The parent-teacher organization at Flanders Elementary School in Southington hopes to win a contest to replace the school's 25-year-old playground.
"The company, Terracycle, is a company Flanders has worked with for many years to encourage our children to recycle juice pouches and ink cartridges," said Pam DiMartino, one of the parents active in the contest.
She said recycled toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes will be part of the material in the new $40,000 playground from Terracycle. Town residents are helping out by casting email votes for Flanders.
"The town of Southington has been fantastic, townwide," said PTO president Sue Whitehead. "Every school's on board helping us."
She figured children from every school could use a new playground while their older brothers and sisters use the playing fields at Flanders for sports.
The latest count of the votes has only one school in Little Neck, New York, ahead of Flanders. But Flanders has led before and the PTO leaders say it will lead again before the contest ends June 13.
"They're working every night. They're entering two or three thousand email votes a night, trying to keep up with the school system from New York and to surpass them," said Flanders Principal Patricia Mazzarella.
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The PTO is collecting names and email addresses for the contest at FlandersPTO@gmail.com.
