If you have old plastic yogurt containers, laundry detergent bottles or coffee canisters, they can be donated to make new desktops for school children.
The Guam Green Growth Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub is collecting recyclable plastics to keep them out of the landfill. G3 Makerspace fellow Justin Cruz created a prototype for a desk using recycled plastics, and the idea was turned into a full-scale project.
A waste characterization report commissioned by the Guam Environmental Protection Agency and the Guam Bureau of Statistics and Planning found that plastics make up around 25% of the island’s waste that ends up in the Layon landfill. Plastics were the second most common material found, following organic waste.
“A lot of our schools have poor-quality desks,” said Emily Wendte, G3 Makerspace coordinator. “The tops of the desks are made from a composite material that disintegrates, making them unsafe for kids to use. So, they end up throwing the whole desk away.”
Starting with one classroom at Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School in Dededo, the G3 Makerspace aims to complete between 30 and 50 desks, according to Wendte.
To create the new desktops, the G3 Makerspace would need two types of recyclable plastics: #2 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and #5 polypropylene (PP). HDPE is commonly found in shampoo bottles and laundry detergent containers, while PP is used in yogurt containers and some to-go food containers.
Those interested in donating plastic containers can drop them off at the Plastic Resource Center of the G3 Makerspace and Innovation Hub (Unit 114) at the CHamoru Village. Donations are accepted every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. during Night Market. For more information, call 671-683-7715.
Before Donating Containers:
- Check the recycling number. Look for the number inside the recycling symbol, usually located on the bottom or back of the container.
- Only #2 (HDPE) and #5 (PP) plastics are accepted. Examples include coffee containers (except lids), laundry detergent bottles, yogurt containers, and to-go food containers.
- Remove all labels and clean thoroughly. Unclean plastics won’t fuse properly and could damage the machines