Girl Scouts recycle caps to keep plastics out of marine environment Posted by Joan Pringle in News Jan 27, 2012 | 555 views

Shelldon the Snail was destined for the bottom of a trash pile or even worse, floating in the ocean where he could harm marine creatures and maybe even end up on the beaches of Hawaii.

Instead, Shelldon is on display at Island View Elementary, where he can teach students and adults alike that used plastic caps and lids don’t have to end up in the environment.

The clever snail is the first mural created by members of Anacortes Girl Scout Troop 42328 through a project they hope will earn them a Girl Scout Silver Award for improving their community. Members are Andrea Spurling, Claire Severin, Abby Lindberg, Alyssa Mielke, Elizabeth Braatz, Ellie Harrison, Emily Mielke, Giulia Wood, Katie Dyer and Meleah Fine.

The mural’s full title is “Follow the Trail of Shelldon the Snail — Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.” It was made from plastic caps and lids.

“Things people would have thrown in the trash have been used to make something beautiful and creative,” Scout Ellie Harrison said.

Shelldon is just the beginning. The girls plan to create a permanent mural at Island View Elementary to commemorate the school’s commitment to its meal-time recycling program. That program was initiated in fall 2010 by second-grade teacher Kim Wedul who invited the Girl Scout troop to help with the startup.

The Island View mural will be made from caps and lids collected by the Scouts and students at the school. It will be built during the week leading up to Earth Day on Sunday, April 22.

Drop-off sites

• Senior Activity Center, 1701 22nd St.

• Safeway, 911 11th St.

Items accepted are water and beverage bottle caps, and lids from food containers, laundry detergent, shampoo bottles, deodorant and 5-gallon containers of construction materials. Leftover paint is also needed.

For pickup, contact Chris Wood at (360) 873-8787 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Volunteers interested in helping with the project can contact Rebecca Spurling at (360) 333-4261 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).