Scrapp Farewell
By FANY HANZIKOVA ‘24 and TANIA LUCHAK ‘25
In the warm, familiar atmosphere of the Assembly, the rows of red benches were full of eager fellow students. After the eventful Climate Action Day, everyone seemed energized and refreshed. A certain ease surrounded the room: a beautiful April Monday opened a glimpse into the freedom of a three-day weekend. As silence filled the room, Mr. Kelly, a religion instructor, walked onto the stage, announcing projects related to climate justice led by students – and ours was one of them. Our hearts raced as we heard the inviting clapping and cheering to walk onto the stage – a pivotal moment for every Exonian, an incredible opportunity to present at the Assembly.
For us, as new students, this chance was indeed quite special. Having joined as upperclassmen only eight months ago, we have felt the struggles of navigating the rigorous Exeter environment. As international students without an international school background, we noticed an immense difference in education: here, teachers inspired us to go beyond the constraints of the classroom and become true leaders. Especially evident in our class, BIO470: Human Populations and Resource Consumption: Implications for Sustainability, the final culmination came in the form of developing a community service project. Our choice was to collaborate with a local startup, an endeavor during which we uncovered a completely novel skillset.
Based in Massachusetts, Scrapp is a company aiming to improve recycling through its innovative separation station, a small technological device with a scanner identifying the recyclability of the products in the area. Having heard about this idea through the business pitching event, we became interested in bringing Scrapp to our campus. However, the route of its implementation was quite complicated: as we encountered pushbacks and rejections, we negotiated with the faculty that helped us to install the station at Grill. Apart from that, Scrapp modified their app to match our Exeter recycling policies. Their program provided a scanner on the phone, enabling users to determine whether they could recycle that can or candy wrap hidden deep down in the pocket. Through such an easy and accessible solution, Scrapp successfully delivered the tool to raise awareness and engage people in active recycling that would eliminate waste contamination.
From the first email to Scrapp to the presentation at the Assembly, this journey served for us as a major self-discovery of our limitless possibilities, perseverance, and determination. As we approach the date of the Scrapp owner visiting our campus for the conversation with students, we want to express sincere gratitude for all the involvement in this collaboration. What started as a final project for the class transformed into a bigger initiative that prompted us and those around us to rethink our simplest waste habits (who knew that the candy wrapper is not recyclable?)
As we walked onto the stage of the Assembly Hall on its wooden floor squeaking under our steps, we felt anxious. Our very first assembly at the school started with carrying the flags of our homelands – Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Eight months later, nearly at the end of the academic year, we united under one symbolic flag of seeking climate justice and working towards protecting our environment. Every click or scan amplified our impact, marking a small action contributing to major efforts. Even though Srapp station will soon leave our campus, we hope the legacy of correct recycling driven by it will continue to live and drive meaningful change.
