Schools engage students to promote environmental conservation

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Several senior high schools in Jakarta engage their students to promote the environmental conservation issue by introducing how to manage household waste.

Belarminus Senior High School, for instance, always asked their students not to use styrofoam packaging at school neighborhood.

"We urge our students to bring their own dishes if they ordered take away meals. Otherwise, they must have their meals at cafetaria, so there won't be waste packaging," Belarminus senior high school principal, Yohannes Yudha Nugraha told ANTARA News, here, recently on a Managing Waste Movement (GEMAS) workshop.

Furthermore, Yohannes encouraged his students to bring drinking container which they were able to re-fill it with fresh water than have to buy a plastic-bottle one.

"We provide our room classes with water dispenser for students whenever they run out their drinks," Yohannes said.

Kanisius senior high school, in comparison, emphasized the importance of after school activities related to waste management for their students.

"We recylce the household waste and re-create unused items to some ornamental," student counselor of Kanisius, Rossa Simamora, said.

Rossa said it is hard to raise the students environmental conservation awareness since they haven't found out impact of waste mismanagement.

Meanwhile, Pangudi Luhur 1 senior high school providing every classroom with four big trash can just to bring out it students environmental conservation awareness.

"We realize it takes time to increase the awareness, but we try hard to make it," Pangudi Luhur 1 art teacher, Bambang Nugroho.

They distinguish each trash can with colors for different type of waste. A green trash can for organic waste such as leftovers, a yellow one for plastics, a red one for inorganic waste such as styrofoam, and the last blue one for recycle-able household waste such as papers and cardboard boxes.

(Tri/I026)