HOB STEAM students recycle over 10,200 water bottles

Students from H.O. Brittingham Elementary School in Milton worked throughout the entire school year to collect and recycle over 10,200 plastic water bottles. 

In October, the science, technology, engineering, art and math program students initiated this large-scale recycling project after they analyzed the mathematics involved in throwing away water bottles. They recognized that if every HOB student takes a throw-away water bottle to lunch for 180 days, then 102,600 water bottles will end up in a landfill instead of being recycled, which results in miles and miles of plastic sitting in landfills for thousands of years. 

By sustaining this project over the entire school year, the students surpassed their original goal of 7,000 recycled bottles. They informed their peers of the project by making posters to let all the students at HOB know about their findings.  They also created water bottle recycling boxes for every hallway in the school. The students collected and counted bottles two times a week and even had a large rolling recycle bin donated for the cafeteria by Susan Potter, an HOB teacher. The students estimated the large bin could hold close to 600 bottles. The students also used their Lego Robotics program to build machines that locate and recycle water bottles from local beaches and the ocean.

The students will continue their efforts during the 2016-17 school year. In fact, they are working on a grant to supply HOB with reusable water bottles for all students, and plastic/paper recycling bins for all hallways and classrooms.