During every lunch, sophomore Ethan Brown can be found alongside his friends directing and organizing the eight trash bins that were implemented last year.

Brown is a part of a group of about twenty members known as Roots and Shoots, which focuses on improving the eco-friendliness of the school. They currently only work with the composting during lunch, according to club adviser Al Wachutka.

“So far we are just trying to get composting squared away,” Wachutka said. “Composting this year will be for sure.”

This year Wachutka hopes the club can implement a paper recycling program, which he says is a big problem at Park.

“Our plan for paper recycling is to make it more efficient at the school,” Wachutka said. “Right now I would like it to so that 80-90 percent of the paper doesn’t make it to the landfill and is recycled.”

Brown hopes the club will be able to raise awareness of all the paper that ends up being thrown away.

“We want to get everyone aware about recycling,” Brown said. “Too much paper is being thrown in the trash.”

According to students such as freshman Abdul Ibrahim, the most important factor to improving recycling will be to increase awareness of what should be recycled.

“I think labeling and making it obvious as to what should be recycled will be the most important part,” Ibrahim said.

Wachutka said he is hoping the program will take off just like the composting did last year in the lunchroom.

“Because of what we’re doing, lunch slowed down on styrofoam and switched to paper boats, which are completely compostable,” Wachutka said.

For more information on Roots and Shoots feel free to talk to Mr. Wachutka in room A315.