Environmentalists Host Art Classes for Kids Focusing on Plastic Crisis, Recycling in Pasadena

Environmentally minded Pasadena organizations are teaming up to host a series of art classes for elementary school students next month focusing on recycling and the ecological dangers posed by widespread plastic use.

Pasadena-based Plastic Against Plastic and BanSUP Students are spearheading the free series of classes and activities, according to organizer and South Pasadena High School student Amber Chen.

Chen is the co-lead organizer with fellow SPHS student Max Jimenez.

“It’s part of a project called the Plastic Against Plastic project, in which we collect community plastic waste as the first part of it. In our sessions, we use the community plastic waste collected to educate the community about different plastics and recycling because the public is really disconnected from the issue as a whole,” Chen said.

“We talked to them about environmental justice issues and make sure that they had an engaging art piece to do with it, as well,” she added.

“Our goal with the art pieces is to use them to advocate for progressive climate legislation and reduce plastic consumption and production, because we don’t want to greenwash the issue,” she said. The artworks are meant to be “a catalyst for education to make something engaging for kids.”

Six sessions in all are planned, organizers said. Each is divided into two parts. 

“Part one is an introduction to the plastics crisis. This stays consistent regardless of what/how many sessions one signs up for,” organizers said in a written statement. “Part two, involving the creation of art pieces, varies in correspondence to which session one chooses. Each art piece will be representative of environmental issues that stem from plastics and used to advocate for progressive legislation.”

All sessions are free, but donations are encouraged. All materials will be provided, and face masks are mandatory. Parents are welcome to attend with their elementary school age children.

Classes will be held on Fridays in July at RemaindersCreative Reuse, 787 E. Washington Blvd., Suite 101, Pasadena, as well as Saturdays at Arlington Gardens, 275 Arlington Drive in Pasadena, organizers said.

Spots for events at Remainders Pasadena can be reserved online at remainderspas.org/shop/p/plastic-against-plastic-with-bansup-students.

Spots for the events at Arlington Gardens can be reserved at eventbrite.com/e/plastic-against-plastic-tickets-159195571239?fbclid=IwAR0r9pxXcsD2PCoi_ewUdYI_CEuBhoXWRITp8Iqyw4f7PcED1FNqBTmHRbg.

A full class schedule and curriculum is available at docs.google.com/document/d/14HiyFAnitKSVjAidbCg7Gg7xi7i6KT-AsibvGRXNnk4/edit#.