Recycling center manager recognized for community involvement

Jessie Jennings, the manager of Plymouth Recycling Center, New Hampshire, has been instrumental in starting a recycling program at Mountain Village Charter School (MVCS). Jennings helped the school, which received the 2019 School Rookie Recycler of the Year award, get discounted ClearStream recycling bins through the New Hampshire the Beautiful school equipment program. He also took it upon himself to build the school a recycling trailer using recycled materials from the Plymouth transfer station.

Jennings was recently recognized with the Outstanding Community Involvement award at the 10^th annual School Recycling Conference Awards May 21 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), along with NH the Beautiful and NRRA’s School Recycling CLUB, presented Jennings with the award.

Beyond helping the school starts its recycling program, Jennings transports the recyclables to the transfer station himself. He also helped educate the students and staff at the school about what types of materials the town's transfer station accepts, as well as how diverting recyclables from the landfill benefits the environment.

NRRA says the partnership between Jennings and the school “exemplifies NRRA’s Town & Gown initiative to bundle recyclables for the benefit of both." The new recycling program at MVCS also frees up much needed funds for other programs, NNRA says in a news release.

“We are so proud to see this partnership between the town and the school to bundle their recycling resources resulting in a cost savings to both,” says Michael Durfor, NRRA executive director. “We hope this inspires other partnerships throughout the region.”

Nine awards were presented at the 2019 Conference Awards. For nomination details on each recipient, click here.