Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Waste, Air, Radiation and Remediation Deputy Secretary Krishnan Ramamurthy and the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP) Executive Director Jennifer Summers highlighted the student winners of PROP’s 2022 Earth Week Poster and Video Contest. There were 12 winning posters and three winning videos. “Seeing young people creatively showcase their commitments to the environment shows that future generations are prioritizing sustainable lifestyles, and we all should continue to support these young environmentalists and their efforts,” Ramamurthy said.
The top 12 scoring posters will be used in a calendar template provided electronically to schools, DEP, and members of the public for download and print. The top scoring video will receive an award and be posted on the PROP website. The contest is part of PROP’s School Recycling Study in which PROP members collaborate with DEP to help school leaders manage recycling programs in both fiscally and environmentally sound ways. Annually, DEP supports PROP with average grant funding of about $250,000. The grant funding is made possible by the commonwealth’s Recycling Fund, which receives $2 for every ton of municipal solid waste entering a Pennsylvania landfill or resource-recovery facility.
The impacts of this partnership are plentiful. “When Act 101 was first introduced (1988) requiring larger municipalities to recycle, business and government all learned the fundamentals of recycling, and built infrastructure for Pennsylvania’s recycling industry from the ground up. Great focus and resources were directed toward educating citizens on the ‘what, when, how, and where’ of recycling,” Summers said. “In the 34 years since recycling began in earnest across the commonwealth, Pennsylvania has become a nationwide model for the recycling marketplace, contributing over $22 billion to Pennsylvania’s gross state product. Pennsylvania leaders recognize the need to refocus efforts on education. Only through recycling right can we simultaneously protect our resources and support jobs in the recycling industry.”
Poster Winners
Lilliana “Lilly” Lohsl
Penn Mont Academy
Blair County
Samira Patel
Penn Mont Academy
Blair County
Ella Beiswenger
Saint Michael School
Cambria County
Ava Itle
Saint Michael School
Cambria County
Mia Anderson
Ramsey Elementary
Westmoreland County
Hunter Trout
Ramsey Elementary
Westmoreland County
Kierra Kelly
George Washington Elementary
Allegheny County
Kendall Exler
George Washington Elementary
Allegheny County
Emma Stover
Jersey Shore Elementary
Lycoming County
Oyayi Magno
Erie Day School
Erie County
Christina Bouassaf
Penn Mont Academy
Blair County
Ava Fritz
North Star Middle School
Somerset County
Video Winners (Placing)
Indiana County Technology Center, 10th Grade Class (1st Place)
Indiana County
Our Lady of Confidence School, Special Education Class (2nd Place)
Montgomery County
George Washington Elementary, 4th Grade Green Team (3rd Place)
Allegheny County