Spensley’s grade 6’s at McKim Middle School connected so deeply with their first waste reduction project, that we took on another: making paper!
Our first waste reduction project of making reusable bags from old t-shirts focused mostly on the middle “R”, this project was all about the third, and final “R”: recycling. We talk often about the “three Rs”, and in Beyond Recycling, we talk often about the ORDER of the “three Rs”: reduce, reuse, then recycle. Order matters. If you can start by reducing your waste, the amount of stuff you have, then you won’t have as much to manage and won’t have as many materials/stuff to think of ways to reuse. Only after you have reduced and reused all you can, should you move onto recycling as a waste solution.
Scrap paper at school adds up quickly and truthfully, there aren’t a lot of ways to reuse tiny pieces or paper that’s already been used on both sides. In comes papermaking.
We set up an in-class recycling facility, and it’s not as hard as you might think. The first step is to rip scrap paper into small pieces and put in the blender with water. Once it reaches a smoothie-like consistency, the mixture is filtered, shaped and rolled before being left out to dry for a few days. Once dry, students can turn their paper into creative art such as bookmarks, greeting cards, and holiday decorations.
It’s no surprise this class enjoy putting their learning into hands-on action!
