By Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
A friendly competition with a serious purpose took center stage on Tuesday, April 8, as Keep Bossier Beautiful announced the winner of its Courthouse Challenge paper recycling contest during Love the Boot Week, Louisiana’s largest litter cleanup and beautification initiative.
The event, held on the scenic hill along Courthouse Drive in Benton, celebrated local efforts to promote sustainability through paper recycling—highlighting the crucial role everyday actions can play in protecting the environment.
The contest pitted two enthusiastic teams against one another: LSU Ag Center faced off against the Bossier Parish Police Jury. After weeks of collecting and diverting paper waste from landfills, employees from the Bossier Parish Police Jury (BPPJ) and the LSU Ag Center collected a whopping 375 pounds of recyclable paper.
The winner was determined by the average amount of paper recycled per employee, and the Ag Center came out on top with an impressive 24.8 pounds per person.
“We always say, when we recycle, we all win—and today proved just that,” said Lynn Bryan, Director of Keep Bossier Beautiful.
The celebration also served as a timely reminder of the environmental benefits of recycling. According to Keep Bossier Beautiful, recycling one ton of paper can save 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 380 gallons of oil. With Americans discarding over 600 pounds of paper products per person annually, the impact of choosing to recycle can’t be overstated.
Keep Bossier Beautiful, which has been working since 1985 to eliminate litter and beautify the parish, used the contest to inspire greater public participation. “We urge the community to take advantage of recycling services and opportunities. When we come together, real change happens,” the organization shared in a statement.
For those interested in joining the mission, Keep Bossier Beautiful welcomes new volunteers and partners to help build a cleaner, greener future for Bossier Parish.