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The Smallest Idea, can Make the Biggest Difference

January 2, 2010
By Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
More by this author
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Recently in December, I informed a teacher at my Middle School of this idea that is cost effective and also saves the environment.
The idea was to recycle our school’s cardboard lunch trays by placing them on a recycling table after depositing the trash into nearby garbage cans.

The concept was to simply set up a collection point in the form of a school table in the most populated places of the lunch areas and surrounded them with trashcans for easier accessibility.
The table is surrounded by trash cans to deposit the food. The paper lunch trays piled on the tables.
At the end of the day, we were able to save around 640 lunch trays, the equivalent of filling four large garbage cans.
There are 180 school days in the school’s year of which around seven don’t offer a lunch period. If a school implemented this simple idea on the first day, this practice could save around over 110,720 recyclable trays each school year. If the six million students in California in its 9,900 schools used this practice it could save over 6,336,000 lunch trays per day or around 1,096,128,000 per year.

© Violet B., Phoenix, AZ

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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 63 comments.

meeshstfu SILVER said...
on Mar. 18 2018 at 2:21 pm
meeshstfu SILVER, West Windsor, New Jersey
7 articles 2 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
“In the next world, I want to be something useful.<br /> Like a staple gun. Or in love.”<br /> - Bradley Trumpfheller

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That’s great!
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jul. 31 2011 at 2:51 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Haha. I changed it once more to Weasels101... Just incase any of you were wondering.
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jul. 31 2011 at 2:35 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Wow, it's nice to know that people like you, as far as India are reading this!

That's great! How did it go?

Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jul. 31 2011 at 2:33 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

View profile
Thank you! The website you linked to me is really interesting!
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jul. 31 2011 at 2:32 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Haha. Thanks =)
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jul. 31 2011 at 2:31 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Hey! Thanks! That's a great idea! I appologize for my slow reply, school has been keeping me busy. How did it go?
SATVIK SILVER said...
on May. 1 2011 at 4:12 am
SATVIK SILVER, Kanpur, Other
7 articles 16 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
TO OBEY ANYTHING IS MORE DIFFICULT TO GIVE ADVICE TO OTHERS

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HI ALICIA,I IKE YOUR IDEA FROM LUNC TRAYS RECYCLING,IN INDIA I WOULD SUGGEST IT TO MY SCHOOL
environmentguy said...
on Jan. 12 2011 at 10:14 pm
Hey thats a really great idea! I actually stumbled upon this website I thought you might like...ourgreentomorrow.org. its a contest things thats sort of up your alley and about the planet. Good luck with your ideas!
peacemaker14 SILVER said...
on Dec. 10 2010 at 6:26 pm
peacemaker14 SILVER, Hubbard, Oregon
6 articles 2 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;in my life I&#039;ve learned that growing up is hard and head banging is crucial&quot;- hayley williams

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really awesome! and the numbers are almost un believable!!! all that in california alone one small i dea really can make a big difference!! thanks for writing this it really made me think!
Impressed said...
on Jul. 8 2010 at 10:19 pm

Hey Alicia w. great article! i'm gonna pitch this ide at my school too! Its a small, but effective way to help the Earth.

Keep making ideas!

-impressed

Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jun. 7 2010 at 12:00 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Hey West, thanks for telling your friend to read my article! Thanks for the great comment to!
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Jun. 6 2010 at 11:58 pm
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Hey Way To Go! Its nice to know that word is getting around about this project! ^.^
Way To Go! said...
on May. 21 2010 at 1:39 am
Hi, I'm a friend of "west", he told me to come to this site. I agree with him on all the things that he has said. I Just want 2 add something else. Keep trying to make a difference in this world. The result is what we make of it. So don't ever give up! Radical idea.
West said...
on May. 21 2010 at 1:36 am
Hey, Alicia W., this is an awsome idea! The numbers you presented were really breath taking. I hope your school will keep using this idea to save our world slowly. Once again, AWSOME idea. Thanks for making a difference!
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on May. 12 2010 at 1:48 am
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

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Thanks so much Aelita!! :D
AelitaReloaded PLATINUM said...
on May. 9 2010 at 9:50 pm
AelitaReloaded PLATINUM, Scottsdale, Arizona
22 articles 0 photos 179 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The pen is mightier than the sword&quot; author unknown (to me)

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Way to go, Alicia W.!!!  It's great that you care about our planet enough to implement a change like that!
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on May. 9 2010 at 7:45 pm
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

View profile
Thanks for reading this!
krazykathleen BRONZE said...
on May. 5 2010 at 4:44 pm
krazykathleen BRONZE, Edwardsville, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;7/5 of all people do not understand fractions.&quot; -Unknown

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Very cool!!
Weasels101 SILVER said...
on Apr. 26 2010 at 11:50 pm
Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
5 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.&rdquo;- Maria Robinson<br /> &quot;I have not failed. I&#039;ve just found 10,000 ways that won&#039;t work.&quot;- Thomas Edison

View profile
Thank you Maggie!. I do aim to try and save what resources we have left. My mom talks to me about you to. She says you are an outstanding nurse, great w/ patients and people. Thanks for the feedback! ^.^
MaggieC said...
on Apr. 19 2010 at 4:41 pm
Great idea, Alicia.  It sounds like a simple idea to implement and we will be doing such a difference for the enviroment.  You have thought of a great idea to reclycle a big amount of trash. I've heare your are very very smart and I look forward to reading more outstanding work from you. I work with you mom; shes a great person and im sure you are too.