Local students' recycled art is on display at the County Administration Center. "The Art of Recycling" exhibit is part of last week's nationally recognized America Recycles Day.

Paper towel rolls, empty cereal boxes, soda cans and plastic cups. No, these aren't the contents of your average waste basket. They're the materials that were used by dozens of budding Josip Ivanovics and Doris Salcedos to create the unorthodox artwork dotting the halls of the County Administration Center in Jackson.

The nationally recognized America Recycles Day was celebrated Nov. 15 in Amador County with the premiere of "The Art of Recycling," an exhibit featuring sculptures made by mostly local students using only recycled materials. In observance of the 10th annual celebration, the Amador County Waste Management Department partnered with local schools, youth groups and other community organizations to design the event to raise awareness about the benefits of recycling and to encourage the community to increase recycling habits at home and at work.

"Amador County has been observing America Recycles Day for probably the last four to five years," said Solid Waste Program Specialist Anne Short. "It is my first time doing this and I thought of an art exhibit."

Participants began developing their projects in October to have the exhibit completed. Using only their imaginations and items that would otherwise be thrown out, the local students created table top, wall decorations, ornaments, toys and other creative pieces from the recycled waste.

"The students have done a good job," Short said. "They have provided a description along with each project and we have quite a few entries from elementary and junior high students."

Because of the tight schedules and strict curricula, Short said planning the extra work asked a lot of local teachers and their students. "One second grade class actually integrated the project into a lesson they were already working on and had a fabulous time," she said. "A teacher at Ione Junior High explained about the curriculum they adhere to and how hard it is to do something extra but they did it very well."

All California jurisdictions have recently been mandated to divert 50 percent of waste away from landfills to conform with the national goal of 35 percent diversion. The action plan lays out a framework, or road map, to increase the rate of municipal solid waste recycling and building an infrastructure for successful programs.

"The 'Art of Recycling' project was a wonderfully creative way to open students' minds to the importance of recycling," said Lisa Trassare, a sixth grade teacher at Ione Junior High School.

Student Hailey Ann Pearle, who was involved with the exhibit, was enthusiastic about the lessons she learned through her artwork. "My favorite part of the recycling project was seeing how you can make something wonderful out of something that's been used," she said.

Hundreds of events were held across the nation to raise awareness and encourage Americans to sign personal pledges to recycle and buy recycled products, according to Kate Krebs, director of the National Recycling Coalition.

"We expect hundreds of thousands of people throughout the nation to sign pledges, come to events and rally around the importance of this event," Krebs said in an e-mail last week. "Many people are already active recyclers and look for recycled products when they shop. But for America Recycles Day to really make a difference, we need to involve even more people and this is an opportunity to do just that."

Philip Howe believes recycling makes as much fiscal sense as it does environmental sense. The owner of a small electronics manufacturing company in the county said he saves thousands in waste removal fees by taking his cardboard and packing materials to local recyclers.

This fits in with Krebs' belief that recycling is a win-win situation for everyone.

This year's theme, It All Comes Back To You, represented multiple messages: Recycled materials return as new products; recycling results in an improved environment; it's everyone's responsibility to recycle.

Even a small shift in the attitudes and actions of some can make a big difference, according to Krebs. "Recycling is something easy that each of us can do to help preserve resources and contribute to a cleaner environment," she said.

Many county residents are avid recyclers already, Short said. "Amador County reached a 65 percent diversion rate from landfills this year," she said. "People here are pretty active recyclers and I get a lot of calls from residents about proper ways to dispose or recycle hazardous materials."

For information or tips on recycling, visit www.co.amador.ca.us/depts/waste or call 223-6429. There is also a recycling hotline at 223-6884.

Raheem Hosseini contributed to this report.