Elementary, Allegheny County

-- Kendall Exler, George Washington Elementary, Allegheny County

-- Emma Stover, Jersey Shore Elementary, Lycoming County

-- Oyayi Magno, Erie Day School, Erie County

-- Christina Bouassaf, Penn Mont Academy, Blair County

-- Ava Fritz, North Star Middle School, Somerset County

Video Winners (Placing)

-- Indiana County Technology Center, 10th Grade Class (1st Place). Indiana County

-- Our Lady of Confidence School, Special Education Class (2nd Place) Montgomery County

-- George Washington Elementary, 4th Grade Green Team (3rd Place) Allegheny County

“Seeing young people creatively showcase their commitments to the environment shows that future generations are prioritizing sustainable lifestyles, and we all should continue to support these young environmentalists and their efforts,” Ramamurthy said.

The top 12 scoring posters will be used in a calendar template provided electronically to schools, DEP, and members of the public for download and print. The top scoring video will receive an award and be posted on the PROP website.

The contest is part of PROP’s School Recycling Study in which PROP members collaborate with DEP to help school leaders manage recycling programs in both fiscally and environmentally sound ways.

Annually, DEP supports PROP with average grant funding of about $250,000. The grant funding is made possible by the commonwealth’s Recycling Fund, which receives $2 for every ton of municipal solid waste entering a Pennsylvania landfill or resource-recovery facility.

The impacts of this partnership are plentiful.

“When Act 101 was first introduced (1988) requiring larger municipalities to recycle, business and government all learned the fundamentals of recycling, and built infrastructure for Pennsylvania’s recycling industry from the ground up. Great focus and resources were directed toward educating citizens on the ‘what, when, how, and where’ of recycling,” Summers said.

“In the 34 years since recycling began in earnest across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania has become a nationwide model for the recycling marketplace, contributing over $22 billion to Pennsylvania’s gross state product. Pennsylvania leaders recognize the need to refocus efforts on education. Only through recycling right can we simultaneously protect our resources and support jobs in the recycling industry,” Summers added.

Visit DEP’s Recycling In Pennsylvania webpage and the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania website for more information.

[Posted: July 7, 2022]

7/11/2022