San Juan, Nov 22 (EFE).– Students and professors from the University of Puerto Rico, or UPR, made a Christmas tree using plastic bottles to draw attention to the need to recycle and protect the environment.

The six-meter (20-foot) tree at the campus in Carolina, a San Juan suburb, will be decorated with 2,000 plastic bottles and the manger was constructed with shipping pallets, the UPR said in a statement.

The tree was made by students from the design, humanities and engineering technology departments, with assistance from the office of the dean of student affairs.

The university community helped by collecting 2,000 bottles, Mariglory Rodriguez, coordinator of the student groups working on the project, said.

“We’ll use them to make the Christmas tree and we’ll use the leftovers to make decorations to put up,” Rodriguez said, referring to the bottles.

Professor Victor Velez, who teaches a course on commercial decoration, will supervise the design and construction of the manger.

UPR-Carolina president Dr. Moises Orengo Aviles praised the teamwork of students participating in the project.

“This effort is an example of true group work. This is what the university is about, it’s truly gratifying. I’m very excited and proud,” Orengo Aviles said. EFE