No2Plastic school challenge kicks off at Bend High
A student-led challenge to reduce the use of single-use plastics kicked off Monday at Bend Senior High School and at another school in Colorado. The two will compete to see which school can have the most positive impact.
Bend High and Kent Denver School in Denver are the two schools in the U.S. kicking off the No2Plastic campaign.
Brown Cannon, the founder of the nonprofit No2Plastic , said the idea stemmed from his 20 years of work as a professional nature and climate photographer.
“I’ve seen plastics accumulate over those 20 years, both inside the U.S. and outside the U.S.,” Cannon said. “So no2plastic.org is a nonprofit dedicated to reduce single-use plastics to benefit planet and human health.”
The pledge encourages students to invite peers, teachers, parents and other schools to participate.
“Students today in high school don’t have the ability to vote yet, but they want to do something,” said Paul Hutter , a science teacher at Bend High. “They see the problems that exist in our environment, and they want to do something, so this is a way for them to take individual action.”
Gigi Johnson, the co-president of Bend High’s Environment Club, said making small changes such as ordering a drink without a plastic straw or bringing your own utensils to school or work can make a big impact.
“If you can order and say, ‘I don’t need the straw, thank you, though,’ that’s a good step in the right direction,” Johnson said.
Students can track their school’s progress on the No2Plastic online leaderboard. They can also share their efforts on social media by using the hashtags # n2pschoolchallenge and # no2plastic .
Students at Bend’s Highland Elementary School and Pacific Crest Middle School have also taken the pledge online.
The school with the least amount of single-use plastic waste at the end of the school year wins a prize.
By pushing their peers to reduce single-use plastic in daily life, these young leaders are trying to show micro efforts can lead to a macro effect.
To join the effort and track your local school’s progress, visit www.no2plastic.org.
