Two Metro Nashville Public Schools are sitting pretty with a new Trex bench made from recycled plastic bags. 

The schools — Westmeade Elementary and Cora Howe — each hit it out of the park to win the A Bag’s Life competition which began in January and finished on Earth Day 2019. During the three-month competition, nearly 2 tons of plastic bags were collected and recycled by seven MNPS elementary schools. 

Westmeade collected 1,253 pounds of plastic bags and wraps, or almost 100,000 bags! For their hard work and “leave no bag behind” attitude, the school took home the bench and bragging rights as the school that collected the most overall. 

Westmeade Principal Stephen Breese

Cora Howe showed us how a community can come together to collectively recycle and keep bags and wraps out of landfills. The school, with less than 100 students, collected and recycled nearly 1,185 pounds of bags! 

Cora Howe Coordinator Rebecca Todd Zachary

By collecting nearly 12 pounds per student, the most of any school, Cora Howe also won a Trex bench. The school had a celebration May 7 to announce both winners.

Fantastic Welcome

Community Superintendent Dr. Dottie Critchlow kicked off the assembly noting that only 68 pounds of bags separated both winning schools. She said that all of Nashville won for keeping the bags and wraps out of landfills.

Dr. Dottie Critchlow

Five other elementary schools participated in the collection challenge: Hickman, Haywood, Shayne, J.E. Moss and Paragon Mills. With nearly 4,000 pounds of bags and wraps recycled, it was a great lesson about the 3 R’s for students, teachers and parents. While plastic bags cannot be recycled curbside in Nashville, they can be returned to retail stores like Publix and Target. 

Exciting times at Cora Howe

The Trex benches, each made from 10,000 recycled bags and wraps, will always be a reminder of how students and their parents can take the easy act of recycling and turn it into something they can all be proud of. 

BY THE NUMBERS

1,253 lbs collected by Westmeade — or almost 100,000 bags

1,185 lbs collected by Cora Howe 

1,000 lbs per student collected by Cora Howe

4,000 lbs — or 2 tons — were collected by 7 schools

68 lbs separated the 2 top schools

10,000 bags and wraps recycled in each Trex bench