One of our successes this year has been the plastic recycling program. We now have a large bin near the dumpster for soft plastics (paper towel wrapping, bubble wrap, Ziplock bags, shrink wrap, etc.), and an increasing amount of that kind of plastic is being brought in by families and staff. This plastic is collected by a local recycling company called Recycled City. They also pick up our compost.
The other type of plastic we’ve been collecting in the front office is multi-layer (bar wrappers, bulk food packaging, chip bags, string cheese wrappers, etc.). These are typically harder to recycle, so we were delighted when we discovered Ridwell, a company in Colorado which focuses on recycling materials that often end up in the trash. In some cities they have a pickup program, and in other locations, such as Phoenix, it’s only possible to participate through a mail-in arrangement. Once a month we’ve been receiving two large plastic bags, which we fill and then mail back to Ridwell. That’s how we’ve been involved during this past school year.
We’re delighted that the amount of plastic we’re receiving is increasing. It’s incredible how much of this material exists when we start collecting it. Originally, we were filling a couple bags a month, and currently we are filling four bags monthly. We plan to continue this effort to help reduce plastic in landfills and encourage families to participate as much as you can.
With the increasing volume of plastic material coming in, we want to offer an invitation to individual families who might want to support this effort at home. It involves signing up for a monthly subscription for collection bags for the type of plastic you wish to collect. It’s a great way to help children learn about recycling and how much plastic waste is generated on a daily basis. It’s also an opportunity for them to actually do something directly to help the Earth. If anyone is interested in participating, we have access to a few half-price codes for the first families who indicate they want to sign up. If you’re interested or have questions, please email Mary at mary@awakeningseedschool.org. Either way, please keep bringing in your plastics and we’ll do our best to keep recycling.