1. Skye Concepcion Dalilian Gutierrez Bridgette Hernandez Mater Lions FCCLA Mater Academy High School Hialeah Gardens, Florida Southern Region Environmental Ambassador “S.O.S” District X

2. Environmental Ambassador Skye Concepcion Dalilian Gutierrez Bridgette Hernandez

3. What Is Recycling? Recycling is the process of making or manufacturing new products from a product that has originally served its purpose. If these used products are disposed of in an appropriate, environmentally friendly way, the process of recycling has been set in motion. Evidence of Research

4. Facts In the United States, trash is produced at a rate of 1,609 lbs. per person per year. One plastic bottle takes 700 years to begin composting. Every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Over 75% of waste is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it. We generate 21.5 million tons of food waste each year. If we composted that food, it would reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas as taking 2 million cars off the road. Evidence of Research

5. The Most Common Types of Waste Paper & Cardboard Organic Material Textiles Plastic Metals Glass 34% 25% 16% 12% 8% 5% Evidence of Research

6. How Long Does It Take To Decompose? Aluminum Can Glass Bottle Soda Bottle Styrofoam 80 years 500 years 700 years NEVER Evidence of Research

7. Growth in Post-Consumer Plastic Bottle Recycling Plastic bottle recycling grew by 120 million pounds last year to exceed 2.9 billion pounds, according to the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers and the American Chemistry Council. While the total pounds of plastic bottles increased by 4.3 percent last year, the overall plastic bottle recycling rate increased 0.4 percent to 30.9 percent last year. Evidence of Research

8. Top 10 Greenest States ① Vermont ② Maine ③ New Hampshire ④ Nevada ⑤ Hawaii ⑥ South Dakota ⑦ Montana ⑧ Idaho ⑨ Oregon ⑩ Colorado Evidence of Research

9. Vermont Toxic waste: 1,536 Tons (3 rd Best) Alterative Energy: 28.1% (7 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 6.4 Million Metric Tons (1 st Best) Maine Toxic Waste: 3,687 Tons (6 th Best) Alternative Energy: 49.8% (4 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 19 Million Metric Tons (6 th Best) New Hampshire Toxic Waste: 4,538 Tons (6 th Best) Alternative Energy: 12.3% (4 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 19 Million Metric Tons (6 th Best) Nevada Toxic Waste: 987 Tons (1 st Best) Alternative Energy: 7.6% (19 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 24.1 Million Metric Tons (8 th Best) Hawaii Toxic Waste: 987 Tons (1 st Best) Alternative Energy: 7.6% (19 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 24.1 (8 th Best) South Dakota Toxic Waste: 1,241 Tons (2 nd Best) Alternative Energy: 44.3% (5 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 13.7 Millions Metric Tons (3 rd Best) Montana Toxic Waste: 37,758 Tons (17 th Best) Alternative Energy: 36.5% (6 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 37.7 Million Metric Tons (9 th Best) Idaho Toxic Waste: 4,808 Tons (9 th Best) Alternative Energy: 84.5% (1 st Best) Carbon Footprint:16.2 Million Metric Tons (4 th Best) Oregon Toxic Waste:61,876 Tons (23 rd Best) Alternative Energy: 63.4% (3 rd Best) Carbon Footprint: 43.5 Million Metric Tons (10 th Best) Colorado Toxic Waste: 41,532 Tons (19 th Best) Alternative Energy:10% (14 th Best) Carbon Footprint: 98.1 Million Metric Tons (27 th Best) Evidence of Research

10. Comparing Countries Amazing Recycling efforts. Bottle banks in every supermarket with separate containers for clear, green and brown glass. Regular paper collection in every town. One of Europe’s “greenest” countries. 31% of all household waste is recycled. 62% is incinerated and 6% us landfill waste. SWITZERLAND DENMARK GERMANY The world’s leaders of the environment. Its citizens need to recycle as much as possible as stated by law. GREECE Few efforts made. Over 1 billion plastic water bottles wasted every year. 1/5 th of the country’s waste is plastic; only 1% is recycled. ITALY One of the worst European countries for recycling; hardly any effort made. There are laws in place but nobody bothers. Still far below the leading countries for recycling but now recycles 28% of its waste, twice as much as 15 years ago. 40% of plastics are recycled. USA Evidence of Research

11. What Is Energy? Energy is power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines. It can be found in a number of different forms: ① Chemical energy ② Electrical energy ③ Heat (thermal energy) ④ Light (radiant energy) ⑤ Mechanical energy ⑥ Nuclear energy Evidence of Research

12. Facts A hot water faucet that leaks one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month. That's more than what one person uses in two weeks. The average household wastes enough energy weekly to power a TV for two years. The energy saved from recycling one bottle will power a 60 watt light bulb for six hours. It takes the same amount of energy to make one new can as it does to make twenty recycled cans. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to listen to a full album on your iPod. Recycling 100 cans could light your bedroom for two whole weeks. Evidence of Research

13. How Recycling Relates to our School and Community Problem Ignorance and oblivion are the contributing factors as to why most do not recycle. Recycling is not an action seen in everyday life nor is it taken as a norm. Solutions Conducting presentations that inform the community of the benefits of greener living Turning in recyclable materials to the nearest recycling center Promoting carpooling Knowledge of the Relationship of Environmental Concern

14. Top 10 Ways to Recycle: Home and Office ① Buy recycled paper and print on both sides ② Recycle outdated technology ③ Make recycling bins readily available ④ Recycle empty ink and toner cartridges ⑤ Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges ⑥ Recycle old newspapers lying around the office ⑦ Look for the recycled option in all products purchased ⑧ Buy rechargeable batteries ⑨ Purchase rewritable CDs and DVDs ⑩ Reuse your morning coffee cup Knowledge of the Relationship of Environmental Concern

15. Benefits of Recycling Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials Saves energy Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change Helps sustain the environment for future generations Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States Knowledge of the Relationship of Environmental Concern

16. Creativity To captivate and drag attention to the issue, we opted to create new and innovative ideas that would gather a sense of inspiration and uplifting eagerness in the strides taken to solve this problem. Creativity

17. Artistic reminders made out of reused index cards were constructed and placed by the light switches of offices and over 200 classrooms. Cardboard boxes that were delivered to the school cafeteria were repurposed into recycling bins and placed in classrooms. Creativity

18. Signs made out of reused construction paper were placed beneath the lights of different hallways noting fun facts about energy consumption. Creativity

19. Artistic reminders were made and placed by restroom sinks to encourage students to avoid leaving water running when unnecessary. Creativity

20. School Energy Facts K-12 school buildings in the U.S. use an average of 10 kWh of electricity and 50 cubic feet of natural gas per square foot annually. The average public school building is forty-two years old and was not designed to meet the growing demands of today's energy loads. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, per pupil energy expenditure rose 19% from 2007 to 2008 while inflation was only 4%. The cost of energy is one of the few things that can be reduced without negatively affecting classroom instruction. Creativity

21. Mater Academy’s Kilowatts per Month Months2011-20122012-20132013-2014 August334,259329,367334,259 September339,198456,444573,690 October381,606402,735423,864 November304,895593,039881,183 December316,597243,638170,679 January400,057287,194168,931 February354,853316,106354,848 March331,592282,738233,884 Sum:2,763,0572,911,2613,141,338 Mater Academy, being a large school with 5 different buildings, uses an extensive amount of energy in order to power all the necessary equipment to run effectively. Although energy consumption is inevitable, it can be reduced to a much smaller portion by practicing “greener living.” Creativity

22. Consciousness The expansion and evolution of mankind has been an aid to the continuous deterioration of the planet Earth. Through our project, we take strides towards a greener living today for a more beautiful tomorrow. We are on a one track minded mission to shed light on those who are oblivious to the damage that will bring an end to all humanity. If steps are taken for the protection of our home, we will find that our actions will cause perceptible differences amongst the generations to come and prolong the life span of our world, as we know it. Overall Consciousness

23. Date: September 5, 2014- Present Location: Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School With support from the E.L.F club, we gathered students in order to help construct and beautify our school garden, “The Butterfly Garden.” We have planted, as well as nurtured, both faunas and floras, and will continue to do so. Evidence of Educational Presentations

24. Date: October 24, 2014 Location: Mater Academy Middle School Classroom We visited the annex building during after school hours and presented our project to the younger students. We had them take part in fun activities which included creating flashcards and filling out checklists that would be used as small reminders to save energy. Evidence of Educational Presentations

25. Date: November 3, 2014 Location: Mater Academy High School Classroom We went to the main building in our school and presented our project to the high school students stating interesting facts as well as informing them on how their involvement can make a difference. We had them take surveys (ex. Carbon Dioxide Emission Survey on next slide) that helped make them aware of the harm caused on a regular basis. Evidence of Educational Presentations

26. Carbon Dioxide Emission Survey Evidence of Educational Presentations

27. Date: November 10, 2014 Location: Vista Del Lago to Eagle Recycling Center When we were not doing presentations or spreading awareness, we decided to take part in the movement personally. We collected paper, aluminum cans, glass, and plastic. With the assistance of fellow students, we gathered these materials in recycling bins that were placed around school and dropped them off at Eagle Recycling Center. We not only promoted greener living through our presentations, but led by example. Evidence of Educational Presentations

28. Date: November 24, 2014 Location: Mater Academy Charter Elementary School We visited the Elementary building during high school lunch hours and presented our project to the younger students. We had them conduct fun activities which included coloring recycling handouts and partaking in interactive presentation that would be used as small reminders to practice greener living. Evidence of Educational Presentations

29. Works Cited/Bibliography "What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Recycling?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_recycling "Hazardous Waste Recycling Benefits." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013  http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/recycling/benefits.htm "Welcome to Green Blogic!" Recycling: Get the Benefits, Help Cut Risks. n.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  http://greenblogic.com/wwwgreenblogiccom/bid/49623/Recycling-Get-the-Benefits-Help-Cut- Risks "5 More Ways Recycling Can Benefit Your Community." Earth911com 5 More Ways Recycling Can Benefit Your Community Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  http://earth911.com/news/2012/05/14/5-more-ways-recycling-can-benefit-your-community/ "The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment." : A to Z Challenge: J. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/2012/04/to-z-challenge-j-juxtaposition.html Works Cited/Bibliography

30. “11 Facts About Recycling.” Do Something. Ed. Ben Kassoy. Sneaky Bear Productions, 16 May 2011.  http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-recycling “What are the advantages and disadvantages of recycling?” Waste and Recycling. Shelby-Lynn. Answers Corporation,10 September 2013.  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_recycling Anonymous. "Create A New Climate For Action." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013  http://www.epa.gov/climateforaction/lead/stories.htm Youso, Karen. "Recycling Timeline." Recycling. Star Tribune, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013  http://ww2.startribune.com/static/recycling/timeline.html "Recycling." Eagle Recycling Miami. MBTA, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  http://eaglerecyclingmiami.com/?page_id=63 O'Hare, Katie. "Teens Pitch In On Recycle Program." Watch Newspapers. WATCH, 19 July 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  http://watchnewspapers.com/view/full_story/19452761/article-teens-pitch-in-on-recycle-program "Juxtaposition - English with Latini." Juxtaposition - English with Latini. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.  https://sites.google.com/site/rlatinilrhsd/english-ii/literature/of-mice--men/of-mice-men-follow- up/juxtaposition Works Cited/Bibliography