Fifteen Schools, 2,200-Plus Students Join BPM Paper Mill’s Earth Day Cleanup

Students from 15 local schools recently joined together with the BPM specialty papers mill in Peshtigo, Wis., USA, to recognize Earth Day by picking up trash, litter, and garbage to help make area communities cleaner. For the past six years, BPM has been donating heavy-duty garbage bags and gloves for Peshtigo’s high school physical education students. New this year, BPM invited additional local schools to join in the Earth Day Cleanup. With an overwhelming response, the company provided bags and gloves to 15 schools for an estimated 2,245 students. 

"The Earth Day Clean Up is a community event we look forward to every year," said Jim Koronkiewicz, GM of BPM. "Since 2009, BPM has coordinated with Peshtigo Middle and High school to provide supplies. Response and feedback from students voicing that the Earth Day cleanup was fun and requesting it to take place again, sparked the idea to expand the event and donations to additional schools." 

The 15 area schools that agreed to participate, appointed a teacher or staff member as the contact person and event coordinator. The schools estimated the number of students participating and supplies were provided accordingly. Schools that volunteered to clean up surrounding areas of school grounds include Blesch Intermediate, Central Elementary, Garfield Elementary, GPS Peshtigo, Marinette Middle, Oconto Elementary, Oconto Middle, Oconto Falls Elementary, Oconto Falls High, Park Elementary, Peshtigo Elementary, Peshtigo Middle/High, St. Thomas Aquinas Academy Peshtigo, St. Thomas Aquinas Academy Marinette, and Suring Public. 

The Earth Day Clean Up event is designed to partner with local schools and help students recognize the need to take care of our environment and in return, provide a beautified community for all. A special thank you is extended to the coordinators at each school and the eagerness to partner with BPM.