Green is Best Recycling and Art Program

It begins with a discarded bottle cap and ends with detrimental effects to our environment. It's easy to overlook such a small item, but did you know that plastic bottle caps are one of the top 10 items found during marine debris beach clean-ups and are the second most littered item after cigarette butts? Did you know that they aren't biodegradable and once in our landfills and oceans they are here to stay? Floating on the surface of our rivers and oceans, birds and other marine life mistake the caps for food. Bottle caps are generally a different kind of plastic that therefore, many recycling centers will not accept. So, even if you do throw your bottle into a recycling bin, the cap will be screened out during the sort. Via the Green is Best program, we will spread the word within our community on the threats and importance of recycling this tiny menace.

Via partnerships with area schools and community stores, the Green is Best program aims to collect and educate the community on the importance of recycling. Bins will be placed around the community along with a poster outlining the dangers bottle caps pose to the environment. If a general recycling bin is not available, we will place a second bin for regular plastic. Focusing on the importance of separating the cap from the bottle will be our ultimate goal. Whether it is through a local recycling center or a company such as Aveda, Whole Foods, or the Gimmie 5 program, volunteers will ensure that the caps and if necessary the bottles are disposed of properly. Schools will also participate in the program with the option to have a little fun mixed in. The Green program promotes education, creativity and most of all fun!

The Green is Best program will help solve this problem by reducing the amount of litter and trash within the community. When given the option, people will almost always recycle their trash. However, it is a rarity that recycling bins are readily accessible. With the use of collection bins and education, people will think twice about where that cap may end up. Let's not forget that bottle caps can also be used for neat crafts. The Green Art program can be implemented within our schools and community centers and is perfect for organizations with limited funding. The Green Art program is the perfect avenue for creativity and the chance to educate youth on the importance of recycling while having fun. The caps can be painted and used as checkers, picture magnets, belts, wall art, the possibilities are endless. There is even a program that makes door mats out of bottle caps! We believe this is a sustainable project that can last as long as people are willing to recycle. Through our general programs, Dare 2 Dream requires students serve as volunteers within the community. They will be our hands, eyes and most importantly our voice on the importance of recycling bottle caps.