After an entire month of collecting clothes and shoes in November, Planet Aid’s America Recycles Clothing Drive Contest has come to a victorious end! With 310 participating schools collecting 195,989 pounds of textiles, it’s a definite win for the environment because the donated items are headed for reusable destinies instead of a landfill.
It was four weeks of friendly competition, as the top ten list changed from week to week. However, the number one spot stayed consistent, and that position belonged to Randolph High School.
The Massachusetts school was announced as the grand prize contest winner in a Facebook Live on Tuesday, December 12. They won a $500 prize for collecting 11,940 pounds of textiles. This is the second clothing drive win for the school. Randolph is also the first school to receive a donation center, which helps to contain their steady, high volume of textiles.
Randolph's National Honor Society leads the charge for collecting clothing and shoes. Lena Nguyen, an eleventh grade student at Randolph said, "Recycling is important because it reduces waste, which can solve our environmental issues such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. By reusing items such as paper, plastic, and metals, we would contribute to a more healthier lifestyle in the future."
A Pew Research report found that 76% of U.S. Generation Z's consider climate change as one of their biggest concerns. Additionally, more than a third say it is their top concern.
Alan Rand, an eleventh grader at Randolph High School, also cares deeply about the topic. He remarked, "We only have one earth and finite resources. Reusing and recycling the materials we use is crucial to preserving our home, ensuring our future generations will still have a home."
Essex Valley School took home the title of “Most Improved School.” Planet Aid School and Community Programs Manager Christina Jones explained that Essex Valley increased their textile pounds by 4,900 percent, coming in at 250 pounds. Last November, the school collected five pounds.
Perhaps, the most fun category in the clothing drive contest was “Creativity.” Schools were encouraged to submit essays, poems, artwork, photos, and videos to Planet Aid. After reviewing the submissions, A. Russell Knight Elementary School emerged as the “Creativity Contest”’ winner. The video submission was a public service announcement featuring enthusiastic students talking about textile recycling. They gave relevant statistics, explained Planet Aid’s mission, and challenged other schools to get involved in making a difference in the environment. The video also included fun outtakes!
Congratulations to A. Russell Knight! This is their second Creativity Contest win.
Last but not least, the America Recycles Clothing Drive had one last component which allowed multiple schools to be entered into a drawing for an eco-gift bundle. When participating schools collected 500 textile pounds, they received a raffle ticket. Schools also obtained raffle tickets by tagging Planet Aid on social media, and sending photos, or videos. Queens Metropolitan High School tagged Planet Aid in several posts throughout the drive.
Five schools were drawn by Planet Aid CFO, Rusty Duckworth, during a Facebook Live on Tuesday, December 12. The winning schools were:
1. Leicester High
2. General Sherman Junior High School
3. John Glen Middle School
4. Milford High School (Massachusetts)
5. Elijah Stroud Middle School
Planet Aid congratulates all of the winners in this year’s America Recycles Clothing Drive. As always, the clothing drives are a lot of fun. Keeping clothing out of landfills is a worthy effort, and winning is a fantastic perk; howbeit, the lessons learned are the most important takeaway. Educating students about the health and environmental benefits of reuse/recycling is a fundamental to cultivating enduring sustainable habits.
Stay tuned for more eco-challenges in 2024!