Weston High School Students Tackle Community Plastic Bag Issue

WESTON, MA – JUNE 21, 2021. At Weston High School, the Students for Environmental Action Club (SEA) team led by Sophomore Max Tomczak created a recycling campaign to collect 40,000 plastic bags, or approximately 500 pounds of plastic, throughout Weston and transform the waste into a community bench through a partnership with the Trex Company. The students recently surpassed their goal and, for their achievements, have been awarded a $500 grant to further their projects’ impact.

Tomczak and the SEA were inspired to start this campaign when the Governor of Massachusetts banned the usage of reusable plastic bags in supermarkets at the height of the pandemic during the summer of 2020. With this sudden change, plastic bags began to pile up in people’s homes and it became evident that a solution was needed.

The students responded by setting up collection sites at three locations throughout their community, managing the day-to-day maintenance and coordination to get the plastics picked up by Trex.

“One of the main challenges we were facing was having to sort through these bins, making sure that we were not recycling something that we aren’t able to,” said Max. “I think that our community has a real issue with managing plastic bags, and that is made clear through the success of this campaign. We were able to collect over 100 lbs. of plastic in just a few weeks, and the speed at which these bags were coming in only seemed to pick up.”

This six-month-long recycling project was created as part of the environmental education nonprofit, Grades of Green’s Climate Solutions Campaign, a program in which student leaders launch their own climate-focused advocacy projects in communities located around the globe. The 2020-2021 school year was the first iteration of the Climate Solutions Campaign and welcomed 593 students who impacted more than 140,000 of their community members with their projects.

“We are so impressed by Max and the students at Weston High for their passion to reduce plastic pollution. You can see the dedication in the way they’ve inspired their school and community to work together,” said Kim Siehl, Executive Director at Grades of Green. “Seeing intrepid students like Max and their innovative projects come to fruition is why we know that our student Eco-Leaders are the future, and the future is in good hands.”

Using the Eco-Grant award, Max hopes to gain additional funding and support to secure a full-time baler at the town’s recycling center, the Weston Transfer Station, which will help ensure a long-term solution of recycling bags locally in Weston.

ABOUT GRADES OF GREEN

Founded in 2009, Grades of Green is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been mentoring and equipping students with the knowledge and leadership skills they need to create meaningful environmental change locally and globally. The organization’s award-winning programs and project-based approach have a proven track record of empowering the next generation of Eco-Leaders by guiding students to make measurable and scalable environmental impact in their communities, create lasting policy change through civic engagement, and connect with a global network of fellow environmental leaders. Grades of Green provides these services at no cost to the students, their parents or schools. Students can join Grades of Green by clicking here.