PPP Awarded San Mateo County Sustainability Award
Peninsula Precious Plastics (PPP) is being awarded a 2026 Sustainability Award for its exceptional leadership in environmental education and circular-economy innovation. Led by CEO Nicholas Schick, PPP has transformed from a student-led initiative into a premier regional STEAM hub. They have trained students from 12 Bay Area schools and major universities, including Stanford and UC Berkeley, in the use of open-source machinery to repurpose “unrecyclable” plastic. Their “maker space” provides partners free access to expensive equipment that repurposes items that can’t be recycled through municipal recycling programs into furniture, clipboards, sunglasses, art installations and more, preventing literally tons of plastic from entering landfills and ecosystems, and significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with plastic production. Schick and his team empower the next generation to view plastic waste as a valuable resource, while supporting local businesses and nonprofits and diverting tons of waste into functional items. PPP is proving that hands-on learning and action are the key to localizing global environmental solutions.
