By MIKE CAPUTO
She calmly asked her son, Sam Perricone, 11, about what appeared to be an unusual habit.
"They don't have a recycling bin in school and I have to put them in recycling," Sam told his mother.
Sam, a fifth grader at Bowling Green Elementary School in Salisbury, was puzzled. His teachers always preached the importance of
recycling.
"I didn't know why we were taught about recycling and didn't have a system of recycling on our own," Sam said.
Kathi advised her son to ask a teacher or an administrator about the absence of a recycling program. Sam was not satisfied after being told that a recycling program was expensive and a large project to undertake.
Rather than continue to pry at school officials and receive similar answers, the youth environmentalist took another route. Sam detailed his concerns in a letter to Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes.
Within a week, a representative for Hudes called the Perricones and asked for Sam.
"They got back to him so fast," Kathi Perricone said. "I was just really shocked and happy they were taking it seriously and not just brushing him off."
Sam was invited to meet with Hudes and East Meadow school district officials to discuss ways to implement a recycling programs in buildings across the district.
Patrick Pizzo, director of school facilities and operations for the East Meadow school district explained that recycling programs have been piloted and efforts traditionally varied by school. Bins for recyclable bottles are usually stationed near the high schools' gymnasiums and locker rooms, he said.
Pizzo said his department will pilot recycling programs for students across the district that may first focus on bottles.
"We are trying to get a nice program in place and build on it," Pizzo said. "The big component is having the kids involved. Having the kids involved in the process is usually when the programs get up and running."
In addition to working with Sam and East Meadow district officials, the Town of Hempstead has helped several schools implement recycling programs as a way to teach environmental responsibility to students.
"I was very pleased that Sam reached out to me for help in his quest to get his school involved in recycling," Hudes said. "Supervisor Kate Murray and I are committed to environmental responsibility, and we have actively worked to get younger generations involved in recycling efforts."
Sam's mother, Kathi, his father, James, and eight-year-old sister, Madelin, are accustomed to the fifth grader's curiosity, as he is known to ask all kinds of questions. Other than serving as a youth environmentalist, Sam is involved with an array of clubs and organizations, was the runner-up in his school spelling bee and is especially talented in art and graphic design, his mother said.
"He likes to join pretty much any group that challenges his mind," Kathi said.
His latest challenge?
"I just want to help save the environment," Sam said.
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
