This past Wednesday, the Bernard Zell JYCM (Jewish Youth Climate Movement) Middle School kvutzah (chapter) took a field trip to the Durable Packaging International (DPI) manufacturing facility to see firsthand how manufacturers recycle and repurpose products and scraps on an industrial scale. 

Recycling at BZ has been a major focus for JYCM this year, so this was an exciting opportunity to expand on that topic and see it from a different, real-world lens. During the tour, led by COO and BZ parent Darren Anders, our students asked insightful questions and learned about the circular lifecycles of the different materials found at the facility, and how DPI works hard to keep them out of landfills. The tour was a unique experience for many students, “it was really fun to see what a factory looks like on the inside, and how many machines and boxes of supplies they produce”, said 7th grader,  Ilai O. 

JYCM at Bernard Zell

Starting in May 2020, Bernard Zell became an official member of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement, a Gen Z-led movement dedicated to combating climate change and environmental injustice from a Jewish lens. JYCM believes in using Jewish values as a motivation to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all. 

Embodying the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), our middle school JYCM participants are furthering their education on climate change and making positive changes here at Bernard Zell. Last April, they worked hard to implement a program to compost all food waste in Blum during school lunch! Click here to learn more about that program. 

Be Green, BE ZELL!

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