"Whooo Recycles? We do!" is the recycling slogan for the Oakview Owls. In 1997, this project began as a small paper-recycling project. Over the past six years, the program has grown into a massive recycling effort and has even served as inspiration for the development of new environmental educational programs. The beautiful school gardens have brought the students and their community together and now serve as symbol of civic pride.

The small project that initiated Oakview's environmental and educational achievements was a small contest where students where asked to estimate the amount of trash the school produced in one week. After a lesson on recycling was taught, the students made a commitment to reduce the amount of school trash sent to the community landfill. They quickly discovered that they could reduce their trash volume by up to 60%. In the last seven years, they have recycled over fourteen tons of paper. However, they were not satisfied with simply reducing paper waste. They decided to expand their efforts to include the reuse or recycling of aluminum cans, plastic bags, printer ink cartridges, cell phones, six-pack rings, and packaging materials. They also began collecting cafeteria waste for composting.

Since 1997, Oakview Elementary has recycled over 1,000 ink cartridges, 6,625 plastic six-pack rings, 153,280 plastic bags, and 23,000 pounds of aluminum. They have secured a South Carolina Environmental Education Grant, and even donated over $9,200 to the South Carolina Firefighters' Aluminum Cans for Burned Children Program. On campus, they have initiated a Garden Club and Earth Savers Club, and have developed five schoolyard habitats with the help of their local community.

As stated in their written defense, "Our environmental programs create a sense of purpose and unity within our school that extend beyond academics." Along with this sentiment and hours of devotion, the project now reaches beyond the school and has touched members of the surrounding community. Most importantly, each student leaves the program believing in recycling and feels empowered to make a difference in the world around them.

The World Wildlife Fund stated, "World Wildlife Fund commends the students and teachers of Oakview Elementary School for their extraordinary efforts towards sustainability. Our organization's mission is the conservation of nature through the protection of natural areas, the promotion of sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources, the promotion of more efficient use of resources and energy, and the maximum reduction of pollution. Through its exemplary recycling program, its environmental education programs, and its beautiful gardens, Oakview Elementary School has certainly progressed towards these goals, and we hope it will continue to do so. Oakview students and teachers should be proud to be involved in environmental activities of such outstanding caliber."