Benjamin Franklin High School student Alastair Deng sorts glass by color as he volunteers at Glass Half Full recycling center.
Benjamin Franklin High School seniors Faith Nguyen, 18, and Austin Ogbuefi, 17, volunteer with NOLA Green Teens recycling glass.
Benjamin Franklin High School student Austin Ogbuefi, 17, helps with sifting glass bits at Glass Half Full.
Benjamin Franklin High School student Alastair Deng helps collect and sort glass at Glass Half Full.
Young volunteer Austin Ogbuefi helps Mary Lee O’Keefe with a box of glass. Classmate Alastair Deng, who found NOLA Green Teens, is at left.
Benjamin Franklin High School student Alastair Deng sorts glass by color as he volunteers at Glass Half Full recycling center.
In the summer of 2021, Alastair Deng found his passion. Soon he was on a mission, driving around his Lakeview neighborhood on the hunt for glass — in any shape or form — that could be recycled.
And almost every Saturday since then, Alastair, 17, has dropped off the glass gathered from his neighbors and volunteered his time at The Glass Half Full Recycling Center, 3935 Louisa St. in New Orleans.
“I have collected around 2,200 pounds of glass since I began this project,” he said.
At the recycling center, Alastair, a senior at Ben Franklin High School, usually helps at the drop-off zone where people bring their glass, and then he helps sort it by color.
Benjamin Franklin High School seniors Faith Nguyen, 18, and Austin Ogbuefi, 17, volunteer with NOLA Green Teens recycling glass.
“My favorite job is on the rare occasion where I get to crush bottles and turn them into sand,” he said. “I find it very satisfying to hear the glass smashed up into tiny pieces.”
He also recruits friends to help at the recycling center.
“I noticed last summer that almost no one was volunteering because of the heat, so I got some of my friends to come help and we had a great time,” Alastair said. “I usually ask 15 to 20 people at school to help if they have free time.”
He named the group the NOLA Green Teens.
Benjamin Franklin High School student Austin Ogbuefi, 17, helps with sifting glass bits at Glass Half Full.
The nonprofit Glass Half Full opened in 2020. It recycles glass into sand for coastal restoration, disaster relief, new glass products and glass cullet, which is glass that is crushed or imploded and then ready to be remelted.
Franziska Trautmann, the organization’s co-founder, CEO, and resident chemical engineer, said that since its opening, 2.8 million pounds of glass have been recycled.
“We have definitely made the biggest difference by using the sand for coastal restoration and protection as well as all the research being conducted in this field with the sand,” Trautmann said. “We are partnered with Tulane University for a National Science Foundation grant that funds this research and implementation.”
Trautmann said she is impressed with Alastair’s commitment.
Benjamin Franklin High School student Alastair Deng helps collect and sort glass at Glass Half Full.
“Alastair is a passionate person who wants to get other young people involved in sustainability and recycling,” Trautmann said. “I hope other young people are inspired and (that) others can learn that you can make a difference at any age.”
Alastair, the son of Wu Min Deng and Ai Ying Choong, said the most challenging part of beginning his project was taking the first step.
“I knew about the climate crisis, and I knew I should do something to help, but I kept hesitating,” he said. “In the end, I just decided to do it. I designed a survey, handed it out to my neighbors and the rest is history.
“When I discovered how the Glass Half Full recycled glass into sand to rebuild the coast and help with disaster relief, I realized I could finally do something to remedy the problem.”
Young volunteer Austin Ogbuefi helps Mary Lee O’Keefe with a box of glass. Classmate Alastair Deng, who found NOLA Green Teens, is at left.
Dr. Patrick Widhalm, Ben Franklin’s head of school, has high praise for Alastair.
“Alastair’s dedication to glass recycling is a testimony to his understanding of its role in improving our environment and his maturity,” Widhalm said. “He is extremely gifted and talented and is willing to work for opportunities to improve our community.
“Alastair exemplifies why we can have a positive outlook on the future.”
Alastair plans to attend Tulane or Harvard University next fall and major in either molecular biology or environmental engineering.
For now, he feels he’s made a difference.
“My favorite moment since I began this project was when a neighbor came up and thanked me profusely,” he said. “She said she had meant to go to the Glass Half Full but never found the time. While I loved that I have been able to help my neighbors with their recycling, I know there are thousands of others who are unable to recycle.
“I have accomplished a lot with recycling, but there is so much more that needs to be done.”
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