‘The younger you catch them, the younger you get them interested’: Henrico students learn about managing waste, importance of recycling

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Dozens of middle and high schoolers exploring sustainability careers got hands-on experience on Monday, Sept. 22. 

Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) were closed for a teacher workday, but that didn’t stop the students from learning about how counties like Henrico maintain and organize waste. 

“Reuse, reduce and recycle," Holman Middle School 6th grader Maathangi Karthikeyan recited. "Those are very important for the earth to be clean.” 

It was in the 70s that the popular 3Rs slogan became a household phrase -- and it's still being taught today.  

Director of the Department of Public Works Bentley Chan spoke to the group about how he found himself in the role. He also discussed how the county managed during the January water crisis and ensured residents have clean and safe drinking water every day throughout Henrico.

“Helping the environment be clean too, so that’s why I chose this as very important," Karthikeyan said. 

The Love to Share Foundation America partnered up with the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) to focus on the importance of recycling and how public works keeps water clean.  

“Thinking about future generations to really think about, ‘Hey, how can I help the environment? How can I create a better planet for myself, my future self and our future generations?’ Because they’re the ones who are gonna be our leaders," said Love to Share Foundation volunteer coordinator Divya Balaji.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each person tosses 4.9 pounds of waste every day. The Love to Share Foundation wants younger generations thinking about practicing sustainability now rather than later.  

“My family, although we do recycle things, we don’t really mindfully recycle things, I kind of just chuck it in the bin and I hope for the best," said J.R. Tucker High School freshman Jayashree Balan. "So, this, like, showed me how I can improve my recycling practices and focus more on reducing and reusing.” 

The students worked together deciding if things like food, paper and clothing should be reduced, reused or recycled in an activity planned by Julie Buchanan, Public Relations Coordinator for CVWMA.

“The younger you catch them, the younger you get them interested... they start thinking about it and the more impact that we can have on the world," Balaji said.

The Love to Share Foundation hosts an event like this one each year and has different volunteer opportunities to clean up the community throughout the year.