MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (DC News Now) -- In the eastern panhandle of the Mountain State, middle and high school students are taking the lead to protect the environment. They are in a competition to to collect the most recyclables to haul to the landfill. At St. Joseph's School, it's called "Operation Green Lid" because the Berkeley County recycling bins for every household and business have a green lid. Annual ‘Mud Run’ helps Girls Inc. fulfill its nonprofit mission Clint Hogbin chairs the county Solid Waste Authority and is coordinating participation in this regional rivalry among schools to be the recycling champion. The winning school gets a $200 prize. "It's to instill a little bit of competitive spirit," Hogbin said. "But at the same time, we are teaching them community responsibility, the need for recycling." But the cash prize isn't necessarily the motivation for student participation. "It's the feeling that you are really helping the environment and the community," Isaac Antonetti, an eighth grader at St. Joseph's, said. "We make an impact every day and I believe that all the schools should be behind this recycling drive." Classmate Noah Harding said he would see recyclables "just pile up and pile up so we're using this waste for a better cause. It's all going to a better place to be reused." Washington County rallies for United Way Day of Caring Even parents are in on the project. "We're all willing volunteers," Joseph Karonski said. "We take our time to come to grab the recycling on weekends and we do it on our own time and just to be able to help out the school and help out the planet." St. Joseph's is taking the lead in the regional competition and hopes as many schools as possible will join the competition.