HB senior awarded NRRA’s Outstanding Student Recycler of the Year Award

Maggie O'Hara, Co-Editor in Chief

The Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) recognized sen

ior Allie Campbell’s exceptional recycling efforts on Tuesday, May 23 at their annual conference, naming her “Outstanding Student Recycler of the Year.”

The Hollis Brookline Green Group, the environmental and recycling club, has gained a lot of traction in the past year. Much of the club’s success is due to the outstanding effort put in by Club President, Allie Campbell ‘17.

At the beginning of Campbell’s junior year, she took the time to address an issue that had been ailing HBHS for many years–the school’s recycling program, or lack-thereof. She got a group of friends and other passionate environmentalists together to restart the club now known as Green Group.

Since then, Campbell has overseen countless recycling days at HB, where students collect plastic, aluminum, cardboard, glass, and paper to bring to the school dumpsters during free periods or Cavblock to help the recycling initiative. This year, Campbell took part in the school’s new course  called Senior Quest and in doing so, was able to further her environmental aspirations.

Campbell started senior quest with the goal of starting the plastic film recycling program at the Hollis Transfer Station, and ensuring that the program continues after she leaves for Williams College in Williamstown, MA. Every Saturday for the past six months she has collected 80-150 lbs. of plastic film and brought it to the Nashua Hannaford. Totaling over 2,000 lbs. of plastic film, Campbell’s efforts have made a substantial impact on the environment and community. You can read more about her plastic film program on her blog, here.

“I felt really honored and surprised [when she receiving the award],” Campbell stated. When she got on stage at the conference to give a spee

ch about how she has personally affected change, she didn’t know that would be receiving any award. She also said that she felt like it “recognized all of her efforts at the school and in the community.” Often times, volunteers like Campbell go unrecognized and have to be content with the knowledge that they are doing good for the environment and community.

Because of her outstanding effort and overwhelming commitment to the cause, the recognition she received on May 23, was well deserved.