SF Beta ‘trash - treasure’ project thriving

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Likewise, one man’s trash could be....another man’s bench? Or planter? Or picnic table?

For the South Fulton High School Beta Club, an idea first surfaced at a Leadership Conference for the honors organization, has now surpassed all expectations, growing and outgrowing, as is the case, a previously designated storage spot on the school campus.

By definition, recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away, as trash. There’s the “one man’s trash” reference.

But when Beta Club Sponsor Brandi Cantrell and her Beta Club members put the word out, with little fanfare, that they planned to oversee a recycling project to include the collection of plastic bottle caps, one man’s trash transformed to dozens, even hundreds of men’s, women’s and children’s trash, each time a water bottle, soft drink of sports drink was opened.

To get an idea of where the “treasure” comes into play, drive by the front entrance of South Fulton Middle/High School campus and notice the attractive bench placed near the walkway. That bench was created from 200 pounds of plastic bottle caps, collected by the Beta Club.

Cantrell and SFMS/HS Principal Kimberly Jackson used the Obion County School System’s 12 passenger van, with seating extracted, to drive the bags of processed caps to Green Tree Plastics, ABC Promise Partnership, in Evansville, Ind.

That is the facility which takes the trash to treasure in a literal sense, forming benches, such as the one at the school entrance, planters and picnic table sets, for adults and children, from the bottle caps.

Cantrell said she plans to work with South Fulton Elementary Principal Laura Pitts about a recycled item to grace the grounds of the elementary school, and possible another addition or two now being considered for the Middle/High School campus.

“The students did all the processing,” Cantrell said, adding that often, she would have Beta Club members ask if they could help in cleaning, and removing any and all paper, adhesive and debris from each cap.

The response from the public, Cantrell said, with very little publicity, was overwhelming, so much so, that a bigger storage area has become necessary.

The South Fulton Beta Club Recycling project resulted in the members’ receipt of a bid to National Beta Club Convention competition, but as has been the case during this pandemic-restricted year, that trip to Nationals was not to be this year.

Cantrell said she plans to inquire about the possibility of the project, as it will be an ongoing endeavor, being considered for the coming year’s competition.

In the meantime, the collection is still underway and will continue, she said.

Acceptable caps include medicine bottle caps, milk jug and creamer caps, hair spray caps, toothpaste caps, deodorant caps, drink bottle caps, sports drink caps, spray paint caps, baby food caps, detergent caps, flip top caps such as those on ketchup bottles, spout caps such as those on mustard, and lids from items such as cottage cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise jars, peanut butter jars, ice cram buckets under 8 inches in diameter, cream cheese containers, spice lids, coffee can lids and cool whip or Pringle can lids.

For more information on how to arrange a drop off or pick up of plastic lids to donate to the South Fulton Beta Clu for their recycling project, contact Cantrell at South Fulton High School, 731-479-1441.