Students at Ilalko Elementary School are catching the “go green” wave.

A school-wide milk and juice carton recycling campaign kicked off in mid-April and kicked into high gear this week under the instruction and supervision of Ilalko’s parent-volunteer and student-backed Green Team.

Ilalko is among the first elementary schools in the Auburn School District to conduct a concentrated carton recycling push. Terminal Park Elementary’s student-based Green Team, behind fourth grade teacher Michael Martin’s award-winning work, recycled more than 2,000 milk cartons in just one week last year. The team also created a school-wide paper recycling competition.

For his efforts, Martin was named a 2008 Earth Hero at School by the Office of King County Executive Ron Sims.

Just as it was emphasized at Terminal Park, the significance of the Ilalko program is to educate kids early and often about the benefits of recycling – and to make it habit-forming.

“We’re very excited about the program. We’re obsessed with it,” said Lynne Stephens, who is leading Ilalko’s “go green” crusade in cooperation with school staff. “We’re doing the right thing educating our future generations. … We’re spreading the message. … Through education, kids will be able to recycle cleanly.”

Stephens, whose daughter Ariana attends first grade at the school, has volunteered as a master recycler/composter with King County. With her background, she suggested the recycling campaign to Ilalko staff and soon discovered she had plenty of supporters.

“I’m excited about it,” said Ilalko Principal Adam Couch. “I wouldn’t say I’m an expert or as passionate as Lynne (about recycling), but it’s in my heart knowing that our kids are gaining an understanding of environmental issues, the importance of recycling and the need to be Earth friendly.”

First-grade classes belonging to teachers Maribeth Surber, Lorna Austin and Sue Embery, began the campaign with activities during Earth Week. Students were introduced to the 4 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycling and rethink – and given reusable lunch bags, reusable containers, silverware and cloth napkins. Students also took home to parents reusable cloth shopping bags (donated by Top Food & Drug).

A school-wide assembly April 24 launched the carton recycling. Students from Lori Davis’ and Matt Roy’s classes demonstrated to the student and teacher audience the proper way to rinse the carton, shake out the water and dispose of it in the proper recycling bin.

During lunchtime for the next few weeks, Green Team students will be in the hallways at lunchtime to remind students of how to and where to recycle their cartons.

The recycling campaign will pay off in the long run, organizers said.

According to calculations projected by Roy’s students, Ilalko stands to recycle a daily average of 450 cartoons and a weekly average of 2,250. That’s an estimated 72,000 cartons kept out of the landfill by year’s end.

“I was surprised that not every school does this, and I think every school should do it,” said Vinnette Lang, a volunteer parent. “It’s important that we teach and share recycling to our kids, the next generation.”