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Schools

South Brunswick BOE Honors Green Living Efforts

South Brunswick Recycling Center recognized by South Brunswick School District for impact on green living.

Following the adoption of a by South Brunswick elementary schools, the township’s board of education recognized two recycling center employees at the Nov. 7 board meeting, who help advocate green living.

The recognition recipients, Recycling Coordinator Nancy Paquette and Recycling Inspector William Epps, are longtime partners of not only the South Brunswick School District, but of the community, said Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Joanne Kerekes.

The South Brunswick Recycling Center, established 30 years ago under the leadership of Nancy Paquette, is one of the top ten recycling centers in the state, said Kerekes, who presented Paquette and Epps with award certificates.

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In that time, the South Brunswick Recycling Center was recognized for its accomplishments on local and state levels, winning over $1 million in awards and grants, she said.

“Thank you so much for everything that you do, every day,” Paquette said after receiving her award. “It just does my heart good to see these children that know so much about recycling…. Thank you for this recognition, it’s so appreciated.”

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Both Paquette and Epps contribute to the education of township children on the topics of green living and recycling, through the hosting of assemblies, planning visits to the actual recycling center, teaching about composting and maintaining a continuous relationship with the community, Kerekes said.

“With the recycling center we have run projects, we have run contests, we have had partnerships, and even more than that, I think Nancy [Paquette] and Bill [Epps] serve for us as what I will call our environmental conscience,” she said. “We have relied on Nancy [Paquette] and Bill [Epps] over the years to be that conscience for us and remind us that we can do that.”

Paquette and Epps had a profound influence on the development of the new “Zero Waste initiative,” years before it was even developed, Kerekes said, noting how grateful she was for the partnership South Brunswick School District developed with the recycling center.

“One of the things that we would hope in our work as members of the public sector, is that we would create the kind of change that would be enduring, that would last,” said Superintendent Gary McCartney. “Do know that your [Paquette and Epps] efforts have created a change in attitude, a change in approach, and a change in behavior that will live long into the future.”

To find out more about the new “Zero Waste initiative,” .

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