A group of environmentally minded students wants the Ashtabula Area City School District to go a little greener.
The students, from Erie Intermediate School, gave the school board food for thought last week, when they asked school officials to stop the cafeteria from using plastic foam lunch trays — a material that takes hundreds of years to biodegrade and consists of chemicals that contribute to global warming.
They urged the school board to switch biodegradable trays or buy plastic reusable trays.
"We are trying to help the planet and reduce the amount of waste at the landfill," said sixth-grader Vanessa Serrano. "Plastic foam trays also slow litter our oceans."
To drive home their point, the students created a gold and green dragon — like the district's mascot — out of those plastic foam trays. The students painted the dragon and brought it to LHS to help persuade the school board.