What is the Earth Flag Program?
The Lake County Earth Flag Program was created by the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) in 1993. Over 130 schools have participated in the program since then. The Program is designed to educate students, teachers, administration and parents about the need to rethink trash habits and the impact waste reduction, reuse and recycling have on the environment. Schools enrolled in the Program agree to complete five criteria over the course of a school year. Students learn through classroom lessons, hands-on activities and presentations that they can have a direct impact on the earth and its natural resources by finding alternatives to throwing it all away. Why is the Earth Flag Program Important? Each resident of Lake County generates an average of seven pounds of waste every day. That amounts to more than 2,100 tons of solid waste per day in Lake County alone. That is a lot of garbage to bury in the county’s two privately owned landfills. Teaching our children to think about the was
