Children’s Involvement in Collecting Plastic Caps and Creating Tables Enhances Environmental Awareness
We first became aware of Green Tree Plastics, Inc. and their ABC Partnership program when two former CUMNS Kids students asked for help in gathering plastic caps and lids for their elementary school’s bench project. As we got involved in helping them, our class got excited about saving caps and lids. Preschoolers love collecting things and sorting them. Their excitement spread to other classes at our school and they also got involved. After the elementary school reached their goal, we decided that we should do the program and get the picnic tables that we have wanted for several years.
I contacted Green Tree Plastics through their website, www.greentreeplastics.com, and got our school registered with their ABC program with the intent to get two picnic tables. Our administration was very supportive of this project. I presented the plan to teachers at a staff meeting. Our school-wide project was enthusiastically launched the following week. I prepared posters advertising our recycling project. Those included lists of the types of caps and lids we needed to collect. Each classroom had a poster and a collection box. Fliers were given to parents. Emails were sent to parents and the church leadership and congregation asking them to help us. We also reached out to the church’s adult day care center staff to get their help. Collection boxes were placed in the welcome center at our school and the church.
Our children and parents have learned more about the recycle numbers on the plastics needed to make the tables. Only those with #2, #4 or #5 in the little recycle triangle would be accepted. Everyone has done very well collecting the necessary caps and lids in the few months that we have been working on this project. Project reminders have been included in weekly school communications to parents. Our progress has also been reported. We will need to fill many 50-gallon bags of caps and lids to reach the 700 pounds needed for one picnic table. Keeping and even increasing the number of participants as well as keeping the level of enthusiasm high will be keys to our success. Our PTO has agreed to provide the money needed to pay for the two tables. This money comes from school-wide fundraisers that have been held this year. We are very grateful for their support. When we have collected the 700 pounds of plastic caps and lids, I will contact Green Tree Plastics and a delivery date will be arranged. We are responsible for transporting those bags to their facility in Evansville. One of our parents does business in Evansville and his company has trucks that could make the delivery for us. Our picnic table will be loaded on that same truck that very day and brought back to our school. We will have a super celebration when that happens! Then we will launch another campaign to get our second table. We expect to impact even more children over that span of time.
Challenges or Obstacles:
- Collecting the necessary pounds of plastic caps and lids could take a longer time than anticipated.
- The group could lose enthusiasm for the project and abandon it before realizing their goal.
- Sustaining enthusiasm for reaching the goal could be a challenge.
- Obtaining the manpower and truck to deliver the recycled materials and pick up the product could be an obstacle.
- Raising the money needed to complete the deal with Green tree Plastics or finding a donor from the community could also be an obstacle.
Benefits and Successes:
- A major requirement for our participation in the ABC Partnership program is that children must play an active role in the project. Their involvement is also the greatest benefit in doing this school project!
- Their eagerness to collect the necessary plastics and their pride in knowing that they do have an important role in getting picnic tables for their school community is priceless.
- They are also realizing that recycling for a purpose is so much better for our earth than having the plastics end up in a landfill.
- A large picnic table will be a valuable addition to our playground. It would provide a place for children to do additional recreational and educational activities such as playing games, reading, creating art and building with manipulatives and other materials.
Submitted by: Marilynn Teel, CUMNS Kids