For the past two years at Roslyn Middle School, teacher Brian Schoenfelder and his self-contained special education classes ran a plastic bag recycling program. In addition to the educational and functional learning aspects about the environment, sustainability and the responsibility of running a program, the students represented the school by entering a national recycling contest that runs from September to Earth Day in April.
Partnering with Trex and Kohls, Roslyn Middle School has collected over 800 pounds of plastic in the last two school years. This year alone they collected a total of 544 pounds of plastic bags and plastic film which was enough to earn them third place in the national competition for the middle school enrollment 601-1000 category. Nationally, the competition collected 367,903 pounds. This is equivalent to nine tractor trailers.
“For our participation in the competition the school will be given a composite wood flower box made by Trex which was made in part from our recycled plastic bags,” said Schoenfelder. “Furthermore the company that assembled the flower boxes, NW Works, is a company that trains and employs adults with disabilities. This example of inclusivity is what Roslyn Middle School works to achieve daily within our school community, making this flower box that much more gratifying.”
This experience has been a win for all concerned, said Schoenfelder. It is a lesson that one bag does make a difference. Students have learned that with our “one less bag” approach, we contributed to the removal of over 300,000 pounds of plastic from our country’s landfills and oceans.
Roslyn Middle School students were recognized for their achievement and dedication to the environment at the annual SEPTA lunch on June 5 at Heights School.
Submitted by the Roslyn school district
