Washougal students form Green Team to reduce waste

Washougal — Gause Elementary School’s new Green Team will participate in the Clark County Green Schools program to reduce school waste. “It is important for kids this age to learn about how to care for the environment and understand the importance and benefits of recycling,” Ellen Lancaster, Gause day custodian and Green Team adviser, said in a release from the district. “We want to start good habits and build a culture of recycling at Gause.” Through the program, the school received receptacles for use during cafeteria meals to sort waste, which are monitored by the Green Team, which is made up of about a dozen third- to fifth-graders. They make sure students are sorting items properly during lunch. Waste Connections, which works with Clark County Green Schools, picks up the food waste from a cart left with regular recycling and garbage containers. Waste Connections partners with Dirt Hugger to transport food waste to Dirt Hugger’s composting facility in Dallesport, where the food scraps will decompose and be turned into a nutrient-rich soil additive.