Local schools combine for ecology and education

PLYMOUTH – Calvary Lutheran’s preschool program is hoping to put Riverside Intermediate School on the bench – literally.

Riverside’s ecology program is currently collecting plastic lids – for example those on beverage bottles, spray cans and margarine tubs – for a special recycling project. According to Jill Montgomery of Riverside, the recycled tops will be sent to a company in Terre Haute to be converted into benches for the school.

The company in Terre Haute is the only one in the nation who performs the process and the students must collect 250 pounds of the tops to create one bench.

Calvary Lutheran has added their help to the project for a special reason – counting.

“We use them to count,” said Diane Eveland, head of Calvary Lutheran’s preschool, adding with a smile, “Over and over and over again.”

The drive started as a competition between the three year old class and the four year old class over who could raise the most lids. On the way the counting practice has been helpful too.

“It’s also a good thing to teach kids how they can do something to help others and to help the environment,” said Eveland.