According to the Green June campaign, developed by the Bahia State Department of Education in Brazil, June is a month dedicated to actions that encourage awareness about caring for the environment and its preservation. For students at Lauro de Freitas Adventist School in Bahia, such awareness is already bearing fruit.

During a science fair that took place on June 9, the students were able to present several projects focused on sustainability, such as the production of biodegradable pots for seedlings, homemade repellent against dengue fever, and more.

‘Biodegradable Past, Sustainable Future’

It’s common not to think too much about where trash goes after it leaves one’s home, but the new generation can’t afford that, educational leaders said. “Today, more than ever, it is essential to learn from an early age the importance of recycling and correct waste disposal,” they explained.

With this in mind, the “Biodegradable Past, Sustainable Future” project promoted by the school went well beyond classroom teaching. Students not only learned the step-by-step process of recycling but also got their hands dirty in the production of biodegradable pots for seedlings, eighth-grade student Maura Rocha explained.

“First, we went to each classroom and collected the cups, papers, and other items that were discarded. Then, we separated the shredded paper and left it in the water for three days to loosen the fiber. Only then we mixed it with soil to make the dough and shaped the packaging into the recycled cups. After four days to solidify the container, that’s when we put in the fertilizer and the seed,” she shared.

During the interdisciplinary fair at Lauro de Freitas Adventist School, students distributed about 500 pots with pre-planted seedlings.

Photo: Pedro Araújo

One of the benefits of the students’ sustainable packaging is that it starts biodegrading within a month, allowing the plant’s roots to find space even in its early stages of growth.

Photo: Pedro Araújo

All the raw materials used in the making of the sustainable pots came from recycling, including the water that came from the buildings’ air conditioning.

Photo: Pedro Araújo

Students also distributed an organic repellent to fight the dengue mosquito, as well as a recipe for people to make it at home.

Photo: Pedro Araújo

Planting the Future

Vitor França, 13, shared how the project opened his eyes to new perspectives. “One of the benefits of this kind of pot is that, unlike plastic that can take decades to degrade, this biodegradable recipient decomposes in less than a month. This allows the plant’s roots to grow without becoming stunted and to last longer,” he said.

According to Ranise Pollheim, teacher and coordinator of the project, the initiative came about when she came across the trash items discarded after school on a daily basis. “The goal of the project was to reuse all the papers that were thrown away in the classroom and repurpose them. That’s when the idea of a biodegradable pot for seedlings came up,” she explained. Pollheim also pointed out that plastic packaging for seedlings takes decades to decompose, while biodegradable packaging starts its decomposition process after 25 days.

In all, the school set up 27 collection points and produced and distributed 500 pots to parents and guests who attended the fair.

In addition to the pots, the students also developed a homemade repellent to fight the dengue mosquito. “This is a product that can be easily reproduced at home with low cost and organic ingredients, based on cloves and alcohol,” school leaders explained. In addition, another project included the use of this repellent in air fresheners, dispersing the product indoors.

‘If Nothing Changes, Pollution Will Double by 2030’

According to data from the World Bank, Brazil is the fourth-highest consumer of plastic in the world and recycles only 1.28 percent of the thousands of tons it produces annually. According to a report made in 2019 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), it is estimated that pollution in the oceans will double by 2030 if the current rate is not slowed.

Faced with such a bleak scenario, Pollheim emphasized that “as part of the Adventist Education system, we believe that small attitudes can make a difference. We need to preserve; we need to take care of it because future generations will reap what we are planting today,” she said.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese news site.