Press Release

Local Recycling Champ Works All Year to Rescue Cans from the Trash


ANTELOPE VALLEY, Calif., July 11, 2005 – Second grader Lisa Vogler collected more cans for Waste Management’s Total Trash Out (TTO) 2005 than anyone else. TTO is Waste Management of Antelope Valley’s annual recycling contest for elementary school students, sponsored in conjunction with the City of Lancaster, City of Palmdale, Alameda Metals Recycling and various local businesses that help support Antelope Valley schools.

Lisa, a student at Valley View Elementary, picked up and turned in more than 370 pounds of recyclable aluminum. This shattered last year’s record of 111 pounds, held by—Lisa Vogler, and she doesn’t even drink soda pop. (Her mom, Liz Marinko won’t let her!) If fact, if you laid the 11,501 cans that nine-year-old Lisa collected end to end, you would walk almost one mile from the first empty Coke can to the last empty Pepsi can. Relying on donations from her grandfather and his buddies, and neighbors and friends, Lisa worked year round to rescue cans from the trash to turn them in to her school for cash and prizes.

Lisa started collecting cans for TTO 2005 the day after TTO 2004 ended. (In fact, she has already collected 22 pounds of cans for TTO 2006.) Lisa is fortunate that her mother’s backyard is big enough to store the year’s collection of cans. This year, on the final day of TTO, it took a truck and a car to transport her collection to school. Lisa says that when she actually showed off her collection, everybody at school was really surprised that anybody could have collected so many cans all by themselves. According to Lisa Hemenway, Recycling Compliance Manager for Waste Management, “Lisa’s achievement is truly extraordinary. When you think that Lisa collected 15% of all the cans collected for Valley View Elementary, it really shows just how hard she worked.”

Lisa is involved with TTO for two reasons. Of course, there are the prizes. This year she won a limo ride trip to Funland USA. And, because her school won the grand prize, they were all treated to a carnival with an air bounce, petting zoo, live music from Clear Channel, and cupcakes and ice-cream. Beyond this competition, she is also a strong believer in the importance of recycling. At home, she also makes sure to recycle bottles and cardboard. She credits her teacher at Valley View Elementary school, Ms. Stoltenberg, with firing her up to take on the collecting challenge. Lisa also wants to communicate the recycling message to other students—which is why she has decided that when she grows up, she wants to be a teacher.

For more information about TTO or any of the other services Waste Management offers, please contact Lisa Hemenway at (661) 223-3411.or visit our website at www.KeepingAVclean.com.

Waste Management is the industry's leading provider of comprehensive waste management, recycling and environmental protection services. Based in Houston, the Company serves municipal, commercial, industrial, and residential customers throughout North America.


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