Sustainable Maple Shade called on Maude Wilkens students to help with its annual Trash to Treasure (formerly Trick or Trash) candy wrapper collection and the response was amazing. The bags Sustainable dropped off to gather the collections quickly overflowed into boxes. Six full medium moving boxes later, the challenge ended, and the winner by a long shot were Ms. McIntyre’s & Ms. Jamielity’s class, filling one full box all on their own.
Sustainable members collect the candy wrappers in receptacles provided by the Rubicon Company. The boxes are taped up, then sent to Rubicon for processing, and then the candy wrappers start a “Second Life,” according to Rubicon, as part of the circular economy. The wrappers are sorted by material, cleaned, and ground into small pieces. The plastic pieces then go down a long conveyor belt and into a machine that heats the shredded material, turning it into very small balls called plastic pellets. These pellets are used to make new plastic items, like toys, chairs, and basically anything made of colored plastic.
Each town that takes part receives a certificate letting them know how many wrappers they rescued from the landfill and a tree planted in their honor. Rubicon works with the National Wildlife Foundation to help keep the animals and oceans safer by taking these wrappers, which take decades to decompose, out of the waste stream where they can easily blow away.
The winning classroom enjoyed pizza from the Yellow Submarine, along with cookies and juice boxes, all donated by Sustainable Maple Shade. They also received a certificate. The response was so awesome, a new box had to be ordered. That will make four full Trash to Treasure boxes Maple Shade will be sending back. Great job everyone!
Comments