Thinking "Green" At Summer Camp

At at day camp in St. Petersburg, Florida, kids are helping not only the environment but those who suffer from cancer.

Everyday at lunch, the campers pick up aluminum cans and other recyclables at a local park where they eat lunch and play.  They put the cans and bottles into recycling bins, but they also do one other key thing: take off the tab of the can.

One camper was very moved by the work done at a local Ronald McDonald house and wanted to help. So every day her and her fellow campers, when they recycle, take the tab off and put it into a container for the Ronald McDonald house.  The tabs are then recycled and the money is used for daily expenses at a house.

Though it takes many tabs for a pound, by doing one small thing daily, the campers are not only helping the environment, but helping those in need.

No More Free Plastic Bags at the Grocery Store -- It Could Happen

Many cities, such as San Francisco, and Seattle, have passed legislation where the grocery stores are required to charge a fee for plastic bags.

The hope of the legistlation is that people will switch to reusable bags, and decrease the number of bags that go into landfills.  Another side benefit is a reduction in litter and clogging of city drains.

There are people who think that this type of legislation will hurt the poor, who might not be able to afford purchasing bags.  Some see it as a new tax being levied by cities and communities.

Many cities such as Philadelphia, Boston, District of Columbia, and communities are considering this type of legislation.

What do you think?

Turning Trash Into New Products and Coining a New Phrase "Upcycling"

An entrepreneur from Trenton turns trash into new products.  His Company is called Tetracycle.

From Capri Sun's he makes bags, dresses, and is constantly on the look out for more ideas.

Some other items he creates are kites from Oreo cookie wrappers, coasters from records, and worm poop as fertilizer in recycled 2 liter plastic bottles.

Another great feature of the Company is that they pay churches, schools, civic groups for specific recycled items.  The groups can earn money for their particular school or church.

This is a great business idea that takes trash and turns it into a profit.

Grocery Chain Will Recycle Your Plastic

Whole Foods Market is embarking on a pilot recycling program across the United States where they will accept No.5 plastic containers at their stores.  No.5 containers are commonly used to package yogurt, butter, and ice cream.

Bring your clean containers to the designated area at your local store.  They will then be recycled to make household products.

Please check out the Whole Foods website to see if your local store is part of the pilot program.

A 6 Year Old Makes A Big Difference By Doing Something Small - Saving the Tab on a Soda Can

The Shriner's hospital in Tampa has an agreement with a soda company that they will receive a donation for every soda tab saved.

One 6 year old in Florida, has collected almost 4 million tabs for the Shriner's hospital in Tampa.  She has been a patient at the facility and wanted to give back to the other patients.