King County recognized the Issaquah School District for its recycling and compost programs this week, naming it a level one “Green School District.”

Students and staff have learned to produce less garbage, which sets a high standard of waste reduction that deserves recognition, said Dow Constantine, King County executive.

With help from the county and city, the district has gone from recycling some of its paper, cans and plastics to recycling all of them and establishing a compost program for food scraps, said John Macartney, ISD resource conservation manager.

Issaquah School District also practices waste reduction strategies, including not forcing kids to take food in the cafeteria that they don’t plan to eat.

To reduce paper use, the district has a double-sided copying policy and has replaced paper copies with electronic newsletters and reports.

The King County Green Schools Program will honor resource conservation achievements at the district’s April 25 school board meeting. The County’s Green Schools Program is designed to help schools conserve natural resources and become better stewards of the environment.