Recycling has emerged as a big part of our society. Whether it’s folk hopping on the “Save the Earth, man” sentiment or just sensible people trying to help the planet we live on, many are certainly starting to become conscientious about what they do with household waste. This same recycling craze that’s happening all over the world has now moved to our school.

Teachers at North Atlanta have had recycling bins in their classrooms for many years now. But for a long time, bins sat in the corners of classrooms, largely unnoticed. Students would pass right by the recycling bin with recyclable waste and toss it into the trash with little thought. The newfound enthusiasm for recycling has changed all this. Students are starting to do their part to help keep the world clean.

At the heart of North Atlanta’s recycling movement is an environmental science class led by teacher Michael Hutchings. The class goes out in all hallways and recycles the school’s waste twice a month. “Recycling is really fun. We get to go around the school and to promote something we all pretty strongly believe in, so it’s pretty awesome,” said Peter Knutson, a senior.

The students are all assigned room numbers and they go door to door collecting the green recycling bins. The students take the bins to the loading dock on the 4th floor and put the recycling in a massive recycling receptacle that’s collected by the City of Atlanta Waste Management. North Atlanta generates a lot of recyclable waste, so the recycling dumpster can get very full as weeks progress. “The ultimate goal of this program is to make North Atlanta the school with the most per capita recyclables in the state,” said Hutchings.

“It’s pretty crazy to see how our country creates so much waste. The environmental science class is pretty cool and Mr. Hutchings makes the class both fun and informative. I’m actually learning a lot and getting to make a difference on a local level,” said Tyler Nicholson, a senior.

Hutchings is in his first year of teaching at North Atlanta. He came to the school after teaching at Eagle’s Landing High School in McDonough for 13 years. A 20-year teaching veteran, Hutchings has also taught at Moore Elementary in Griffin. His sense of advocacy in the class stems from his own personal concern about the environment. He shows his students ways that they can lead in protecting the environment. “I really want to teach my students three main things. First, I hope they learn what is and isn’t recyclable. Second, I want them to learn the importance of recycling. Lastly, I want my students to learn that small steps can make big strides towards saving the planet and making the world a better place for themselves and for their future children,” Hutchings said.

Most classroom bins feature a list of what should go in them. All a student has to do is get up and put the waste in the recycling bin. Those inclined can freelance a bit, and attempt free throws with an empty water bottle. Just figure: You’re saving the planet. And for those who are aim-challenged, the bin is much bigger than a trash can, so you’re free throw shooting percentage will go way up.