Virginia Beach City Public Schools is a recipient of the 2007 Virginia Recycling Association Award for Excellence in the Government/Nonprofit category. Awarded by the Virginia Recycling Association (VRA), the school division was nominated by Tidewater Fiber Corp (TFC) for its commitment to recycling and innovative and quality recycling programs.

Recycling an average of 123 tons of material per month, the school division’s expanded recycling program catapulted into full force in September 2006. Each of the school division’s 4,500 classrooms is equipped with a recycling bin used for disposal of paper products, aluminum and steel, plastics, and glass. These bins are collected daily by 719 custodians working morning, afternoon, and evening hours in the school division’s 87 schools and office buildings.

“Tidewater Fiber Corp helped the school division expand our existing recycling program by arranging a flexible pick-up schedule to accommodate the tremendous amount of recyclable material that is generated in our schools every day,” said John Kalocay, assistant superintendent for administrative support services. “It is gratifying to know that Virginia Beach City Public Schools has been recognized as a leader in Virginia for making a positive contribution to our environment through its recycling efforts, while setting a positive example to our students and staff.”

In addition to recycling products from the classroom, the school division is a champion of recycling office supplies such as printer cartridges, lightbulbs, and cafeteria products to include plastic milk containers referred to as “chugs”. Between 700,000 to 800,000 chugs are recycled each month. Besides recycling products, each of the school division’s 87 schools have an appointed Sustainable School Liaison, tasked with increasing sustainability awareness throughout the school division. Through their leadership, 11 elementary and middle schools have developed programs or clubs to address the issue of sustainability.

The 2007 Virginia Recycling Association Award for Excellence will be presented to school division staff during the VRA’s 2007 Conference Awards Luncheon on
May 2, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Woodlands Conference Center in Williamsburg, Virginia.