What makes a recycled playground?
You already know that PDPlay builds playgrounds from recycled milk jugs, but did you also know that we can build them from recycled toothpaste tubes?! In fact, we recently teamed up with TerraCycle and Colgate to do just that for the BelovED Community Charter School in Jersey City, New Jersey.
If you’ve kept a close eye on us the past few years, you may recall a similar project we did with TerraCycle and Old Navy, turning thousands of flip flops into an amazing playground at Noble Elementary School in San Jose, CA. For both projects, TerraCycle set up collection programs to gather the materials for the build, and we turned the product into a hybrid recycled plastic lumber (RPL) that incorporated these collected materials. The RPL was used to create custom PDPlay playgrounds that are durable, low-maintenance, and impervious to inclement weather.
At BelovED, TerraCycle (in conjunction with Colgate and Shoprite) collected countless toothpaste tubes, floss containers, and toothbrushes that would have otherwise ended up in local landfills. By repurposing these materials instead of trashing them, we gave the school and the community the opportunity to positively impact the environment. TerraCycle spokesperson Sue Hart called the project “a great representation of keeping waste out of landfills and creating something new that people can enjoy”.
With the Beloved Community Charter School playground, our aim was to create a fun space for children to play while appreciating the environment and world around them.
Check out all the photos on our Facebook Page.