Utilizing the help of KRB’s Director, Rebecca”Becca” Blair, an extraordinary 8-year-old, and her Mom created and started a curbside recycling program, “HELP ME GO GREEN” in Saddlewood neighborhood. KAB’s educational information on recycling, including Waste in Place, has been part of Becca’s plan. Based on past experience while picking up litter below the Reservoir’s Spillway and along the Pearl River, around Pelahatchie Bay and other areas in the community, she has made a lasting impression on others as to show litter can be recycled, reused or reduced.
She found out after recycling in a week at home that the family could reduce their trash from 7 – 9 bags down to 2 – 3 bags by recycling plastics that her family threw away. She was so excited about the results that she wanted to involve her neighborhood. She asked Keep the Rez to donate reusable mesh Boat and Tote Bags that are used by boaters to reduce litter in the Reservoir. Keep The Rez Beautiful requested that she weigh her
findings for future references. Becca created a flyer for distribution for recruitment.
The e first week she collected 12.5 pounds of plastic recyclables from 17 households. She picked up the bags every Monday and kept a log of what she was collecting. Her recycle efforts were so visible that other children in the neighborhood wanted to assist. Her Mom would trailer the recyclables to the KRB recycle county roll once a week.
Becca also made an outfit of recyclables (“The Garden Nome” made from dog food bags), and was in the 2016 KRB 5th annual Project Rezway, a recycle fashion show. Her outfit, a reusable garden outfit won rave reviews from the audience. Her outfit was featured in two magazines (3,000 circulation). KRB has also featured her on Facebook and the KRB to tell Becca’s Go Green story.
Volunteers include herself, her Mom and Dad and 4 neighborhood children. Using no funding and Boat and Tote bags donated by KRB, she is still walking the neighborhood to promote her project and still collecting the recyclables seven months.
