HOWELL – The Taunton School has received honorable mention recognition in the Recycled Playground Challenge, courtesy of Colgate-Palmolive, ShopRite, and recycling pioneer TerraCycle.
The Taunton School, which educates children in kindergarten through second grade, earned a total of 1,196 playground credits by recycling waste and through online voting to place in the contest, according to a press release. The honorable mention prize winner will receive a $150 ShopRite gift card, 500 Colgate kids toothbrushes and 500 Colgate kids toothpaste tubes.
The Recycled Playground Challenge launched in March 2016 among schools throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Maryland participating in the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program, a free recycling program operated by Colgate and TerraCycle, according to the press release.
During the contest, participating schools earned one playground credit for each unit of oral care waste, such as empty toothpaste tubes and floss containers, sent to TerraCycle for recycling. Schools earned additional playground credits by encouraging parents and teachers to vote online.
The winning school received a playground constructed from recycled materials, with an estimated value of $50,000.
“On behalf of Colgate, I am pleased to congratulate the students, parents and faculty of the Taunton School on being named an honorable mention recipient in the Recycled Playground Challenge,” said Juan Pablo Zamorano, president, North America, Colgate-Palmolive. “The energy and passion they put into protecting the environment has truly made a difference.”
The Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program is an ongoing activity, open to any individual, family, school or community group. For each piece of waste sent in using a pre-paid shipping label, participants earn money toward donations to the school or charity of their choice, according to the press release.