Southeast students draw attention to plastic waste

Southeast Lauderdale seventh graders on Monday spoke to the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors about their recent project to collect, reuse and recycle plastic waste. Over the course of a week, the students gathered more than 6,000 pieces of waste plastic.

A portion of the material was taken to a recycling facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Students also plan to reuse some collected plastic bottles to build a watering system for the school’s raised garden beds and other plastic waste to build a mural raising awareness about plastic recycling.

As part of their project, the students explored the impact plastic waste has on the environment and brainstormed ideas about how to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in oceans and landfills. Some suggestions included public recycling programs, community cleanup initiatives and efforts to bring awareness to the issue.

Supervisor Josh Todd said the Southeast class had done its research well and delivered a professional presentation to the board.

“You all looked awesome,” he said.

Supervisor Kyle Rutledge said the hands-on approach to learning about plastic waste will help students remember what they learned for a long time.