Pupil Seeks Metal Flatware; Fears Plastics Pollute the Sea

CAPE MAY – A 9-year-old’s desire to do his part to protect the environment led to a campaign at the Cape May City Elementary School to reduce plasticware by helping the school revert to silverware. 
Theo Kistler, a member of the school’s Earth Club and Student Council vice president, started learning about the ocean and how plastic kills thousands of animals after they ingest it. He wanted to make the world a better place and thought he could start at his school.
“I’m in the gifted-and-talented program at school, and we started learning about the ocean and plastic,” the fourth-grader said. “I researched at school and on my own how plastic is damaging the ocean and learned plastics are killing thousands of animals a year. They eat it because they think it’s food. I thought I could stop some of the plastic usage by stopping it at our school first.”
At the school’s science fair, his project was about the ocean and plastic pollution caused by items such as plastic bags and plastic six-pack rings. He put a donation box out and received $20 to start the fight.
According to Kistler, the school uses 400 single-use plastic forks and spoons every school day, or about 72,000 a year. He knew they weren’t recyclable because there were no recycle symbols on the items.
According to Lyn Crumbock, recycling coordinator, Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority, the county’s plastic recycling program includes plastics that are bottles, jars, jugs, or containers such as yogurt and sour cream cups, microwave trays, or plastic take-out containers.
“We do not recycle plasticware,” she said. “Plastic spoons, forks, and knives would end up getting stuck in the equipment, be near impossible to bale for shipping, and furthermore, there is no market that would accept them for recycling.
“Additionally, plasticware processed along with Single Stream materials would contaminate loads of other plastics, paper, cardboard, etc., as they would fall through the processing equipment,” Crumbock noted. “We also do not recycle plastic drinking cups, like red Solo cups.”
“I and a few others started talking, and we thought we could go and buy some silverware at one of the thrift stores,” Kistler said about the monetary donation. “We also decided to ask the students and teachers to help reduce the use of plasticware by using real silverware at school.”
Thus, Kistler’s project took off.
“We are looking for donations of real (metal) spoons and forks,” he said, “but not baby utensils.”
The school’s food service staff will sanitize and sort the silverware, which will be used for lunches and special occasions.
Although Kistler is moving from the area because his father is retiring from the Coast Guard and returning to Ohio, the school’s Earth Club will continue the campaign on Kistler’s behalf.
“I didn’t think the project would happen before I moved,” the student said, “but my teacher and friends got it going. After I move, several teachers and friends through the Student Council and Earth Club will keep working on it.”
Anyone with silverware to donate can mail it to Cape May City Elementary School, c/o Earth Club, 921 Lafayette St., Cape May, NJ 08204.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.