In January, ExxonMobil’s Sustainability Education and Employment Development team (SEED) provided an opportunity for employees and their kids to learn about recycling and sustainability through the Caps & Lids for Kids program. The event educated participants about the importance of correctly recycling plastic bottles versus caps and lids and helped to promote an environmentally conscious and engaged workforce alongside future generations.
During the event, caps and lids were sorted by types of plastic so they could be recycled and repurposed into benches or picnic tables that will provide additional outside seating for employees at Baytown Area sites. The message was not only about teaching kids how to properly recycle these items, but also showing the benefits of plastics in our society while emphasizing the importance of sustainability. Most recycling facilities are unable to recycle the caps and lids on plastic containers and bottles due to the physical and thermal properties of the different types of plastics. Since plastics and plastic products play such a large part in how we live our daily lives, it is important to continually work toward efficient use of resources, and the first step is to work within our own community.
The Caps & Lids for Kids program was launched last year, and ExxonMobil Baytown Area is excited to continue to collaborate with local schools in the community to keep the effort ongoing. This was the first on-site sorting event, and it was a great success for all involved. The participants learned a great deal about the benefits of plastics and how we can encourage and increase in the Baytown Proud community. We look forward to more events like this in the future.