A Cascade elementary student’s letter on reducing trash leads to real change at her school

CASCADE, Colo. (KRDO) -- A fourth-grade student in Cascade is making a big difference and helping save the planet by reducing the school's plastic trash.

According to Manitou Springs School District, ten-year-old Claire at Ute Pass Elementary School wrote a letter to the company Stasher - a reusable silicone bag production company - about making reusable garbage bags.

The CEO of the company wrote Claire back in a letter saying unfortunately silicone garbage bags would be expensive to make and not likely used. However, the CEO invited Claire to be a Stasher ambassador and sent her and the students at her school about 200 reusable sandwich bags. Thanks to these bags, students will still reduce plastic waste thrown away during snack and lunchtime.

“We’re super proud of Claire and the whole fourth-grade class and their efforts to reduce waste in our environment,” said Jackie Powell, Principal at UPES. “She may be little, but these dreams are big and make a huge difference.”

The district said not only did Claire make a difference at her school, she learned a valuable lesson about how anyone can take steps to better the world.

“You don’t have to be an adult to make a big difference,” said Claire.