MOUNT DORA, Fla. — A Mount Dora High School student is working to make a positive change in his community.

What started out as just an idea of starting a recycling program within his school has turned into the real deal. Now the city of Mount Dora is partnering with the high school to make sure every classroom has a recycling bin for students and faculty to use.


What You Need To Know

  • Mount Dora High sophomore Franco Garcia partnered with the city of Mount Dora to implement a schoolwide recycling program

  • Waste Management donated 60 recycling bins to the school

  • Right now the program is paper recycling only, but Garcia hopes to expand it

Franco Garcia may only be a sophomore, but he’s making a difference.

“I’ve been planning things to change the high school and to better myself since I was in middle school,” he said.

Now he’s putting those plans into action by partnering up with the city of Mount Dora to implement a schoolwide recycling program.

“(The goal is) get everyone in the school and the community of Lake County to contribute to the program,” he said.

Waste Management donated 60 recycling bins, but now it’s up to the students and faculty to put them to use. It’s a plan city officials are excited to see in action.

“The best part of being mayor of the city of Mount Dora, especially with someone as young as this really wanting to enact change, it’s a fantastic opportunity,” said Mayor Crissy Stile.

The school is only recycling paper right now, but Garcia said he hopes to expand to other types of recyclables in the future. Some of the agriculture classes will also take the recycled paper and use it as compost within their class.