Bethesda Elementary School, located in Waukehsa, Wisconsin won a recycled playground made from oral care waste through this year’s “Recycled Playground Challenge,” courtesy of Colgate- Palmolive, Meijer and TerraCycle. The school earned a total of 28,959 Playground Credits, by recycling waste and via online voting, to win the challenge. The playground, which will be built using recycled oral care waste collected through the Colgate® Oral Care Recycling Program, will be unveiled at a ceremony scheduled for Friday, September 21, at 2 pm at Bethesda Elementary School, which is located at 730 South University Drive in Waukehsa, Wisconsin.

The Recycled Playground Challenge launched April 2018 in schools throughout Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin that participate in the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program, a free, national program operated by Colgate and TerraCycle. During the contest window, participating schools earned one Playground Credit for each unit (“unit” defined as 0.02 lbs of used, post-consumer oral care products and packaging) of oral care waste – such as toothbrushes, floss containers and empty toothpaste tubes – sent to TerraCycle for recycling. Schools earned additional Playground Credits by encouraging their community, parents and teachers to vote online.

“We are so proud of our Bethesda Community and very grateful to TerraCycle, Colgate-Palmolive and Meijer for this opportunity,” said Bethesda Principal Jeremy Martin.

“On behalf of Colgate, I am pleased to congratulate the students, parents and faculty of Bethesda Elementary School on winning first place in the 2018 Recycled Playground Challenge,” said Juan Pablo Zamorano, President, North America, Colgate-Palmolive. “The energy and enthusiasm they put into protecting the environment has truly made an impact in their community, and we hope the new playground will bring smiles to children in Waukesha for years to come.”

“Meijer was built on a fundamental philosophy of supporting the communities we serve. We are excited to award the grand prize playground to a local school in our community,” Meijer Spokeswoman Christina Fecher said. “This playground will be a great addition to the community and serve as a reminder to the students, parents and faculty of Bethesda Elementary School of all their hard work and efforts in recycling.”

For more information, visit www.terracycle.com.

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