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Thursday, March 24, 2005
Garing National High School converts trash to cash
By Aurelia l. Castro
STUDENTS of Garing National High School (GNHS) of Consolacion town in Cebu save and make money by producing their own writing paper out of waste paper.
This project was spearheaded by the local government and school officials in 1997.
Despite the school’s lack of equipment, like shredder, cutter and grinder, students were able to produce handmade paper using their own creativity and improvised tools under the supervision of science teacher Rizza Palang and technology and livelihood education teacher Florencio Cortez.
Following a simple process, they shred waste paper into tiny pieces and soak them in the water to soften them. They pound the pulp and put this into the molder, smoothen it with a roller and let it dry. Finally, the handmade, chemical-free paper is removed, ready for use—without any cost except for the waste paper as its main material.
“The finished products are not only good for writing but they are also compatible with computer printing,” Palang said.
GNHS, which has 200 students and six teachers, has 20 computer units acquired from the Department of Trade and Industry’s PCs (Personal Computers) for Public High Schools Project.
Palang said students ask for used paper in school. After teachers check the students’ paperwork, the students get the sheets of paper and recycle them.
This project has had immense effects, according to Palang and Cortez.
First, it means no trash. Second, it helps students save money since they won’t have to go downtown and buy paper. Third, it develops the entrepreneurial skills of students because they learn to produce and sell.
Small school
Who would think that a small school a 15-minute drive up the mountain from the downtown of Conso-lacion would one day grab attention?
For its implementation of a practical and environment-friendly project, GNHS won for itself a P200,000 Henry Ford conservation and environmental grant last January.
The grant is a legacy of the late American automobile maker Henry Ford, known to be an environmentalist during his time.
With the support of Solid Waste Center, GNHS will use the grant to build a separate center for paper making in GNHS. They are currently doing the paper production at their science laboratory donated by the Aboitiz Group Foundation Inc.
“We are also recognized and supported by the Committee on Education of the Consolacion local government. They will soon propose this project to be implemented and promoted in other schools in Conso-lacion and eventually in the whole province of Cebu,” Cortez said.
For now, the school’s student organization sells the recycled paper to classmates who don’t make their own paper. The school requires all students to use handmade paper.
In three months, they can earn P1,000.
They plan to sell their paper in the town once they can increase production. But this will require equipment.
(March 24, 2005 issue)
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