The problem we want to fix is the environmental pollution and unnecessary resource depletion caused by non-recycled soft plastics, like shipping mailers. When these materials end up in landfills or escape into the environment, they contribute to microplastic contamination in our soil and water, harming local ecosystems and accelerating the need for new virgin plastic production.
We plan to create a dedicated, multi-step Plastic Mailer Recycling Initiative within our school and local community. Our first action will be designing and placing easily accessible collection bins in high-traffic areas, accompanied by simple, visual instructions on what plastics are accepted and how to prepare them (e.g., clean, dry, and removing all paper labels and bubble wrap). Next, we will launch an educational campaign through posters, social media, and school announcements to raise awareness about soft plastic pollution and the importance of this specific recycling stream. Finally, our team will establish a weekly rotation to collect, weigh, and verify the sorted plastic mailers before transporting the accumulated material to a local partner—such as a grocery store—that has a certified plastic film collection box. Our goal is to measure our progress by tracking the total pounds of plastic mailers successfully diverted from the landfill each month.
