Wal-Mart Awards $51,500 to Los Angeles-Area Schools in Honor of Students' Efforts to Recycle

GLENDORA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Through its Kids Recycling Challenge program, Wal-Mart today announced it is awarding $51,500 to 169 Los Angeles-area schools for students’ efforts to become responsible stewards of their environment. The company’s Kids Recycling Challenge effort is the largest plastic bag recycling program of its kind ever undertaken. http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/5009.aspx

“As an active leader in the local communities that our stores serve, Wal-Mart is committed to improving the environment, increasing awareness about recycling, and helping our schools get much-needed funding”

From last September through March, elementary school students in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming were encouraged to bring plastic retail and grocery bags to their schools for recycling. For each 60-gallon collection bag filled with plastic bags and brought to a local Wal-Mart store, the school was awarded $5.00 from Wal-Mart.

Schools were grouped into geographic regions, and competed against other elementary schools in their region. The ten schools in each region that brought in the most collection bags received additional cash grants from Wal-Mart: $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place, $1,000 for third place, and $250 each for fourth through tenth places.

Additionally, the top school in each region will be rewarded with an entertaining and educational school-wide assembly performance, courtesy of Wal-Mart.

The Los Angeles area was designated as one region, with schools in Los Angeles County competing against each other.

“As an active leader in the local communities that our stores serve, Wal-Mart is committed to improving the environment, increasing awareness about recycling, and helping our schools get much-needed funding,” said Patricia Johnson of Wal-Mart Store #1941 in Glendora. “It was a thrill to see the principals, teachers, and parent volunteers come into the store with their cartloads of bags, and we were all surprised to see just how quickly they added up. Many schools have asked us if they can continue bringing in bags even though the current program is over. They have become so accustomed to recycling that earning money for the bags has almost become secondary.”

Los Angeles region results

Collectively, 169 elementary schools in the Los Angeles region participated in the program, filling a total of 8,750 collection bags – weighing 140,000 pounds – and earning $51,500 in the process.

La Fetra Elementary School in Glendora topped all participating Los Angeles-area schools by filling 994 60-gallon collection bags (totaling 15,904 pounds). In addition to earning $5.00 per bag, and the $3,000 grand prize, the students of La Fetra Elementary School will also be rewarded with entertaining assemblies focusing on the environment, courtesy of Wal-Mart. The assemblies will take place today at 8:25 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. Prior to each assembly, a representative from Wal-Mart will present a check for $7,970 to the hard-working students.

“Participating in the Wal-Mart Kids Recycling Challenge changed the behaviors of our students, staff, and community members,” said Elizabeth Eminhizer, Principal of La Fetra Elementary. “Students, staff, and community members brought in bags daily. Students wouldn't allow their parents to throw away plastic bags. We even heard stories of students convincing grandparents, aunts, and uncles to recycle. Each morning, we would arrive at school to find boxes of recycled grocery bags. The money we have earned will be used to fund our technology programs on campus.”

Rounding out the top ten schools, the big winners in the Los Angeles region include:

Standing	School	Location	Bags Collected	Amount Earned
2	Northlake Hills Elementary	Castaic	720	$5,600
3	Superior Street Elementary	Chatsworth	427	$3,135
4	Esperanza Elementary	Palmdale	415	$2,325
5	West Wind Elementary	Lancaster	334	$1,920
6	Grace Miller Elementary	La Verne	310	$1,800
7	Don Julian School	La Puente	290	$1,700
8	Castaic Elementary	Castaic	247	$1,485
9	Pomelo Drive Elementary	Canoga Park	229	$1,395
10	St. Louise De Marillac School	Covina	229	$1,395

All told, nearly 2,800 schools in 12 states filled more than 131,000 60-gallon collection bags from September 2006 through March 2007, and earned more than $830,000 from Wal-Mart.

A history of success

The Kids Recycling Challenge debuted in February 2005 in Sacramento, Palm Springs, and Salt Lake City, and has since expanded to Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Since its inception, nearly 2,800 schools have enrolled in the program, representing more than one million students. Participating schools have recycled 1,400 tons of plastic bags and have collected nearly $1.2 million from Wal-Mart.

The next Kids Recycling Challenge will run from Fall 2007 through Spring 2008 in the same states. Interested schools are invited to visit www.kidsrecyclingchallenge.com to learn more and to enroll.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)

Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to local communities in the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfacts.com, www.walmartstores.com, or www.walmartfoundation.org.

EDITORS’ NOTES

Assembly photos can be found at www.walmartfacts.com.
Complete final results of the Kids Recycling Challenge and additional program information can be found at http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/5009.aspx
Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com.