Wilmette Student Expands Reuse-And-Recycle Project, Now In 3rd Year

WILMETTE, IL — Star Students are found in classrooms, on concert and theater stages and at debate lecterns, and out in the community doing good things to make life better for all of us.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize Star Students, and we’re working to tell the stories of these outstanding kids to their neighbors.

This submission comes from Stacey Blasko, of Wilmette, who nominated her daughter Claire, a 10th grader at Regina Dominican high school.

Star local student’s name
Claire

Why do you believe the star local student should be recognized?
Claire is preparing for her third annual reuse-and-recycle school supply collection. She had noticed how much trash locker clean-out days create right before summer break, and she knew there would be even more in 2021 because she used fewer supplies during COVID remote learning. She contacted schools in our district and got permission to put collection bins at the exits at the end of the year.

The first year she collected over 70 lbs of paper for curbside recycling and over 100 lbs for specialty recycling. She found a commercial composter for used wooden pencils. With her family she tested every marker and pen, combined partially used glue bottles to make full ones, and cleaned every folder or binder. For the many items that could be reused, she created an inventory organizing the thousands of items into 84 categories that she gave to five local nonprofits.

She expanded the project in the second year to include more schools and partnered with the nonprofit Radical Generosity Chicago to distribute the gently used supplies. She recruited volunteers to help and made a bigger impact - diverting over 200 lbs of items from landfills and donating many more items - for example, 55 spiral notebooks in 2021 increased to over 500 in 2022; 18 full bottles of glue in 2021 went to 80 in 2022.

Claire is working to expand the project even more in 2023 and beyond by adding to the number of schools participating and the number of volunteers who get involved and learn about reuse and recycling. Her goal is to help communities easily replicate and sustain the program. Community awareness through sources like Patch will help her do that.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star local student?
She genuinely wants to make the world a better place.

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Claire!

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