PROSPERITY — Prosperity Utilities Director Ed West gave a presentation to Kids Unlimited Daycare on the importance of recycling and how easy it is for everyone — whether you’re a child or an adult — to recycle.

West encouraged the kids to become recycling warriors by putting materials in a recycling bin instead of the garbage.

To give his audience a better understanding of recycling, West brought along various materials that were recyclable and taught them where they could locate the recycling triangle on objects and their number. These items ranged from a water bottle to a construction helmet, with the kids also having the opportunity to win a prize if they could locate the number on items.

West also brought along his good friend and recycling warrior Canny, who motivated the kids to teach adults how they can be recycling warriors, too.

“I wanted to show the kids something that they could teach the adults, and so on the bottom of each plastic bottle is a number usually between one and seven, how they can turn that bottle over and see that recycle triangle and really get excited about looking for those things and showing adults that it’s important to recycle,” West said Friday. “Anybody can recycle, so let’s be recycling warriors and help teach the adults about recycling when we go home today.”

West visited Cynthia Fitzpatrick’s class along with Dawn Brummett and Cynthia Smith’s classes where they also got a lesson on the three R’s: reduce, recycle and reuse.

West taught them about how to determine where, how and if items can be recycled without having to understand difficult terms like “high density polyethylene.”

West also talked about how items we use everyday, such as batteries, eye glasses and hearing aids can also be recycled at some local stores that have bins where they can be dropped off.

Fitzpatrick’s class has different bins placed in the room for various items. They even surprised West by performing “The Recycling Song” that they learned.

“I wanted Canny to be here to give them good emotions about recycling and about going out at this young age and be effective about recycling, and that you don’t have to be an adult to do that. It’s the small things like recycling a bottle of water in your car, and so I hope Canny can associate the kids with the fact that recycling is good,” said West. “It was very neat to hear ‘The Recycling Song.’ It just shows that the teachers are getting involved and showing these kids different things, because they’ll remember songs and so I was very impressed.”

West stressed that even those at the youngest age can recycle and encouraged the kids to find other areas where recyclable items can be dropped off.

“I want these young people to be warriors and to go out and find other opportunities of where they can recycle,” West said.

Utilities Director Ed West brought along his good friend Canny to help teach kids the importance of recycling and how they can be recycling warriors.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Recycle1.jpgUtilities Director Ed West brought along his good friend Canny to help teach kids the importance of recycling and how they can be recycling warriors. Kelly Duncan | The Newberry Observer

By Kelly Duncan

kduncan@civitasmedia.com

Reach Kelly Duncan at 803-768-3123 ext. 1868 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.