A Recycling Adventure

By Ariel Foss
Houlton High School
    Danny Duracell died unexpectedly on Oct. 14, 2009. He was a 2-year old AA battery. He lived in Ms. Storti’s seemingly pink, but technically red Canon camera. Danny was the son of Samuel Ruben and Philip Rogers Mallory. He is survived by over 3 billion brothers and sisters. A funeral and proper burial would have been held, but no one knew where to bury him.
    As it turns out, the trash is not the right place for a battery: it must be recycled.
    As chief mourner for Danny, I attempted to procure proper obsequies.
    I traveled to Mr. Morse’s room. He did not know where to recycle batteries either, but he claimed that he too had batteries that needed recycling. So I went to the office to ask Mrs. Matthews what she knew about recycling batteries, but she was on the phone. I was told by some staff members that batteries could not be recycled, but I was not satisfied. I decided to search the school for Mr. Prosser, knowing that he would have my answer.
    Not surprisingly, Mr. Prosser said, “Give those right to me,” and with a big smile on his face he took care of my dead batteries.
    While Danny finally found his resting place, I had no peace. The struggle that I had to undergo just to recycle batteries was unacceptable. I decided that this recycling business needed to be pursued.
    During psychology class I noticed that Mr. Powers, another unwitting participant in the recycling fiasco, did not have a recycling box in his classroom. So in my attempt to single-handedly save the school, I made him a one-of-a-kind Juicy Couture recycling box.
    Many students do not know the extent to which Houlton High School recycles. Both universal and hazardous waste is recycled. Mr. Kimball, chief computer technician,  “gives everything (the technological waste) to Mr. Prosser.”
    From Dec. 31, 2008 to Jan. 7, 2009, 19.21 tons of materials were recycled at Houlton High School. Also, from January 2009 to August 2009, the school saved approximately $3,500 from recycling.
    The Junior High Student Council, headed by Karen Bouchard, created a “Go Green” box. This box now lies in the Houlton High School office. The “Go Green” box is a great way to promote recycling and a cleaner environment.
    Throughout my conversation with Mr. Prosser, he continued to stress the importance of recycling, saying that it does not cost any money to recycle but it does cost money to not recycle. Mr. Prosser and I wish to encourage teachers and students to do their part. We also encourage the citizens and businesses of Houlton to recycle as much as possible. We would like to reiterate the importance of recycling and conserving money not only for HHS but also for the town of Houlton.