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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. 










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