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Kids reimagine recycling at ‘Imagine Craft Mondays’

Posted at 5:04 PM, Feb 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-04 17:34:44-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - One Monday a month, mentor Kevin Capps and his group from MOKE, a foundation for those with disabilities, pay a visit to the Kent County Recycling and Education Center.

Caps and his group are regulars at the center's Imagine Craft Mondays, a weekly event from 1-5 p.m.

"I love it, it engages everybody. We come here to engage in the activities, do a craft. We always learn about the different kinds of recycling," says Capps.

Imagine Craft Mondays are open hours where adults and kids can come and learn about recycling in an active way with tours, games and crafts.

"A lot of kids know that they recycle,” said Lauren Westerman, a resource recovery specialist. “They are either familiar with it from home or school, so they know they put it in the bin, but then here they get to see the whole process."

Actually seeing the process makes the impact of recycling real, and like trash, it's always changing.

Capp said his group always has a fun time, and frequently asks, "what are we gonna do this time?"

Different trash, different games and different crafts weekly.

Westerman says bringing children to the center will change their perspective on recycling.

"We want kids from a young age starting to think that they can reimagine trash in new ways, they can have fun with it,” she said. “Recycling is not boring and dirty, it’s a new way to think about your waste."