The Randolph County Recycling Center will be temporarily closed.
Earth gives us a lot of amazing and useful resources such as trees, plants, water, and minerals. As the human population increases, more of Earth’s resources are needed to grow food and make necessary products such as paper, medicines, clothes, and more.
Many people will live here on Earth after us. They will need resources, too. That is one reason why it is important that we recycle old materials to make new products, reduce the amount of resources we use, and find ways to reuse the items we already have.
Reducing means creating less waste or garbage and is one of the best ways to help the planet stay clean. You can reduce the amount of waste you throw away by using a lunch box and reusable water bottle at school.
Pack your Lunch in Reusable Containers.
Did you know it’s better for the planet if you pack your school lunch in a lunch box instead of plastic or paper bags? Plastic bags are bad for the planet and can take hundreds of years to decompose. Lunch boxes can be used over and over again without having to be thrown away.
When we reuse and repurpose items, we can keep those items out of our limited landfill space. A great way to give unwanted items new purpose is by donating them to someone who can reuse them or repurposing things in unique ways.
Donate Old Clothes, Shoes, Books & Toys.
If your clothes and shoes don’t fit right anymore, consider donating those items to someone who can use them. The same is true for books and toys. If you no longer want a toy or book anymore, donate it to another kid in your community who will enjoy them.
Recycling is where the creativity begins! Recycling is taking thrown away items and making them into something new and useable. This can happen two ways. You can set aside items in your home that can be recycled and ask your parents to help you bring them to the appropriate place to be made into something new or you can recycle household items yourself.
Build Recycled Planters
Enjoy your very own repurposed planter with discarded plastic bottles or other plastic containers. Cut bottles in half, fill it with soil, and add your very own plant or seeds. If you enjoy making things from recycled products, a quick internet search will help you find countless ideas. (Be sure to ask for help and permission first.)
Annual Adopt-A-Highway Spring Cleanup set for April 25th
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is now accepting registrations for the Adopt-A-Highway Spring Statewide Cleanup set for Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Individuals, families, churches, businesses, schools, civic organizations, government agencies and communities can register to pick up trash on almost any state-maintained road, back road or main route. Private roads and interstate highways are not eligible for adoption.
The Adopt-A-Highway program provides garbage bags, work gloves and safety vests to volunteers, and takes care of disposing of collected trash. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old to participate.
Groups must register in advance by April 17, 2026, and inform their county DOH garage if they need supplies. To register, call 1-800-322-5530 or email dep.aah@wv.gov . If you reach the REAP voicemail, please leave your name, phone number, group name, date of cleanup, number of participants, and the county where your adopted road is located.
The 2025 Adopt-A-Highway Spring Cleanup had more than 1,900 volunteers from over 250groups who removed nearly 79,000 pounds of litter from almost 600 miles of roadway.
Co-sponsored by the WVDEP and the state Division of Highways, the Adopt-A-Highway program is administered by the WVDEP’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP).The REAP program empowers citizens to take ownership of their communities by providing technical, financial, and resource assistance in cleanup and recycling efforts.