South Portland students win $3K for waste management

SOUTH PORTLAND —  A team of about 50 sixth-graders at Memorial Middle School took first place – and $3,000 – in a statewide contest to reduce waste at their school.

The students competed in the "Zero-Waste Challenge," sponsored by the Chewonki Foundation and Poland Spring Bottling, to research their school's garbage habits and create a plan for cutting back on waste.

The $3,000 prize will be spent to implement the children's plan. An oversized check was presented to the students in an award ceremony at the school on Wednesday.