We’re always excited to learn about people, companies and organizations working together to find new and innovative ways to use recycled plastics.
We recently learned of an exciting collaboration between Burton Snowboards and Mountain Dew, who have teamed up to create clothes – apparel and outerwear – from fabrics made out of recycled plastic bottles. You can read about it here: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/16/4059392/burton-snowboards-mountain-dew.html
Burton is starting with T-shirts and plans to move into outerwear next year. This innovative partnership is good for both business and the environment.
Currently this clothing is only available at certain Burton stores, but the retailer promises to expand its distribution soon, so next time you shop for athletic wear, keep an eye out for this and other products made with recycled plastics.
The following is an interview with Alberto Lopez, LA’s BEST site coordinator at Esperanza Elementary. Below Alberto talks about how the Go H2O challenge impacted his school community.
Q: How did you bring the Go H2O challenge into your program?
A: We brought it to the site with great expectations and motivations. Being a very “green” person, I knew that I would bring the challenge to the forefront of what we were doing at LA’s BEST to emphasize the importance of recycling and drinking water. We even showed a demo of why drinking water was good for you and how soda could slow a person down.
Q: What did the kids learn through this challenge?
A: The students grasped the concept of the challenge. They loved the water bottles and the fact that they could personalize them.
Q: How important is it that kids in the LA’s BEST program learn about recycling?
A: That is an important part of what we do at my site. We teach the “4 R’s,” especially the new “R”, Renew. We give the students demos and activities to show how they can “renew” their old items. We also emphasized why it was better for the environment to reuse their water bottles instead of buying new ones all the time.
Q: Has the Go H2O challenge changed the way your site talks about recycling and healthy habits?
A: It sparked an interest in my staff and my students that wasn’t there before. The fact that my staff has embraced the “4 R’s” is a great testament to what the Go H2O Challenge brought to my site.
Q: What does it mean to you as a site coordinator to be involved in the Go H2O challenge?
A: Everything! I believe that we are all connected. Therefore, what we do as a site and as an organization has a huge impact on our community and on others. We can set the example for our students, who take it to their families, who take it to their communities and so on.
Q: This program works to make the kids ambassadors of healthy habits among their friends and families. What are some examples of how the kids have taken what they’ve learned back to their homes?
A: We have continued recycling. Whenever we have events at our site, we drink water or make lemonade instead of buying it and when the students make it themselves, they realize it has less sugar. Parents have become curious and gotten involved because their kids are going crazy with recycling everything and anything at home.
Q: Have the kids started taking the initiative to recycle at your site since the program launched?
A: We do it every single day: plastic bottles, paper and our famous crayon which we make by melting old crayons and molding them into cool shapes for the kids to use again. The kids are the reason that we do all of these things around here. They are our leaders!
This year’s Earth Day events were the busiest yet, with everything from water bottle bowling (yes, really) to an art contest. And ACC was fortunate to be part of them all.
We got a jump start on our Earth Day celebrations with the students of LA’s BEST. At Grape Elementary School in Los Angeles, we hit the playground and marked the day with games that incorporated recyclable “equipment” the students brought in from home. Take a look at the photos to see what I mean!
It was the perfect way to creatively underscore just how easy it is to reduce, reuse and recycle and continue the Go H2O! challenge. It was so much fun, in fact, that some of the students pulled out their drums for an impromptu performance.
A few days later, we gathered with Keep California Beautiful and our other partners to launch our statewide plans for the Great American Cleanup. As always, we’ll be out in full force throughout the year collecting litter and recycling aluminum, glass, plastic, paper and other materials – but the focus for 2011 is on electronic waste (e-waste) collection.
Californians pride themselves on being ahead of the curve with their electronics – and with good reason. But it’s also important to remember much of our electronic equipment can and should be recycled. You might even be surprised to learn that thirteen McDonald’s restaurants throughout the state are providing receptacles for e-waste.
This year’s kickoff event also provided the opportunity for us to display the winning art pieces from the “Junk and Gunk” art contest. “Waste Not, Want Not” trophies were awarded to students from Arvin Union School District and Santa Barbara Home Based Partnership, who won their divisions of the Waste Minimization competition during the 2010 California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge. See for yourself how impressive the creativity of California high school students has proven to be again this year.
For us here at ACC, every day is Earth Day as our member companies and their employees strive to reduce, reuse and recycle not only the products we manufacture, but the products we use every day. Join us!
The following is a guest post by Brigette Prospal, a student at San Diego State University majoring in Liberal Studies with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.
In the summer of 2010 I worked as a paid college intern for the California State Parks educational program, which was co-sponsored by ACC. This program teaches children the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and how to protect our oceans from marine debris through litter prevention and recycling. I talked about why we recycle which is to reduce waste going into landfills, save animals and their habitats and to conserve raw materials. I also discussed ways to be more sustainable, such as people driving echo friendly cars, changing their light bulbs or turning off the lights, turning down their water heaters or something as simple as reusing or recycling plastic bags. During this experience I learned how much plastic is thrown away rather than recycled. Additionally, I gained valuable skills that I will use when I make the transition from college to the workforce. I also discovered that many recyclables can have a second life. For example, water bottles can become shoes; tires can become turf for playgrounds; and cans can become insulation.
During some of the Jr. Ranger programs, campfire programs and school visits this past summer, I taught the children sign language. I am fluent in American Sign Language, and I had fun incorporating sign language into the recycling and ecology lessons I taught. This internship also gave me the opportunity to work on my public speaking skills. I am no longer afraid to get up in front of a group of people and talk to them and these skills will benefit me in all future pursuits.
During the beach cleanups I had to be very organized and utilize multitasking skills, because having 10 people come up to you at once can be overwhelming. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to brush up on public speaking, create educational materials and learn how to be more organized. Also, learning to recycle and generally be more sustainable (some people like to call it “going green”) has been a great experience for me, and I now apply these methods in my own home. This internship was an invaluable experience, and I look forward to another summer to build on what I’ve learned.
The following is a guest post by Antonio Gamboa, President of the Diamond Bar Soccer League
I’ll be the first to admit: I never thought much about recycling. I mean, I knew it was good to do for the environment and that it helps keep our communities clean, but that was about it. Now, the Diamond Bar Soccer League is inspired. The Recycle.Goal. contest has opened our eyes to many new possibilities.
Recycle.Goal. was a competition for soccer teams throughout Southern California to see which team could recycle the most materials by weight. We had five teams participate from our club, and our boys and girls recycled a little more than 1,100 pounds of aluminum, glass and plastic in 6 weeks. I’m very proud of my teams, but I’m even more proud that they have caught recycling fever.
Each team received a generous gift card from Sports Authority for recycling the minimum amount of materials, and we’re grateful for that, but Recycle.Goal. will continue to pay off long after we’ve used the gift cards.
Because of Recycle.Goal., my entire league has started two new recycling programs: for printer cartridges and for electronic waste. Soon, we’ll start collecting and recycling juice pouches, which are so popular with players on game days and at practices.
We have learned a great deal about the value of recycling, thanks to the program and all of the supporters: Keep California Beautiful, the American Chemistry Council, Sports Authority and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
All of the funds we collect through our new programs will go right back to where they belong—to the kids.
Again, we are grateful that Recycle.Goal. has given us so much, but it’s really only just begun. We have so much left to do and so much more to collect to keep our cities a little cleaner and our fields a little greener.
The following is a guest post by Kristen Smith, Fundraising Manager of the Canyon Panther Soccer Academy.
Members of the Canyon Panther Soccer Academy
As many parents of youth athletes know, fundraising for our children’s sporting careers is not always easy. We constantly find ourselves pushing candy and calendars and raffle tickets on to our family and friends. We work snack bars at tournaments and during league games to raise funds as well. It’s all a labor of love.
That sort of fundraising goes one direction – to the kids. Really that’s what matters the most. It’s not often, though, that we find a fundraising opportunity that not only benefits the community but also sends a strong, positive message to our children.
When I first learned about Recycle.Goal. I honestly thought it was too good to be true. All the teams had to do was recycle? And by participating they received gift cards to Sports Authority? After speaking with a program representative, I was sold.
Our players started recycling immediately. Motivated by the grand prize of a trip to a LA Galaxy event, they found opportunities to recycle everywhere from their homes and neighborhoods to the field. From a parent’s perspective, it was easy. In the end, our players were so proud to have recycled more than 200 pounds of material and kept their environment a little cleaner.
Thank you to all the partners – American Chemistry Council, Sports Authority, LA Galaxy and Keep California Beautiful. Canyon PSA was proud to be part of the inaugural Recycle.Goal. competition.
I was so pleased to see this article about the increased rate of recycling in San Diego that I wanted to share it with you all.
San Diego’s ability to combine smart policies and public education sets a great example for us all. We commend city officials for broadening the list of plastics that municipal facilities can accept while also making it easier for residents to reduce waste. California’s potential for increasing the statewide waste diversion rate looks bright with San Diego leading the way!
ACC recently had the pleasure of spending a Sunday morning with the LA’s BEST community to announce the Go H2O! Challenge. The Challenge, now in its second year, is an exciting way to educate more students and families in Los Angeles about recycling and healthy habits. You can read more about the challenge here. Now that we have officially launched the second year of the program, keep an eye out for more exciting news from the challenge. And don’t forget to Go H2O!
Despite the cloudy day, the LA's BEST community was out in full force.
Recycling tip magnets and stickers were a hit at our GO H2O! booth.
I was recently in San Bernardino with Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod to officially kick off an exciting new program for the Too Valuable to WasteSM campaign called Recycle. Goal. We’ve teamed up with the Alliance Futbol Club, Diamond Bar Soccer League, Los Angeles Galaxy, Sports Authority and Keep California Beautiful to develop a new “competition” among youth soccer players aimed at preventing litter through increased recycling. “Recycle. Goal.” is a competition that awards $1,000 Sports Authority gift cards to teams who recycle at least 10 pounds of plastic. The lucky team that recycles the most plastic will get free tickets to an upcoming Los Angeles Galaxy game.
Many of the plastics collected by these teams will be used to create second-generation products ranging from fleece jackets and detergent containers to carpeting and composite lumber for outdoor decking. Some of the plastics collected will even be used to make professional soccer jerseys, just like the ones that were designed for the World Cup this summer (you can read Tim’s post about that here. “Recycle. Goal.” will also help prevent litter from ending up on our streets and in our waterways by rewarding teams for recycling. One of the great things about this program is that it reminds us we all have the same goal: to keep our environment and our cities clean so future generations—and soccer players—can enjoy them.
Our readers have seen a lot on this blog about how the Plastics. Too Valuable To Waste. Recycle.SM campaign works with our partners to encourage recycling throughout the state of California. From state beaches to state parks and even highway rest stops ,we’re working hard to make sure that Californians and visitors have access to recycling opportunities wherever they are.
Recently we were talking about how we can all be recycling ambassadors in our own homes and communities. I wanted to share a post by one of our bloggers, Ryan Kenny, whose awareness about and efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle go beyond the office. Other colleagues have talked about collecting recyclable items at kids’ soccer games and taking them home to their own recycling bins or making it easy for party guests to recycle at backyard barbeques. When you think about it, there are lots of creative ways we can make it easy to increase what we recycle. We’d love to hear about your ideas.
How do you make recycling part of your daily life? Please share your tips and observations about recycling by posting them in our comments section!
Here in Sacramento, I make sure to take my bags and product overwraps back to my neighborhood Raley’s every week for recycling. It’s a habit that fits easily into my regular routine. But in LA, residents don’t have to bring it back because their curbside bins accept bags and film, and a new report indicates that they’re embracing that option in impressive numbers.
The study, recently released by Moore Recycling Associates, Inc., shows a remarkable 39 percent growth in the curbside recycling of plastic bags and film in Los Angeles County between 2007 and 2009. While bags and film can include clings and product wraps, plastic bag recycling alone grew by 62 percent during this time period, suggesting that Los Angeles County Residents, in increasing numbers, are taking advantage of being able to put their plastic bags and film into curbside recycling bins.
Plastic bags and film comprise a broad category of materials that can be recycled together, including plastic grocery and retail bags, newspaper bags, dry cleaning bags, commercial pallet wrap, and product wraps from bread, beverage cases, diapers, baby wipes and bulk snack foods.
In addition to the curbside collection of plastic bags and film, there is a growing infastructure of approximately 400 large grocery and retail stores in Los Angeles County and over 15,000 nationwide that take back plastic bags and film for recycling. Plastic bags and film can go on to live second lives as durable composite decking, home building products, and even new plastic bags!
No matter where you live in California, large grocers and pharmacies will take back your plastic bags and film for recycling. Ironically, bag bans have the potential to eliminate these programs.
And now that we’re seeing evidence of just how well bag recycling is catching on with Los Angeles families, it’s better timing than ever to maintain and expand programs to recycle bags. It doesn’t matter if recycling happens curbside or at the store; recycling works, and this study suggests that when education meets opportunity, we’re all empowered to recycle more and make a difference.
For more information on where to recycle your bags or additional information on innovative plastic bag recycling programs, visit http://www.plasticbagfacts.org.
On Saturday, April 17th, dozens attended the South Lake Tahoe, CA Earth Day celebration at the local community college. In the spirit of the event, Sustainability Commissioner Tom Wendell transported a recycle bin to the event on his bike trailer!
Later that week, an Earth Day inspired mixer at the South Shore Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce at Embassy Suites presented yet another opportunity to talk about local recycling options, including the innovative new curbside plastic bag and film recycling program ‘Blue Bag.’ program.
Why all the fanfare? The South Lake Tahoe Sustainability Commission recently voted to launch a recycling and public education program to help keep plastic bags out of local waterways. They are currently working with several stakeholders, including ACC, to get the message out. Commissioner Wendell focused on highlighting opportunities to recycle plastics, both at home and at grocery stores.
Residents of South Lake Tahoe, CA, enjoy some of the finest scenery the world has to offer, and it’s important that we work to keep it that way. ACC looks forward to working with stakeholders in designing a program that educates residents and tourists about recycling plastic bags and wraps.
For information on where you can recycle bags in California or anywhere in the United States, visit www.plasticbagrecycling.org
As I mentioned a few posts ago , we put together “Go H20!” Recycling Festivals at 91 LA’s BEST sites for students to test their recycling knowledge and have some fun celebrating Earth Day. It was a huge hit with over 15,000 students in the Los Angeles area and the kids had a great time practicing their bowling and juggling skills. Take a look at the pictures to see for yourself—the smiles on the faces of the kids is a great testament to the fact that learning combined with fun can make for positive results. If you’re looking for engaging and educational ways to teach your kids about recycling, feel free to try some of the games in this toolkit and host your own Recycling Festivals. Be sure to let us know how they go in the comments section!
Ryan Kenny celebrating Planet Party Day with the Manteca School District
I had the pleasure of attending the recent “Planet Party Day” with MANY students from the Manteca Unified School District. What a party it was!
Nearly 2,000 sixth grade students enjoyed displays, demonstrations and interactive exhibits about clean air, energy, water, recycling, conservation and green innovations.
As always, it was a treat to speak with young people about their role in recycling and encouraging family and friends to do the same. At our table, the students saw an example of a plastic bag and wrap recycling bin often found at any large grocery store or pharmacy. They also received rulers made from recycled plastic bottles, recycling fun facts, trivia questions to quiz friends and family, and refrigerator magnets reminding them what types of plastic bags and wraps can be recycled. Of course, the plastic bag holders made of recycled plastic bottles were a hit too.
Most students were surprised to learn that the rulers could be made of recycled plastics, which really helped drive home our main point – showing them how plastics can have a second life and it’s up to us to give them that second life by recycling.
Overall, it was a reminder that it is important for the next generation of Californians to understand their role in California’s environmental future and I was thrilled to have so many positive discussions about recycling.
Earth Day began on April 22, 1970. In the decades since, this event has spread across the globe with thousands of events in almost 200 countries.
Meanwhile, my organization, Keep California Beautiful, continues to do its part every day by working with a variety of partners to support a wide range of efforts to reduce, reuse, recycle and clean up our communities.
Our strong partnerships are the key to what we do. For example, almost three years ago, KCB teamed up with California State Parks and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to begin a partnership that placed and continues to maintain more than 500 seasonal and permanent recycling bins at more than 20 key beaches along California’s coast. And the partnerships keep growing. KCB is currently working with Caltrans and ACC to place and maintain recycling bins at some of California’s busiest rest stops. The first batch of recycling bins was installed at the H. Dana Bowers Rest Area/Vista Point near San Francisco.
KCB, Caltrans and ACC are teaming up again today—this time to launch the Great American Cleanup™ in California. While the announcement is taking place in Sacramento, the “Clean Up” is actually a series of beautification projects and other activities taking place throughout California. This is the 40th birthday of Earth Day, and we plan to celebrate it big.
Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and we’ve been working with our friends at LA’s BEST to put together a fun and educational way for the students to celebrate the occasion. This week, 91 LA’s BEST sites—that’s almost 15,000 students—will participate in Earth Day festivals that will test their recycling knowledge while they have some fun.
These festivals are an extension of The “Go H20!” challenge, which aims to educate LA’s BEST students and their families about the importance of recycling plastics and reducing waste while emphasizing how drinking more water can promote a healthy lifestyle. Last fall, ACC supplied the LA’s BEST program with 15,000 reusable plastic water bottles made out of recyclable material and students participating in the challenge learned why water is a healthy choice and how choosing a re-usable, recyclable container benefits the earth. You can read more about the challenge here.
We’ll be sure to post pictures of the festivals so you can learn how to juggle plastic bags and practice your own water bottle bowling skills. In the meantime, let us know how you plan to commemorate Earth Day this year in the comments below.
Bruce Saito, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, and Xzibit celebrate with the LA Conservation Corps Scholars at the recent event in Los Angeles.
The following is a guest post by Bruce Saito, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps.
As the director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, I am constantly amazed by the work our members do and the organizations that come forward to support them. Recently, I had the honor of celebrating both of these groups: our Corps graduates and our partners.
It was truly an occasion to celebrate – we were awarding 150 scholarships to our most deserving participants in the presence of community leaders and our partners including the American Chemistry Council. In January, we received a $100,000 grant from ACC to help us fund our important program, the LA River Keepers.
In times like these, when headlines remind us daily about bad news for city budgets and public programs, we look to our partners for help. With ACC’s donation and this newly established partnership, we will be able to extend our impact through the LA River Keepers program. Through this program, we work to keep the LA River beautiful by removing litter and debris and promoting environmental education, as well as providing job skills training for area youth. During the past 24 years, the Corps has planted more than 100,000 trees, removed 13 million square feet of graffiti, restored 2,300 acres of natural habitat and recycled 10,000 tons of bottles and cans.
While the River Keepers program does a great job keeping the physical area clean and free of litter, we also work to make a difference beyond the river’s edge. Through our job skills training, we work to instill confidence in our Corps members and inspire them to promote positive change in their lives. We heard from some of our Corps graduates at the event and I was so proud of them and their dedication. I am also very proud of this program for impacting their lives in such a meaningful way. I know that our program, through partnerships with organizations like ACC, will continue to make an impact on our city and our city’s youth for years to come.
For more information about LA Conservation Corps programs, visit www.lacorps.org.
As millions of soccer fans gather this summer to watch the World Cup, recycling is not likely to be a top of mind priority. Yet many of the players will be living examples of how plastics recycling has evolved. Players from Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands will be sporting high-tech, “wicking” jerseys made with the use of recycled plastic fibers. Just think that the bottled water or sports drink you enjoyed today could very well end up in South Africa as part of the world’s most prestigious soccer tournament.
When consumers take part in recycling programs for plastics bottles, tubs, trays, and bags, it helps the whole recycling system work better by providing the material to make second-generation products like soccer jerseys, carpeting and composite lumber for outdoor decking. ACC is working to expand the plastic collection infrastructure so consumers can even more easily recycle their plastic bottles. So whether you are a world-class soccer professional, an amateur athlete or just a sports fan, you can do your part by remembering to recycle at home or on the playing field!
With all of the interesting conversations taking place out there about recycling and greener living, we wanted to take a few minutes to share some of our favorites from the past month. Enjoy this new monthly feature and let us know what you think in the comments section – and feel free to share some of your favorite links, too.
We’ve all heard the advice for helping businesses reduce waste: Print double sided! Recycle scrap paper! Provide coffee mugs instead of paper cups! So, in the interest of reducing, reusing and recycling at work, I thought I’d share my favorite recommendations on the Top Five Ways to Reduce Waste from the Comfort of your Own Cubicle.
1. Think Before You Print: It sounds obvious but sometimes we forget to ask ourselves if we really need a hard copy of a document or if we can edit it on the screen first and then print a final. The fewer sheets of paper that come off the printer and end up stashed in a folder, never to be seen again, the better!
2. Reusable Water Bottles – Not Just for The Gym Anymore: Keep a reusable water bottle on your desk and not only will you find yourself closer to drinking eight glasses of water every day, you’ll also get the added benefit of several trips back to the water cooler to visit colleagues along the way.
3. Turn it All Off: At the end of the day, shut down. Completely. Your computer worked hard for you so let it take a break too and shut everything off at night so it doesn’t suck energy until the next morning.
4. Coffee Mugs Make Great Conversation Starters: Ever wondered what you were going to do with that kitschy tourist mug that your great aunt brought back from Florida? Now you know – bring it to the office and reuse it for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. and trade stories with your colleagues about where they got their favorite mugs.
5. Be a Squeaky Wheel: If your company doesn’t buy recycled office supplies, ask why not. If the faucet in the restroom is leaky, see if building maintenance can fix it. If there is leftover lunch from a meeting, send out an email to co-workers to help themselves to leftovers so it doesn’t go to waste. Sometimes, it just takes one person to notice that there’s a better way and everyone can reap the benefits.
If we all make the effort to individually reduce, reuse and recycle at the office every day, we’ll make great strides toward reducing our businesses’ carbon footprints. And – even better – we’ll save money and add to the bottom line.
Have more ideas that you want to share about how you reduce, reuse and recycle at work? Post comments here and share your thoughts!
Sherri McCarthy (Manager, Western Region, American Chemistry Council) and Bruce Saito (Executive Director, LA Conservation Corps) look on as Councilman Ed P. Reyes speaks at the 1/28 River Keepers event in LA
It was an honor to stand with Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed Reyes, LA Conservation Corps executive director, Bruce Saito, and the Corps’ River Keepers Program members to announce a grant from the plastics manufacturers represented by ACC.
The contribution by the plastics industries of ACC will help to ensure that the vital LA River Keepers program will be able to continue their work of promoting recycling and keeping the LA River clean, while providing job skills, training, and work experience to an incredible group of young people you would be impressed to meet.
The LA River is challenged, as all urban waterways are, but it is an important and potentially beautiful resource for the city and its residents. I was pleased to be part of an event and a group of individuals dedicated to increasing recycling and keeping this important waterway clean.
LA River Keeper Volunteers hold the check at the 1/28 press event
The Los Angeles Daily News posted an op-ed by Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III about our work with LA’s BEST and the Go H2O Challenge. It’s a great partnership and we echo Assemblymember Hall’s kudos for the work done by LA’s BEST, the parents, kids, and staff to make recycling a big deal in the community. Check it out here!
Assemblyman Hall presents a student with a prize for correctly answering a trivia question. Hall was on hand to congratulate the students for their participation in the ‘Go H20!’ challenge.
I recently had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the students of the 109th and 112th Street schools in Los Angeles to celebrate the completion of the Go H20! Challenge (you can read about when we launched the challenge here.) We were joined by Assemblyman Isadore Hall, who represents the 52nd district of California. Assemblyman Hall came to congratulate the students for completing the Go H2O! Challenge and encourage them to continue to spread the word about recycling and healthy eating habits.
Although it was the last day before winter break, the students were enthusiastic, engaged, and excited to share their newfound knowledge about recycling and plastics. One group of students even wrote a song – complete with hand motions – about the types of materials that can be recycled.
Assemblyman Hall tested the student’s knowledge by playing a trivia game with them. The lucky student who answered correctly walked away with a crisp $100 bill from the Assemblyman! By the end of the afternoon, it was clear the students were well-versed on the importance of recycling and drinking more water. It was a great way to close out 2009.
You can see the students singing about reducing, reusing and recycling here.
The following is a guest post from Catherine Stringer, Vice President, Development & Public Affairs for LA’s BEST.
Two LA's BEST Participants show off their new water bottles.
Every afternoon at LA’s BEST, we give thousands of kids a safe and supervised place to learn and play. Like all educators, we hope that during their time with us we’ll be able to teach them lessons that will stay with them for life. That’s why we are so excited about our new partnership with ACC and the Go H20! Challenge, which asks our kids to choose water (out of a reusable, recyclable bottle) over sugary drinks like soda. A large part of our efforts revolve around teaching kids how to be healthy in all aspects of their lives. Working with ACC gives us an opportunity to emphasize the importance of healthy habits for people and the earth, like drinking more water and recycling more plastics. We want them to know that the choices they make—both big and small— can all add up to a healthier self and community.
The “Three Rs” (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) are an important and effective concept for kids to learn. The Go H20! challenge not only helps teach our kids about recycling, reducing, and reusing but also gives them a chance to take ownership of their recycling habits and promote the importance of the environment among family and friends.
As a nonprofit organization in today’s economy, we have to be vigilant with our resources. At times, this can make providing engaging programs a challenge, which is why we’re grateful to bring the Go H20! Challenge into our classrooms. We’re excited to teach our kids how to have fun, stay healthy and recycle!
Loading ...