Students Practicing Good Environmental Stewardship With The Paper Gator

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote the encyclical Laudato si’ (On Care For Our Common Home). The pope asks all of us to consider the words of St. Francis of Assisi, who called the Earth “our sister.” He asks everyone, not just Catholics, to work together to shape a healthy future for the planet. One small way we can support the Earth is through recycling. We now have an easy way to do that — the Paper Gator.

Katie O’Neal is a fourth-grade teacher at St. Dominic School. Last fall, she worked through Quincy Recycle to acquire a Paper Gator. The Paper Gator, located on the west side of the school, can recycle paper, magazines, newsprint, phone books, hard and softcover books, wrapping paper, and junk mail. Each time it is filled, the school receives money.

The students in Mrs. O’Neal’s class go around the school each day to collect recyclable materials for the Paper Gator.

“The Paper Gator gives people a reliable place to bring their recycling,” Mrs. O’Neal says. “It promotes stewardship of our planet by cutting down on what goes in the trash and instead, recycling paper waste.”

Many people in the rural areas around Quincy don’t have access to a recycling service. The Paper Gator is an asset to the whole community. Anyone can recycle items there, and it’s accessible 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

In addition to being a service to the community, St. Dominic students are learning to be more mindful about waste.

“The students get very excited to see the Paper Gator fill up,” Mrs. O’Neal says. “They are more conscious of how they take care of the items they use to help recycle more.”

Mrs. O’Neal is excited to see this project come to fruition. She tried to acquire a Paper Gator about two years ago, but it was cost-prohibitive for Quincy Recycle. Now, it’s great to have a way for those in the broader community to recycle and support St. Dominic School.

The Paper Gator can be found on the west side of the school and is available anytime.

Katie O’Neal’s students enjoy using the Paper Gator, as they learn about the good stewardship of our planet.