Fremd student goes beyond civics class and on to Capitol

A Fremd High School student has teamed up with a local legislator to better recycling efforts in the classroom.

Sahana Rao, a junior from Hoffman Estates, is working with state Rep. Suzie Bassi to push for a state law to reduce paper waste in schools statewide.

The idea started as a school project for the 15-year-old, who then presented her ideas to Bassi, a Palatine Republican.

"When I read through the information, I realized the impact that recycling could have throughout public school across Illinois," Bassi said.

Last week, Rao joined Bassi to testify in Springfield before the Environment and Energy Committee about the issue.

Bassi is sponsoring House Bill 4159, which passed through the committee and awaits a vote by the House.

The bill aims to increase the amount of recycling and the use of recycled paper in Illinois. It would require schools, which generate a large amount of paper waste, to purchase a certain amount of recycled paper each year -- 10 percent this year and increasing annually to 75 percent by 2020.

Being in Springfield was "so much fun and a little bit nerve-wracking," Rao said.

At her high school, she said she gets at least three to five worksheets in every class every day and sometimes both sides aren't used.

"Any school is going to use a ton of paper," she said, "and the paper usage at Fremd is pretty high."

When researching her project, she found schools weren't required to use recycled products under the same regulations as state agencies and universities.

As part of the assignment, she created a draft of the bill Bassi is now sponsoring.

"Since there are so many benefits to using recycled products, the best place to start is in school," Rao said.