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Case #3: Kids Against Trash (K.A.T.), Saltville, VA

Kids Against Trash (K.A.T.), Saltville, VA, is a school based environmental program, founded in 1996 to help revitalize and improve the town's appearance and change resident's mindset concerning litter and waste reduction. Originally designed for the K-5th grade students at Saltville Elementary, the program has expanded to include four other schools in Southwest Virginia. "Teaching our children to recycle and take pride in the appearance of their community will provide a positive solution to our community's recurring ltter problem," wrote K.A.T. sponsors Janice Phillips and Jody Arnold. "We hope the adults in our community will become environmentally conscious by following the lead of our students." K.A.T.'s newsletters, brochures, radio programs and parades have earned the program media coverage and high community visibility. K.A.T.'s membership cards - signed by honorary member and Nascar driver Bobby Hamilton - are issued to members who pledge to keep the community litter-free. K.A.T. families maintain 30 Adopt-A-Spots areas. K.A.T. created a school landfill project and maintained a compost pile. In addition to numerous litter pickup days and two countywide cleanups, K.A.T. cleans local wetlands and installs nesting boxes and "No Littering" signs. This program was virtually self-supporting. Supplies and incentives to participate were financed by the sale of aluminum cans collected by students, and first-place prize money awarded by the Can Manufacturers Institute in a national contest. Local businesses and industries donated funds for special projects.