Bag monster invades campus to steer students from plastic bag use
12 minutes. That’s the average amount of time a plastic bag is used. Yet plastic bags impact the environment and our health for decades.
According to 5 Gyres Science to Solutions, an organization looking to lessen the usage of one use plastics, globally, one million single-use plastic bags are used every minute and only 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled each year. Many end up in the ocean where they can harm animals and the ecosystem.
That’s the origin story for the bag monsters: to spread awareness about the damage being done by plastics, and which is why AP Environmental Science teacher Jamie Berendt hopes to do the same here on campus.
“I believe it is such a big issue that people in Frisco need to hear about because so many people do not realize the damage that plastic does to the environment,” Berendt said.
Friday morning, the bag monsters were outside handing out Chico Bags to people in an effort to replace the plastic bags that many students use each day.
“These bags are really just overall more environmentally beneficial than plastic bags,” Berendt said. “Using a reusable bags instead of a plastic bags would help the environment so much and that is why we are handing them out.”
For bag monster and AP Environmental Science student and sophomore Tristen Matthello, this is a great opportunity to teach students about the environment.
“There are so many issues with our environment that I believe being a bag monster will help allow others to realize,” Matthellow said. “I really signed up for this class to learn ways to better benefit the environment which is what I am trying to do here.”
Friday morning, bag monsters filled the atrium to bring awareness to students and staff about the dangers of plastic bags.
AP Environmental Science students dress in plastic bags as ‘Bag Monsters’ showing students the extent to which plastic bags harm the earth.
“I believe it is such a big issue that people in Frisco need to hear about because so many people do not realize the damage that plastic does to the environment,” AP Environmental Science teacher Jamie Berendt said.
Associate Principal Jon-Eric Zaier creeps down the hallway and cafeteria dressed as a ‘Bag Monster.’
Walking around the cafeteria, the ‘Bag Monster’ spreads awareness on Friday, May 26, 2019.
