“Cans and Bottles,” Weston’s 5¢-redeemable program, continues to grow, thanks to the enthusiastic participation of our high school’s sports teams and its Green Team, led by Michael Aitkenhead.

How it works: Weston residents bring their 5¢-redeemable plastics, cans, and glass to the brightly-colored stations at the Transfer Station (237 Godfrey Road East, no permit required). Every Saturday morning at 9:00 am, the sports and Green Team “sorters” gather at the sorting shed on the Transfer Station’s lower level to separate and bag the redeemables into their three categories.

The sort typically takes an hour. An outside contractor (EyeReycle) then takes the bags, sends the materials off to be repurposed, and sends 100 percent of the proceeds (currently exceeding $12,000 per year) to the WHS Boosters Club. The total is then divided between the Boosters (to be invested in the high school’s sports programs) and the Green Team (that invests its share in sustainability programs at the high school).

“Cans and Bottles” is a “win, win, win, win” program. It raises money for our high school. It removes hundreds of thousands of single-use items from the waste stream, repurposing them and keeping them out of landfills. It saves the town of Weston thousands of dollars in waste removal fees. And, best of all, it introduces our high school kids to the world of recycling, demonstrating how easy and beneficial it is, and encourages behaviors that will last a lifetime.

The program is looking for adult volunteers. Although “Cans and Bottles” is run by the kids, there is always a parent/adult present for the Saturday sort. If you would like to join the team, please email andrewbill@sieramarketing.com. No long-term commitment is required.

In the photo at the top of the page: On a rainy weekend day, after sorting bottles and cans, students helped clean up around the Transfer Station.