CLEVELAND, Tenn.—RockTenn and Bradley Central High School have partnered to promote good environmental citizenship within the student body and the community at large.

While RockTenn and the school have had a paper recycling relationship for a few years, they have taken a broader step forward through the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce’s Business & Education Serving Together program.

“Students are buying into it,” said Martha Frazier, Bradley Central Freshmen Academy principal, about the ongoing joint recycling efforts and increased interaction with RockTenn.

Students made a field trip to RockTenn’s Chattanooga plant in April to see the next steps of their paper recycling efforts, fueled by waste paper collection boxes in the classrooms, Frazier said.

The school’s Earth Club and Ag Science students regularly have been involved with RockTenn on campus, but Frazier expects the partnership will increase the students’ awareness and interest in their educations and their futures, which includes good environmental stewardship.

“Since we helped Bradley begin their recycling program, we felt that this is a golden opportunity for us to continue helping them, as well as providing us with new customers through our contacts made by activities we will be participating in with the high school,” RockTenn Recycling spokesman Mike Fitzgerald said in a news release.

RockTenn’s presence will be felt by the student body in more ways than just paper recycling, according to Frazier.

“They will be another support group to encourage students,” said Frazier, noting that a RockTenn representative will attend the upcoming senior awards banquet — not to make any recycling presentations, but just to show that the students’ accomplishments and futures are important to the community.

Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.