INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – A dozen members and supporters of the Junior League of Indian River spent their Saturday afternoon encouraging children to reduce, reuse and recycle while at the North County Library.
“We’re trying to get kids to understand the importance of going green,” said member Hollie Billero.
Fourteen kids, with parents and grandparents in tow, colored, glued, snipped and planted their way to a greener life, beginning with a pop quiz on what can and cannot be recycled.
“What do you recycle at home?” asked member Jackie Clark.
“Glass wine bottles!” one child shouted, drawing laughter from the adults in the room.
“Paper!” “Water bottles!” “Cans!”
“What an eco-friendly crowd we have,” Clark said.
She went on to tell the children – and the adults – that more than just food-related items can be recycled.
“We are surrounded in plastic,” Clark said, adding that DVDs, CDs, and even plastic hangars can be recycled.
Plastic shopping bags, however, remain unrecyclable at curbside. Grocery stores are beginning to collect bags – regardless of whether or not they came from that store, Clark said.
The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County will also take them.
“Or you can use them again,” one of the children said.
“You guys are good,” Clark said.
After the refresher course on recycling, the kids were split into three groups to take part in various activities.
At one table, the kids colored the world and made construction paper handprints as if they were holding Earth.
At another table, the kids learned about herbs and vegetables. Member Denise received several small plants from Bech Annuals in Vero Beach to give to the kids to take home and start their own gardens.
The last table had piles of empty Capri Sun juice pouches, which cannot be recycled. The kids turned what would have been trash into pieces of art.
“It’s another way for them to reuse items,” Billero said.
With Earth Day quickly approaching, she said the Junior League of Indian River felt it would be appropriate to teach kids about recycling.
“It’s a good time of the year for this,” Billero said.
The Junior League of Indian River is a women’s service group that takes on various community-related projects that either benefit the community at large or individual non-profits.
For more information about the organization, visit www.jlir.org.