Ironton High School is giving its students the chance to make an imprint on the world but leave less of an environmental footprint in the process.

The city school district has launched a building-wide recycling program through a partnership with the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District and Rumpke Recycling that will allow students, faculty and staff the opportunity to recycle all the waste they produce easily and efficiently.

With a price tag of only $65 a month, this is an economical project that will help show the importance and create the good habit of recycling in these soon-to-be adults.

The school’s leadership and teachers who spearheaded this project have done a great job leading by example and looking for ways to impact our future leaders that goes beyond just teaching the “three Rs.”

Although the school’s clubs and teachers will keep it going, school board member Jay Zornes stepped up to sponsor the program through the rest of this school year. We commend him for this generosity that wasn’t politically motivated because it came after the election and just continues Zornes’ commitment to the schools and the community.

We hope to see similar programs adopted at the other schools in the Ironton district as well as the other seven school systems in Lawrence County if they don’t have them in place already.

Most already have or had some level of recycling program but we would like to see Rumpke rise to the challenge to work with all the schools make this a reality.

Taking care of our planet might be one of the most important lessons that we can instill in our youth.