Written by Kenneth Shue

The CAPA-MC Growing & Giving Club was formed by a group of middle and high school students in MCPS passionate about healthy living and environmental protection. Encouraged by former CAPA-MC president Ting Mei Chau and former adult mentor Hongbin Yu, the club initiated the ‘Be a Zero Hero’ plastic bags and film recycling project on January 1, 2023. 

This was driven by concerns about the major issue of plastic pollution and a desire to make positive change. Over the past year and a half, we have hosted 34 outreach events and reached over 6000 community members. Thanks to the efforts of over 50 of our wonderful volunteers. We’ve collected over 1500 pounds of plastic bags (roughly 112,500 plastic bags!), all of which have been donated to NexTrex Co., a leader in creating composite products out of recycled plastic films. 

Due to our significant achievements in participating in the NexTrex company’s recycling challenge, in July 2023, we received a bench made of recycled plastic as recognition of our efforts.

In April 2024, our club received a grant award from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to expand the ‘Be a Zero Hero’ program, allowing us to reach more people and educate the public about how to properly recycle plastic bags. By working together, we can help preserve our watersheds; namely, the Chesapeake Bay.

In addition, during Plastic-Free Month in July 2024, we were recognized by the Montgomery County Environmental Protection Department, which featured the ‘Be a Zero Hero’ project on their Green Stories Blog. Please click on the link below to view our green story. 

Be a Zero Hero! – Protecting The Chesapeake One Plastic Bag at a Time

Follow us on Instagram to get more information about reducing plastic waste and protecting the environment. We welcome you to join us as Zero Heroes!