It is considered fashionable these days to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Buying from resale stores is a savvy way to save money in these economically tough times. Our school budgets are being cut and positions are being downsized. In the midst of all this, students at many Roanoke City schools are pitching in and learning along the way, simply by collecting trash.
The trash they collect is unusual and it’s not recycled; it is “upcycled,” and some of it earns them money. The process of upcycling takes something that is considered garbage and gives it a useful afterlife. One very kid-friendly example: empty juice packs and cookie bags can be made into book bags.
Fishburn Elementary School is among the five schools in Roanoke that cooperate with a unique program offered by a New Jersey based company called Terracycle. The school collects these two items and turns them in for money. Judy Lackey, Principal at Fishburn, says “we have earned about $120 from Terracycle in the nine months that we have been participating in the program.” At two cents an item, it is easy to do the math and see how hard they have worked.
According to Lauren Taylor at TerraCycle, the company also accepts chip bags, cookie wrappers, candy wrappers, yogurt cups, Lunchables, lotion tubes and much more. She added that, “these programs are a great way for teachers to teach kids about the environment by getting them involved in a fun program, and with school budgets shrinking, many are using the money they earn to put towards additional supplies, technology, playground equipment, gardens and plants, and field trips.”
The students at Fishburn actively participate in the collection and preparation of the items for shipping. As they have worked through the process and refined their approach, older students have assisted younger students with tasks to achieve their goals, which include environmental responsibility, achieving a healthy work ethic, and earning income for the school. As a school with an environmental emphasis, the students recycle a lot of things and this program is a perfect fit.
Not all of their efforts result in money being raised for the school, but the following items are money raisers: cell phones, ink cartridges and empty, washed-out glue sticks and glue bottles. In addition, the community can drop off juice packs and cookie bags if they have been “processed.” To save juice packs for the school, the bottom of the pouch must be slit and the pouch rinsed. Cookie bags must be emptied of their inserts and their crumbs. Information on the items that can be saved and processed for the school can be found at www.terracycle.net
Nationwide, over 50,000 schools and community groups have signed up to help collect over 25 million used pieces of packaging. Through the TerraCycle “Brigades,” schools and non-profits will earn close to one million dollars this year.
Walmart is selling the widest range of TerraCycle’s ‘Upcycled’ products. Recently, during the month of April (in honor of Earth Day), TerraCycle’s products were sold right next to original items, so tote bags made from Frito-Lay wrappers were sold with bags of Frito-Lay chips and backpacks made from Capri Sun drink pouches were sold next to boxes of the popular juice. Two of the most popular items are purses and shoulder bags for teens and adults made from popular Mars candy wrappers like M&M’s and Skittles.
This initiative allowed students both locally and across the nation to actually “see” the results of their efforts when they shop at local stores.
In addition to schools in surrounding areas, including Blacksburg, the schools that are currently participating in this project include Fallon Park Elementary, Preston Park Elementary and Glenvar Elementary, and of course the unique Fishburn Elementary. Roanoke citizens and their children could be impacting the future in a very positive way by saving these items and dropping them off at these schools.
The students enjoy seeing the recycle bins fill with the shiny drink pouches and other items. Our collective trash is TerraCycle’s treasure … and it helps fill schools’ coffers. Children and pennies have a long history of being pals. They may not be able to buy “penny candy” any more, but the saving of pennies is still an important value to be learned, and the partnership with the “upcycling” company TerraCycle is helping them to do just that.
For more information or for schools / groups that would like to sign up with TerraCycle, visit www.terracycle.net.
By Christine Slade [email protected]