Annually, an average of 38 billion plastic water bottles end up in landfills. A family of four typically generates 6,500 pounds worth of plastic yearly. In 2017, the United States alone produced 268 million tons of waste. Despite movements for change to aid the recurring garbage and recycling issue, the Earth continues to face the challenge of avoiding plastic waste. It is not an issue we can easily point fingers to blame, as even regular recyclers are not helping as much as they believe they are. In fact, the recycling industry is in a crisis currently due to the businesses being too financially unavailable to separate the junk from the recyclables. Thankfully, Neuqua Valley has its very own “Environmental Club” with a goal to raise awareness as well as encourage the protection of the environment and wildlife. 

In March of 2020, Neuqua’s Environmental club participated in the “bring your own bag” event, which focused on eradicating the use of plastic bags; they did this by reusing old t-shirts into reusable bags. This activity promotes avoiding plastic since the substance takes much longer to degrade and decompose. 

Neuqua’s Environmental Club prioritizes events concerning picking up garbage or cleaning up areas, while also encouraging volunteering opportunities to help clean our environment one step at a time. For instance, there are numerous field trips to areas such as McDonald Farm, SCARCE, and even around Neuqua Valley to simply pick up litter. The club also promotes guest speakers to come and spread awareness about protecting the environment. On this year’s calendar, speakers like Arborist Maggie Hawthorne and Eric Spangler will be making appearances during the meetings. 

If you are interested in the protection of our environment and wildlife, Neuqua’s Environmental Club is a perfect idea for you. The 2022-2023 initiative focuses on styrofoam and single-use plastics, a combination of goals from past years. In order to access this schedule, just go to nvECO.org.