Minuteman Girls in STEM Club starts textile recycling program

PHOTO CAPTION: The textile recycling bin at Minuteman High School in Lexington.

By Judy Bass

LEXINGTON – The award-winning Girls in STEM Club at Minuteman High School recently started a textile recycling program to benefit the community and the environment.

The Club is committed to this mission, said one of its faculty advisors, science instructor Nina Griffin.

“The Club began and now oversees the paper recycling program at Minuteman,” she explained. “Textile recycling enhances our initiative.”

A used textile collection bin has been set up in the Automotive department’s parking lot at Minuteman, which is located at 758 Marrett Road in Lexington. The public is welcome to leave donations in the bin at any time. A wide variety of items can be donated, such as footwear, clothing, accessories, linens and stuffed animals. Items that are not accepted include mattresses, couch cushions, carpet remnants, mattress pads and lawn furniture cushions.

A flyer describing the textile recycling program states that “in any condition, 95% of all textiles can be recycled or reused.”

Minuteman will receive $100 for each ton of items that is donated.

The initiative got started when Recycling Development Coordinator Kathryn Larsen of Bay State Textiles, a company based in Pembroke, Mass., met Minuteman Superintendent Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon at a conference last summer. He expressed interest in bringing a textile recycling program to the school. To facilitate that, Ms. Larsen says she was connected with Minuteman’s Girls in STEM Club and made a presentation to them on the problem of unwanted textiles, the effects on the environment and the economy and the afterlife of unwanted textiles.

“The girls were interested in hosting a donation box at Minuteman,” said Ms. Larsen, “thereby offering a solution to the problem of unwanted textiles to the Minuteman community.” Minuteman’s textile recycling program was launched in November, with the students in Girls in STEM pitching in by doing community outreach.

Bay State Textiles already has textile recycling programs established in the Lexington school system and other districts throughout the state. Their web site notes that “Bay State Textile exports half of its collections to developing countries. There is a healthy demand for used clothing and shoes from the United States all over the world. These textiles are primarily reused as clothing and shoes, providing thousands of jobs for small entrepreneurs, their families, and employees.”

Thus, many common items that have seen better days can ultimately serve a worthy, socially-responsible purpose instead of being wastefully discarded in a manner that harms the environment.

As Minuteman Girls in STEM Club President Sophia Li, a junior from Acton who is majoring in Engineering, said, “Textile recycling not only helps us, but it also helps people in developing countries.”

This latest endeavor undertaken by Minuteman’s Girls in STEM Club marks yet another milestone for the group, which consists of female students from Minuteman who are majoring in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). They mentor female middle-school students interested in pursuing STEM opportunities, education and careers. There have been six successful week-long Girls in STEM camps held at Minuteman for the middle-schoolers since Girls in STEM at Minuteman began in February of 2015.

Minuteman’s Girls in STEM Club has earned state and national awards for excellence in student-to-student mentoring including recognition from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) and two consecutive Grand Prizes from SkillsUSA, a national organization that holds trade and leadership competitions for students in career and technical schools. Major local media outlets such as the Boston Globe and New England Cable News (NECN) have spotlighted Girls in STEM at Minuteman.

Minuteman Principal Jack Dillon praised the students and teachers involved with the textile recycling program, calling it “a huge asset to the school.” He said that the Minuteman students in Girls in STEM are “a great group of kids” who are helping the environment, learning responsibility and doing something of significant value for the school and the community.

Ms. Larsen also spoke highly of everyone from Girls in STEM who is involved in the textile recycling effort and of the benefits it can generate. “I like to say it is a feel-good program because it gives an opportunity for Minuteman’s students, friends and family to support their school community. It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with Girls in STEM Advisors Sarah Ard and Nina Griffin and the Girls in STEM Club. It is evident the advisors and girls are passionate about their STEM mission.”

Anyone with questions can contact Nina Griffin at NGriffin@minuteman.org.

Minuteman has distinguished itself by building a reputation for excellence. Its students consistently excel and have won numerous awards at state and national competitions. Minuteman challenges all students to revolutionize their high school expectations by aspiring to their full potential, accelerating their learning, and achieving success in the 21st-century global economy.