A Bernalillo elementary educator is leading a school-wide effort to curb trash by implementing a recycling program to instill environmental consciousness and sustainability within the school and the community.
In response to the absence of a recycling program in the Bernalillo Public Schools district, Jose Cervantes, a third-grade teacher at W.D. Carroll Elementary, has galvanized support from colleagues, students and parents to secure individual classroom recycling bins through fundraising. Despite overwhelming community backing and a plan, the initiative faces a critical hurdle: the need for district funding.
“It kind of blew our minds that our school wouldn’t be recycling because that is one of the things we try to teach our students, to be good stewards of resources,” Cervantes said.
As participation and enthusiasm grow, Cervantes’ vision extends beyond the school, aiming to inspire district-wide change and foster lifelong environmental stewardship among students.
According to Cervantes, the idea came about when he read his class an old book about recycling. This led to a discussion among the students, prompting questions such as, “Do you recycle?” and “Why don’t we recycle as a school?” This conversation jump-started the idea to start a recycling program at the elementary. Daily discussions in class began focusing on what items could be recycled.
One of the other third-grade teachers donated a recycling bin to the class. After weeks of recycling in the classroom, Cervantes said he found himself thinking, “Why don’t we make this something bigger than just ourselves?”
When it came to recycling, Cervantes said that it was a new idea for his students; they hadn’t recycled before. He had some good talks with them, telling them how even small things could make a big difference in their community. The kids were into it and understood the idea that what they did affected everyone around them.
“When I taught in Albuquerque, that was just what we did,” he said. “Everyone recycled.”
School administration supported Cervantes in launching a fundraiser that would cover the cost for a recycling bin in each classroom.
The class put together a fundraiser on donorschoose.org in November and by January, they had not only met but exceeded their goal, raising a total of $344. The achievement meant that every classroom teacher and even some supporting staff could have a recycling bin in their classroom.
Cervantes’ class organized a bilingual presentation, inviting one grade level at a time to the gym. During these sessions, they engaged the students in discussions about recycling, reducing waste and reusing materials.
“We left the recycling bins in the teacher’s lounge and one by one they started taking off,” Cervantes said. “So my students actually made it a point to visit those classrooms.”
His class provided certificates to the participating classrooms and took pictures with them. Then they created a slideshow.
According to Cervantes, a logistical problem within the recycling program is that every interested teacher or adult must personally transport bins to recycling facilities or find suitable disposal bins. Despite this hurdle, when they distributed the bins, he sent an email outlining their desire to expand the program school-wide and encouraged everyone to recycle independently.
“For me, it’s the most convenient place, about 17 miles,” he said. “I drive out to Albuquerque and use the Eagle Rock Convenience Center.”
Cervantes and the other teachers aim to install a roll-off recycling container on the school grounds. This container would benefit not only W.D. Carroll Elementary but also La Escuelita Preschool, which shares the same trash dumpster.
“By the time it’s time for trash pickup, sometimes there are bags on the side of the dumpster and we’re noticing that a lot of that stuff that’s been thrown could easily be recycled,” Cervantes said. “So I think it’ll definitely minimize the amount of trash that gets put out there.”
The program is not something he could have done alone, Cervantes said. “It’s probably a cliché, but we’re stronger together.”
The teachers sent out a survey to parents, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The results showed 92% of those surveyed would support the school’s efforts to get a recycling container.
The school district’s last update indicated they would get quotes for the recycling program. Cervantes said he contacted Road Runner Waste Services for a quote and provided this information to the district. However, as of press time, the district had not responded to Cervantes’ recent inquiries for feedback or an update on the funding request.