A new law recently signed by Governor Dan McKee will require all Rhode Island elementary and middle school classrooms to provide an annual presentation on how to prevent littering and promote proper recycling practices within their communities.

The legislation was introduced by State Senators Walter S. Felag Jr. (Warren, Bristol, Tiverton) and Michael McCaffrey (Warwick) in 2020 but was tabled due to the pandemic. It was reintroduced in February and signed by Gov. McKee in July. The mandate will go into effect this upcoming school year. It was crafted in collaboration with the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC), who will help administer the program with the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Sen. Felag said that the idea started with a suggestion from a constituent who was concerned with the amount of littering seen throughout the state. He then thought about how students would be the perfect group to utilize as educators on this environmentally important topic.

“We have a responsibility to teach our new generation of what I call environmental stewards,” Sen. Felag said. “I look at it as an unlimited teaching potential. I see us doing the presentations, but I’d also like to see the school committees expand this program by putting up posters in classrooms. When children go home, they can hopefully educate our adults about what is recyclable and what is not recyclable.”

Many people may not realize that only certain types of items are recyclable. In Rhode Island, non-recyclable materials include things like styrofoam, napkins, plastic items that are not containers (such as plastic toys and plastic bags). Recycling non-recyclable items will actually incur a fee upon communities in order to remove and dispose of them.

“It is incredibly important that we teach the next generation of Rhode Islanders how to properly dispose of their waste and recycle correctly so we can keep our environment clean from litter and preserve the planet’s natural resources,” said Madison Burke, Education and Outreach Manager for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation.

Sen. Felag said that the specifics of how these presentations will be given was left open in order for each school committee to implement it in the best way for their own schools. It could be done through a school-wide assembly, classroom-based teaching materials or through other creative means.

Ms. Burke said that the RIRRC would utilize its existing educational materials in its future collaboration with the Department of Education to carry out the new law. Those materials include in-person and virtual presentations, tours of the resource recovery facility and visits from MaxMan —the state’s recycling superhero mascot. The RIRRC has also added a recycling-based interactive game, “Ready, Set, Sort,” to their repertoire, which launched in January and is offered in five languages, Ms. Burke said.

Sen. Felag said that he hoped the law will not only help drive home the importance of preventing littering, but that it will have a practical effect of increasing the longevity of the state’s landfill.

“It becomes a win-win situation for all, where we’re addressing a problem to hopefully clean up our beaches and parks, but also add years to our landfill,” he said, adding that the landfill only has about 20 years of viability left. “The more we can reduce waste, reuse materials and recycle, the more useful life the landfill will have.”

The Rhode Island Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment on the new law by deadline.