The Smallest Idea, can Make the Biggest Difference | Teen Ink

The Smallest Idea, can Make the Biggest Difference

January 2, 2010
By Weasels101 SILVER, Walnut, California
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


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.



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This article has 63 comments.


on Feb. 27 2010 at 6:20 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

Thanks Mr. Gifford!!

mgifford said...
on Feb. 27 2010 at 5:42 pm
Good article and great idea, Alicia. This planet could use more of this type of thinking.

on Feb. 26 2010 at 12:42 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

Thank you. I have been reminding my school friends about our world recently.

on Feb. 26 2010 at 12:41 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

Hi, I changed my screen name from smiley169391 to AliciaW.

on Feb. 26 2010 at 12:39 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

Thank you, I will keep up the good work.

on Feb. 26 2010 at 12:37 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

thank you!!

on Feb. 23 2010 at 9:11 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

Thank you Mr.B for taking time to read my article!

on Feb. 23 2010 at 9:10 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

Thanks! I will keep working hard to make this world a better place.

on Feb. 23 2010 at 9:09 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

Thank you so much for the positive feedback!

darballman said...
on Feb. 23 2010 at 10:43 am
Great job, idea, and nice writing and simple to read.

Coach said...
on Feb. 23 2010 at 3:53 am
Great article and wonderful idea. Keep it up and the world will be a much better place.

ROSE said...
on Feb. 22 2010 at 10:24 pm
wonderful idea from a wonderfullly smart you! Your MOM is very proud of you!

Congratulations on the publishing of this article. Keep it up. SAVE THE EARTH!

Cecilia said...
on Feb. 16 2010 at 8:08 pm
Big thing starts with small idea.

Great joy, keep the green work going.... so proud of you.

on Feb. 15 2010 at 1:57 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

I thank you all very much for taking the time to read and rate my article!! :)

dewi said...
on Feb. 14 2010 at 8:42 pm
What a smart idea! Keep up the good work.

LingLing said...
on Feb. 11 2010 at 10:56 pm
You did a great job. You are not just give a small idea. Keep going on. You can really make a big difference just remind people to think about this.

on Feb. 10 2010 at 11:00 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

Yes, they are. Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my article.

on Feb. 10 2010 at 10:59 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

thank you!!

Karen said...
on Feb. 10 2010 at 6:53 pm
What a great idea!! It's so simple and easy to accomplish - but need someone with initiative to put idea into action! Keep up the good work. Your parents must be so proud!

xyz123 said...
on Feb. 10 2010 at 10:34 am
It’s a good start to care about our living environment, society and global village.

You have changed something in our community already. Good job!!!