Try to guess what I am: I’m made from fossils, I help you almost everyday, and I can live for a millennium! Any idea? I’m a plastic bag! Sure, I can carry your groceries and line your bathroom’s mini trash can, but I also do a lot of harm, too – like suffocating sea life.

The Middle School Robotics Club, (aka the Middle School Benjineers, a moniker borrowed from the upper school engineering team) consist of seventh and eighth graders whose goal is to ban plastic bags in local municipalities. The reason they are taking on a project such as this is because they want to help save sea turtles, which is their team mascot. This year’s theme for the Robotics Competition was “Animal Allies,” in which students were charged with finding an innovative way to improve the relationship between humans and a specific type of animal. Each robotics team that entered the competition, which was held at TBS (the first time TBS has hosted such an event), was required to pick an animal, and research solutions for their human-animal interaction. They then had to make a presentation detailing their solution.

One robotics team proposed putting locks on trash cans to protect raccoons from getting injured or sick from foraging through trash. Another team suggested creating designated preservation areas to strengthen the bald eagle population.

The Middle School Benjineers not only made a presentation, but they also created a public service announcement (PSA). Their efforts earned them first place in the First Lego League Qualifying Tournament. “It took a combination of all the research we had done on the problem, as well as the students’ innovative solution, such as our public service announcement (PSA), to get first place” said Science Department Chair and Robotics Club advisor Mrs. Gabriele St. Martin.

However, placing first in the Animal Allies category was not the team’s primary goal. Their main objective was to save the lives of sea turtles by getting local municipalities to ban the use of plastic bags. By researching how the state of California was able to ban plastic bags, starting at the local level, the Middle School Benjineers began voicing their concern at town hall meetings throughout Northern Palm Beach County, including Lake Park, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach, and North Palm Beach.

“I researched our local municipalities and the plastic bags and how they hurt the turtles,” said eighth grader Lexi McCulla “[The town hall meetings are] important because the [local municipalities] need to enforce [our proposal].”

After making their presentation to the town of Palm Beach, fellow eighth grader and Middle School Benjineer Madeline Hart was interviewed by The Palm Beach Post and WPTV News Channel 5. “Plastic bags get in the [turtles’] digestive system, they block and they keep nutrients from entering the turtle,” said  Hart. “They block wind pipes causing them to suffocate. It’s just horrible, and turtles aren’t the only creatures affected by this.” The students also received press when they presented their proposal to The Palm Beach County Commission on February 7.

And while the Middle School Benjineers, in their first-ever competition, didn’t qualify to move on to the next tournament, they did earn first place with their Animal Allies presentation. Even more importantly, they are making a great case for the banning of plastic bags throughout Palm Beach County.