Almost everyone knows about recycling paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glass. But, what about those potato chip bags, energy bars wrappers, toothpaste tubes and cereal bags? Ask a student at Winnequah School, and you’ll find the answer – recycling those items can mean good money for the school. “We’ve exceeded $1,000 earned for the school through TerraCycle,” said Kathryn Christopherson, parent volunteer organizer. “We did it four years prior to this current year. We raised only $30 the first year, but we were at almost $800 last year.” Money raised through the program is used for a variety of items, from books to microscopes. This is the fifth year for the project. About 1,800 pounds of material has been collected since the beginning. “We’re more than halfway to our weight total from last year (which runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31),” Christopherson said. Containers are set up for individual items, but a small group of parent volunteers still needs to meet to sort items. There are five bins at school and 11 at the Monona Public Library. Sally Buffat, interim director at the public library, said the library’s participation is another way to connect with the community. “It helps us partner with the community,” she said. “The space in our cafeteria wasn’t really being used, and this was a great way to use it.” Buffat also said the use of the library as a collection point provides more promotion of the recycling effort with other parts of the community, not just the schools. “The community really comes out for this,” she said. “Monona is really great at this.” There is also a bin at Cousins Subs for potato chip bags. “Our students are having fun and really getting into it,” said Principal Angie Fassl. Parents aren’t the only ones who help collect and sort, though. “Twice a month, some fifth graders help with the boxes and go to the kindergarten rooms to collect the items. It offers them another leadership opportunity,” said Barb Nyenhuis, fifth-grade teacher. Some students even give up their recess to volunteer, she said. “Kids get excited about their role,” Fassl said. Once sorted, items are boxed and shipped to TerraCycle in New Jersey, where they are upcycled or recycled. Each box must weigh at least 14 pounds, but Christopherson said boxes of at least 50 pounds earn the school double points. “There is no way we could do this without the support of everyone,” she said. Nyenhuis said it’s important to remember that not only is this material recycled, it’s stuff that’s not going into the landfills. How much has been saved from the trash? Christopherson said shipments have thus far included 31,800 potato chip bags (420 pounds); 37,500 (75 pounds) of granola or energy bar wrappers; 20,354 (228 pounds) juice pouches; 10,524 (337 pounds) of fruit and veggie pouches; and 6,884 (174 pounds) cereal bags.