Environmental Progress - Summer 2003

Agency Spells "State Fair" with Three "Rs"

Recycling and litter prevention focus of programs for kids

Again this year, the Illinois EPA hosted an exhibit during the Illinois State Fair at Springfield in early August. Theme for the exhibit this year was litter prevention and the three "Rs" (reduce, reuse and recycle). Youngsters who visited the exhibit could play a "spin-the-wheel" question-and-answer game, color a litterbug picture, recycle plastic bottles they'd received elsewhere on the grounds, and learn what items can be reduced, reused, and recycled from a "dos/don'ts" household display.

The "R-Wheel Game" ran continuously, allowing kids to spin the wheel and win a prize by answering a question about reducing, reusing, and recycling. Youngsters enjoyed coloring the "Litterbug" with soy crayons at the kid-sized picnic tables. Their drawings were displayed for everyone to enjoy and the children were able keep the crayon set they had used. Though the activity was billed as a "coloring contest," the entries were not judged. Instead, two drawings each day were randomly chosen to win a "prize package."

The Agency also participated in the First Lady's tent at this year's Fair. The theme there was roadside beautification. The Agency's interactive display focused on anti-littering and recycling to keep the state's roadways clean and free of litter. Children who qualified to do the "Litterbug Limbo" were given ice-cold bottles of water donated by several public water supplies around the state. (see sidebar)

Youngsters who turned in for recycling the plastic water bottles they had received at the First Lady's tent, were given reusable water bottles, donated by the city of Chicago, in exchange.

Approximately 2,000 plastic bottles were recycled, about half the number that were given out at the First Lady's tent.

The Conservation World display consisted of a display of various disposable household items, and examples of comparable reusable items. In addition, several "factoids" were displayed, including:

• Americans discard enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet every three months.
• Recycling an average-size family's yard waste can make about 300 pounds of finished compost, or humus, a year.
• A ton of paper from 100 percent recycled materials spares 17 trees.
• Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, but only one bottle out of four is recycled.