Pat makes recycling count

EVEN in retirement, Pat Long has found a way to help nurture and mould the mind of thousands of children through her collection of plastic lids.

The seemingly insignificant tops are usually discarded along with the rest of the general waste, but the 81-year-old found a much better use for them.

Her long-time friend, Jean Senogles of the Rotary Club of Pinetown, worked intrinsically with schools in KwaMashu and Umlazi to help the children learn their colours and to count.

The collection of the large bottle caps, generally found on the bottles of 2l plastic milk cartons and juice bottles, were collected and donated to the schools.

The caps are donated to underprivileged schools and are used to teach children from the age of four how to count, colours and to create shapes.

With their little hands and their increasingly inquisitive minds, the caps are a breeze to work with.

Pat was a teacher at both Westville Senior Primary School and Berea Primary School.

“While I never taught children of this age, I feel it has created a lot of fun in classrooms. Many of the schools were using something less concrete and I feel that for littlies there is far more meaning in something they can touch. They want to touch everything,” she laughed.

“In my retirement, I feel that I can’t just sit around doing nothing.”

She soon rallied her friends to support the project, from bridge club members to congregants and neighbours.

“The bottle tops came in faster and faster and I told each person I met what I was doing.”

“Every time I ask Jean if we need to stop, but there is always a shortage and a need. It is also keeping plastic out of the trash and is making a small contribution on that front and helping others to learn to reduce, reuse and recycle,” said Pat.

The collected caps are then given to the creche’s and schools overseen by the Rotary Club of Pinetown. If there is a substantial amount, Jean Senogles will collect the bottle caps. Contact Jean on 084 584 3330.