Mill Plain Elementary School students learned a pile of feather-light bags can add up to a ton of plastic.
Over the last six months, students at the east Vancouver school collected 1,989 pounds of plastic bags, wraps and film, which earned them first place in a recycling competition involving 21 schools in Clark County. In all, the 21 participating schools collected nearly 6 tons of materials — about 11,800 pounds — including bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, cereal box liners, produce bags, and plastic over-wrap for paper towel rolls.
The products will go to the Trex Company, which will recycle the material into composite lumber at its Nevada plant.
Friday afternoon, the jubilant Mill Plain students packed into the gym for a victory celebration. Trex representative Stephanie Hicks presented the school with its prize: a Trex composite bench. All participating local schools received Trex planter boxes.
Hicks explained that a mixture of recycled plastic bags and sawdust is heated to 600 degrees so it becomes like modeling clay. Next, it’s pushed into the shape of decking boards that harden and dry as they cool.
“Wow,” the students said, applauding.
Then Bagzilla entered the gym and everyone freaked out. The kids shrieked at the sight of the monster, which was Josy Wright of Waste Connections covered head-to-toe in hundreds of grocery bags. The bags bobbed and swayed as she moved.
Bagzilla, who turned out to be a friendly monster, coached students in a game of “toxic beach ball” played with a large wad of plastic wrap while parents and faculty waved pompoms on the sidelines.
Then it was time to dance. As “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” boomed over the speakers, city of Vancouver recreation specialist Bret Kertz led the amped-up students through the steps, which included “doing the stanky leg.”
Mill Plain building secretary Lori Strohl, who participated in Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, said she was amazed at how much plastic she managed to bring in daily.
“What’s really great is we’re training our young people to save the planet,” she said. “We have kids who are pestering their parents to bring in stuff from work. … It’s really cool.”
Top schools in other participating local school districts — Liberty Middle School, Battle Ground High School and Sarah J. Anderson Elementary — also received a Trex bench.
Led by the Trex company and the city of Vancouver Solid Waste and Recycling, the local Trex Challenge had the help of schools, Bernadette Donald with Clark County’s Green Schools Program, Waste Connections of Washington, the Wrap Recycling Action Program, Safeway and other retail stores.
The city’s Beyond Bags program encourages recycling of clean bags, wraps and film at participating local grocers and retailers. Plastic bags and wrap get tangled in sorting equipment at the recycling plant and should not be placed in curbside recycling carts.
To learn more, go to www.cityofvancouver.us/beyondbags
