I used to live in Chicago, then moved to a smaller suburban town in Illinois. The difference in recycling culture between my old and current school was distinctive. At my current school, it's common practice to have and use paper recycling bins in every classroom. However, this was not the case at my old school where they were practically nonexistent.

This experience has led me to believe that all schools across Illinois should have recycling bins in each classroom. Not only would this promote environmental consciousness among students from an early age, but it would also significantly contribute to waste reduction efforts statewide.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paper recycling can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, conserve natural resources, increase economic security by tapping into a domestic source of materials, save energy and prevent pollution by reducing the need for collecting new raw materials (source: EPA).

By mandating paper recycling bins in every classroom across Illinois schools, we are taking a step towards creating an environmentally conscious generation that values sustainability.

Let's make our state greener one classroom at a time! Please sign this petition urging lawmakers to require all schools across Illinois to install recycling bins in each classroom.