San Diego, California - We believe that kids who learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle now are more likely to continue it in the future. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Solana Center to bring composting and waste-sorting to local schools in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County.

“Our waste immersion program at Monterey Ridge is really good for the kids,” said Nicole Moore, who works at the elementary school in 4S Ranch. “They learn every single year, not only about the environment, but the importance of keeping waste out of the landfill, about how they can renew and reuse resources.”

The program spans preschool-fifth grade and sets the school up with compost and worm bins. Kids learn how to sort their trash and recyclables from lunch, and they add leftover food into compost bins.

“For the vegetables, those are good because we give those to the worms and the worms make dirt and then we can use the dirt to plant vegetables so we could use those vegetables to eat,” said fifth grader Ty.

Moore said the kids take what they’ve learned and go home and teach their parents and other people about composting and waste sorting.

Ty is already doing his part spreading the word of reducing, reusing and recycling.

“I want people to know that even recycling one thing or putting one thing where it should be could actually do a lot for the environment.”