CLEAN CAT TO VISIT MORE SCHOOLS IN 1997 AND 1998

Released on September 29, 1997

Environment and Resource Management Minister Lorne Scott today

announced that the Clean Cat Environmental Program, an environmental

awareness school roadshow, will visit twice the number of schools this

year as last year. Forty schools will be visited between September 29

and October 10, 1997 and 80 schools will be visited in January, 1998.



"My department is pleased to provide the Clean Cat Environmental

Program to Saskatchewan school children for the fifth consecutive

year," Scott said. "Since 1991, 310 schools have been visited and

more than 70,000 children from kindergarten to grade six have been

introduced to the importance of recycling and environmental

stewardship."



Members of Saskatchewan Express, a well-known touring musical troupe,

deliver a 45 minute program using music, song and dance. The Clean

Cat mascot conveys the important message of environmental protection,

preservation and sustainability and teaches elementary school children

about the 4R's of environmental action; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and

Recover.



Carol Gay Bell, artistic director of Saskatchewan Express, is

producing the show.



"Saskatchewan Express is pleased to be part of an expanded Clean

Cat program," Bell said. "The performers are excited to be

appearing at twice the number of schools this year."



Scott noted that the expansion of the program is through

continuation of last year's partnership with SARCAN and Tetra

Pak. SARCAN Recycling is supporting the project by receiving and

recycling the collected materials. Tetra Pak, a manufacturer of

aseptic beverage containers, is providing recycling centres to

participating schools, funding the Clean Cat tour and supplying

the computers that will be awarded to the winning schools.



Participating schools are also invited to enter in a recycling

contest by taking part in the Slam, Dunk Recycle Challenge for

recycling juice boxes. Schools are divided into two categories,

based on enrollment size and a computer will be awarded in each

category to the school that collects the most juice boxes per

student.



"Children are encouraged to be good environmental citizens and to

actively participate in the program using the provided recycling

centres," Scott said. "After five years of operation

approximately 90 per cent of the schools that have been visited

by Clean Cat continue to participate in the program."



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For more information, contact:



Donna Solie

Environment and Resource Management

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-6291