Country School Students Make Madison Greener

Ryan Hustis and Tanner Weiss, both 6th Graders at The Country School in Madison, have introduced the need to repurpose and eliminate plastic on campus. Their environmental campaign, which began last spring, has gained traction. Ryan, Tanner and other 6th Grade classmates gave a presentation at this year’s first all-school meeting, showing a video about what happens when a plastic bottle isn’t recycled and sharing statistics about the dangers plastics pose to the environment. Extending beyond campus, Country School is partnering with Madison’s Chamber of Commerce to Turn the Tide on Plastics. Their intention is to galvanize the community to take action.

Tanner, a Guilford resident, and Ryan from Madison have reasoned that starting locally is their best route to success. Ryan has written persuasive letters to area grocery store managers, explaining how harmful plastic bags can be, especially when they get into the oceans and kill wildlife. “I suggest levying a small charge (between 10 and 25 cents per bag) on single-use plastic bags, an effort which might discourage customer use of and reliance on such bags and presented evidence to back up his claims,” he wrote in the letter. “For instance, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive gyre in the Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas, is nearly 99% composed of plastic. Over 50 percent of the world’s sea turtles have ingested plastic. Even worse, when humans eat fish, they also eat toxins found in plastics and microplastics. So not only is the plastic problem hurting fish, it is also hurting humans. And much of that plastic is grocery bags, the same ones seen in local grocery stores. These bags take centuries to decompose, and they fill up our land and seas.”
Ryan argues, “Enacting a small fee for plastic bags will help the environment. Studies have shown that if plastic keeps entering the ocean at the current rate – approximately one truckload per minute and projected to rise to four truckloads per minute by 2034 – by 2050 there will be more pounds of plastic in the oceans than pounds of fish!” Ryan realizes that the effort to stop this tidal wave of plastics must begin somewhere, and he believes his school community, Madison, and shoreline grocery stores are the perfect place to start.

Ryan proposes that a nominal fee per bag could help both the business and charities like the Plastic Pollution Coalition and The Ocean Cleanup which shows that Madison is standing up to and fighting the plastic epidemic. Ryan is wise enough to acknowledge potential challenges associated with his request, and Tanner provides one of the solutions by designing a canvas tote that eliminates the need for one-use plastic bags. He and classmates are presently in discussion with Head of School John Fixx to manufacture and sell them. The boys are prepared to discuss how the benefits of eliminating plastic bags far outweigh the minor inconveniences. “It is both exciting and inspiring to work with and watch even our youngest students make a positive difference in the world," states Shari Lariviere, Lower School STEAM Coordinator.

While Ryan’s efforts extend beyond campus, Tanner’s focus is geared more to The Country School community and raising student awareness with his “Greener Solutions” recycling guide that illustrates clearly which items belong in the trash, the recycling bin, or the compost heap. Ryan and Tanner share a complementary partnership.
Country School’s Mission states, “We nurture every student’s unique role in the community, empowering each to serve the common good.” As evidenced by this initiative, Ryan, Tanner, and their classmates are clearly looking beyond themselves to serve the community as well as the greater world. Their 6th Grade advisor, science teacher, and Middle School STEAM coordinator Louise Jackson marvels, “I am continually amazed by the leadership these 6th Graders are demonstrating. Ryan and Tanner willingly assume the extra work needed to live our Mission by making a difference to their school and the world.”

Founded in 1955, The Country School serves over 200 students in PreSchool to Grade 8 on its 23-acre campus in Madison. Learn more about The Country School at www.thecountryschool.org or register for our October 28 Open House www.thecountryschool.org/admission/open-house.