POLICY
Our purpose is to understand the policies made regarding plastics. We are focusing mainly on plastic bag bans and taxes on plastic bags. Our main goal is to find out if bans or taxes on plastics is in fact good for the planet or not. We also want to understand all of the possible positive and negative effects of these bans or taxes.
MEDIA
As the Precious Plastic Media team, our aim is to use social media to document the growth and progress of Precious Plastic DePauw and to engage the DePauw and Greencastle communities. We also aim to learn about how various forms of social and visual media can be used as a storytelling vehicle, how it can be employed most effectively, and its role in past and current environmental movements to enhance both our own, as well as others’, understanding of issues surrounding plastic recycling.
HEALTH & SAFETY
By beginning with an understanding of the way plastics are separated and recycled, and through a thorough analysis of the the composition of plastics, we will know how to more safely recycle plastics for the general DePauw and Putnam County population. We aim to understand if plastics are currently being recycled effectively and efficiently, and determine how to intervene with as few negative consequences as possible (for those involved in the recycling process and a lesser environmental impact overall). By diligent research we will find which plastics are both safe and unsafe for handling and tampering. A primary aim of this group is to avoid hazardous activity throughout the duration of the recycling process. A key aspect of this project is also recycling items that are currently not being recycled as successfully as they could be.
Our mission is to educate the students of TZ Intermediate School of the issues surrounding plastic pollution and recycling. We will research youth environmental education and formulate a lesson plan to share with the different 4th grade classes throughout Earth Week. We hope to impart a motivation for continued environmental awareness and full participation in upcoming recycling projects for the community.
EDUCATION
RECYCLING
Our purpose is to help inform, inspire, and educate the students at DePauw University about the recycling process and to find a way to recycle plastics that aren’t typically recycled through Ray’s Trash Service. Through our own personal experiences and the collaboration of other sectors of the DePauw Precious Plastic Team, we hope to help people understand the greater depth to the process of recycling beyond a basic, superficial perception.
