Skip to main content

The Magic Number



Does this number mean anything to you?



Let me give you a hint. Does that ring a bell?




This is a recent post from the Instagram account of Upcycled, a Howard County nonprofit which was founded in 2019. Waste Warriors is an educational outreach program to local students providing free workshops about the environmental effects of plastic. Their Waste to Wonder initiative, begun in 2021, turns single-use plastics into building materials.

At Upcycled, our goal is to create a more environmentally conscious community through the collection of post-consumer plastic waste and upcycling into long-term products. We give single-use plastics, ones that most traditional recycling plants cannot process, a long-term purpose by turning them into building materials. 

So, what’s the picture all about? 9,000 what?




There you have it. Since 2021, Upcycled has diverted 9,000 pounds of plastic waste which woukd have ended up at the landfill or clogging area waterways and turned it into something new and useful. They’ve worked with school children and community groups to educate and engage on the topic of the plastic waste crisis. They’ve turned trash into benches and raised garden beds for community spaces.

 

Image from Upcycled web site 

What’s next?

Continuing the Mission: Waste Warriors Expands

As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we’re also looking ahead to the next phase of our journey. We’re excited to announce that our Waste Warriors education program will continue with ten additional workshops in 2025! These workshops will empower youth and community members to understand the impact of plastic waste and learn hands-on ways to make a difference.

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about why that number - - 9,000 pounds - - is so meaningful to me. I finally realized it has something to do with what is being collected. Upcycled works with the community to collect number 2 and number 5 plastics. Each piece individually is extremely lightweight. Imagine how many of these items must be amassed to equal even ten pounds, much less 9,000. 

So, how many individual pieces of plastic waste must that be? It’s mind-boggling. It represents community effort to set aside those items, get them to Upcycled, and/or to participate in clean up events throughout Howard County. It also means all the hours spent by Upcycled volunteers in processing materials as they progresss from trash to building materials and then benches, garden beds, and more.

The success of 9,000 pounds is possible only because of the progress in creating a more environmentally conscious community.

You can learn more about Upcycled on their website, on Facebook, and on Instagram. 










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more