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Our Lady of Peace students know how to pack a waste-free lunch by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff 15 | Friday, February 6, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com It became a common sight for the week -- an Our Lady of Peace Elementary School student standing studying the chart on the wall, trying to determine which of the three options to choose. The decision itself on its own might not have had a huge impact. But with all 447 students weighing in, Our Lady of Peace showed what could be accomplished. For the fourth year in a row, the Oakville school has been honoured by the Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO) for its efforts in the Waste-Free Lunch Challenge. During the week of the challenge, in late October, the students and their parents reduced the amount of garbage from lunches by more than 1.5 kilograms. They even managed to cut the amount of recyclable material in half. The school had already established some good habits with initiatives like Trash-Free Tuesday and an eco board that offers tips. It also has a rewards program where classrooms accumulate stars based on their recycling efforts. The winner receives the "recycling Stanley Cup" as teacher Rose Falcone calls it, a bedazzled green cart for its classroom. Our Lady of Peace School has been recognized by the Recycling Council of Ontario for the fourth year in a row for its efforts in the Waste-Free Lunch Challenge. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) The runner-up gets a jewel-encrusted blue box. "The students have come leaps and bounds in sorting properly," said Falcone, who leads the school's Eco Club. "They are so careful of where they throw things. You see them standing by the bins. They'll look at the chart and make sure it's in the right spot." It was the club's 25 members who sorted and weighed the garbage and recyclables to establish totals both prior to and during the challenge. Prior to the challenge, the school produced 1.76 kg of garbage from student lunches. During the challenge that figure dropped to just .22 kg. Recyclable material was reduced from 10.56 kg to 4.84 kg while organic food waste dropped from 7.48 kg to 4.84 kg. "A lot of it is the snacks the kids bring," Falcone said. "It's all throw-away stuff. We tried to encourage them to cut up fruit or vegetables (which could be brought to school in a reusable container)." Our Lady of Peace was one of 20 schools across the province recognized -- Georgetown's St. Catherine of Alexandria was the only other Halton school -- by the RCO. "Over the past five years, schools that have participated in the Waste-Free Lunch Challenge have reduced and recycled nearly 70 tonnes of materials that would otherwise go to landfill by simply changing the way they pack and eat their lunches," said Jo-Anne St. Godard, executive director of the RCO. For their efforts, each school involved in the contest will receive a classroom set of Thermos reusable lunch kits. MVL LEASING LIMITED LEASE ANY YEAR, MAKE, OR MODEL 2012 Land Rover Range Rover SC 2014 Land Rover Range Rover SC $ 1064 SOUTH SERVICE RD. E, OAKVILLE 73,800 $ +HST & Lic 137,900 Comfort Friendly Spa-like l r. M ge aris n A ' aD Caring +HST & Lic *Long WHeeLbaSe* 23,000 kms 14,577 kms LEASING, FINANCING, SALES, SERVICE, FLEET, DETAILING, STORAGE 905-849-6995 · www.MVL.ca Compassionate g hiv ani Sag Don't Leave Anything Unchecked Eyes Checked Teeth Checked Visit our new dental office, conveniently located on the ground floor of the recently built Palermo Professional Centre (SE corner of Bronte Road and Dundas Street). We offer full Family Dental Services in our brand new, state-of-the-art office in a calm and relaxing environment. We are a paperless office and use digital x-rays. We welcome kids, teens, adults and seniors. NEW PATIENTS are welcome and we will accommodate your dental emergencies. We will directly bill your insurance company and offer convenient evening and weekend appointments. Call to book your appointment today 905-827-8700.Visit us at www.reflections-dental.ca www.haltonhearing.com Hearing Checked Old Bronte Rd. Bronte Rd. B4-1148 Winston Churchill Blvd. Oakville, ON L6J 0A3 905.849.7560 Call to book your appointment 2525 Old Bronte Road, Suite #130 Palermo Professional Centre (ground floor) ar D r. S Relaxing o Dundas St. W. Pine Glen Rd. 3rd Line www.reflections-dental.ca 905-827-8700 è D N