A Hebrew Academy student is starting a high school-wide recycling project after discovering that the school has been dumping paper and other recyclable products in the garbage for years.
“When you read all these things about our environment and global warming and how our planet is being ruined by all this garbage we’re throwing into the oceans, I thought recycling at our school is the start of making a change,” said Essence Slomianski (11th grade), who is starting the recycling program.
Slomianski met with the school’s maintenance staff and administration to learn that Hebrew Academy does not recycle because of budget issues. While the city of Miami picks up recycling for free, it costs money to distribute bins throughout the school.
To raise money for the bins, Slomianski designed and manufactured original T-shirts to sell across the school. Keeping with her theme of recycling, all shirts are made from approximately eight recycled plastic bottles. There are four different white shirts with green and black logos and slogans such as “Will Work for Social Change” and “Vibes,” selling for 20 dollars each. Assistant Principal Rabbi Assaraf is allowing Hebrew Academy students to wear the shirts as part of the school dress code one day a month.
Slomianski’s drive in pursuing this project is fueled by her determination to rid the environment of harmful pollutants. The purpose of the project, she said, is to better the world, and a sparkling college resume is an added perk for helping make the school green.
Slomianski plans to make recycling a big part of the Hebrew Academy from now on. She has hopes of bringing in speakers to enlighten students on the importance of recycling and the dangers of using one waste bin for everything. Slomianski wishes for a clean environment in order to “make a planet for my kids and my grandkids, a good one. Even by just starting off with the school, it can help set off other schools and give them the idea to recycle.”
By: Samantha Ebner (10th Grade)