Wal-Mart and the Metro Waste Authority (MWA) are teaming to create the “School Recycling Challenge” this fall – a first-ever partnership to help teach kids about our environment and promote recycling.

The program will challenge elementary school students in MWA's service area to recycle plastic shopping bags from Wal-Mart and other stores. In return, Wal-Mart and Metro Waste Authority will furnish a $100 Wal-Mart gift card to each school that collects at least one large, 60-gallon collection bag full of recycled grocery bags and delivers it to their local Wal-Mart.

Plus, the top three schools who submit the most 60-gallon collection bags will win the following:

First Place:    $3,000 Wal-Mart School Room Makeover
Your local Wal-Mart Supercenter will provide $3000 worth of merchandise towards the refurnishing, or re-stocking of any room in your school – classroom, media room, library, etc.

Second Place:    $1500 Wal-Mart Gift Card

Third Place:    $750 Wal-Mart Gift Card

School Recycling Challenge Final Totals

Congratulations to the following schools

• 1st place: Jefferson Elementary in Des Moines recycled 268 60-gallon bags of plastic bags
• 2nd place: Westwood Elementary in Ankeny recycled 163 60-gallon bags of plastic bags
• 3rd place: Anderson Elementary in Bondurant-Farrar recycled 159 60-gallon bags of plastic bags

The Basics:

The contest will begin on Monday, October 8 and will continue through Friday, November 9. The winners will be announced on America Recycle's Day, Thursday, November 15.

Schools can sign up below from September 24 to October 1. Forms must be received by Monday, October 1. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Beth Shonts, MWA's business development manager, at 323-6525 or via email at bsh@mwatoday.com.

Wal-Mart and Metro Waste Authority will deliver a box of all the materials needed for the program by Friday, October 5 to the school for distribution to participating classrooms. Each box will include:

• Teacher instructions for the program

• Signs to hang up around school

• Flyers for students to take home explaining the program

• A cardboard bin for collection of the plastic shopping bags

• Large bags to use for lining the collection bin

Schools are responsible for having staff, teachers or students collect the bags. A representative designated by the school must turn them into Wal-Mart stores when they are full. There are specific times and days listed on the teacher instruction sheet.

Each week the results from each school will be posted on this page, so schools can see their progress and the progress of other schools.