The Guinness World Records organization has informed the Manatee County School District that its recent collection of 29,560 pounds of plastic bottles has officially been approved as a world record for “Most Plastic Bottle Recycled” in an eight-hour period, the school district said Monday morning.

The record was set on April 26 during the Manatee District’s 2012 Recycling Round-Up held at Sugg Middle School. Schools from around the district worked together, with event sponsors and the community to achieve the goal.

The record was previously held by a group of schools in China, which had collected more than 19,000 pounds.

“This is a great accomplishment for the district and the staff and students of the schools that participated,” said Jennifer Malloy, energy and recycling coordinator for the Manatee district. “This was definitely a learning experience for the students and would not have been possible if it were not for our sponsors.

All total, during the four Recycling Round-Ups held by the Manatee County School District, students and staff have collected approximately 46,760 pounds of plastic bottles that would otherwise have gone into landfills or the local water supply.