To the editor:

Did you know that 83% of all global tap water samples have been found to have plastic in them? Marine animals as far down as the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench (which is about 7 miles deep) have been badly affected by the amount of plastic that we have been using. About 9 million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year, and currently there are about 330 million tons in our oceans today.  

Rochester Memorial School has entered the NexTrex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge to help the cause to stop plastic pollution. We are hoping that you can help us by putting plastic film that you may have around your house into a designated bin located at Rochester Memorial School and the Plumb Memorial Library. Plastic film is stretchy, clear plastic that is most likely labeled with a #2 or #4 as the recycling symbol. 

After we collect the plastic found in the bin, we will weigh it and then donate it to NexTrex. So far we have collected over 1,000 pounds of plastic film.  The more plastic film that we can collect, the better and less polluted we can make our planet.

Adelaide Zell

Sixth grade student, Rochester Memorial School