With a goal of creating a more environmentally friendly community, a new student-led project will increase awareness of sustainability at Park according to senior Hannah McDonell.

“Moving in the direction of sustainability is inevitable. It is only a matter of when we make these changes and I believe the time is now,” McDonell said. “Schools should be modeling and teaching behaviors that will reduce environmental damage and promote positive change. Our school needs to be a leader for the future generations.”

McDonell, along with senior Josh Kuether and science teachers Al Wachutka and Patrick Hartman as their advisers, plan to change this with new recycling rules and a student group trained to carry out these plans.

The program will begin by having three separate waste bins in the cafeteria, one for organic waste, one for recycling and one for trash. There will also be students in the lunchroom providing assistance to students with which bin should be used.

“This means more sorting, and that’s our worry,” Wachutka said. “Generally speaking high school kids are not very good with this. You only can have 7 percent contamination in a compost. All it takes is a couple of people to contaminate it.”

A meeting for anyone who wants to participate in the program is scheduled on Feb. 26 in room A315B.

McDonell said those involved will receive training from Hennepin County Environmental Services, which will teach appropriate ways to approach the program.

“We want to make sure everything is in place before we do. Training is crucial for the success of our program,” McDonell said.

Kuether said he thinks this change was necessary at Park, and is excited to begin work on the project.

“Eventually I hope the group will continue to expand this to classrooms and hallways and even the bathrooms with the paper towels because that is also compostable,” Kuether said.

McDonell said she hopes that this program will have a lasting positive impact on the community and the students as a whole.

“I would really like to see these efforts and programs expand throughout the entire district. This will ensure that these skills will be learned at a young age and be practiced throughout entire school careers,” McDonell said. “This will set people on their way for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly life.”