SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): A new hands-on recycling education initiative aims to benefit 100,000 elementary school-age children annually in Genesee County. The move comes as momentum for recycling reached an all-time high in the state of Michigan in 2024. The initiative aims to keep kids engaged at the Flint Farmers’ Market through two interactive approaches.

Leaders with the Flint Farmers’ Market, Flint Children’s Museum and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) joined together on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at the market for the announcement. “Our partnership demonstrates the Flint Farmers’ Market and EGLE’s commitment to meeting communities where they are, using creative partnerships to extend the reach and impact of environmental education beyond traditional classroom or office settings,” said Flint Farmers’ Market Manager Karianne Martus. “By embedding educational activities within a high-traffic community gathering space, the partnership ensures that recycling education reaches families in a natural, accessible setting where learning can happen alongside everyday activities.”

The collaboration leverages the Flint Farmers’ Market’s reach—500,000 annual visitors, including more than 100,000 kids between ages 2 to 10 across its three-day operations each week — to deliver hands-on environmental education through the Flint Children’s Museum’s interactive space within the market.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com