In my last full semester as an
In my last full semester as an
In my last full semester as an
engineering student and over a twobuck
engineering student and over a twobuck
engineering student and over a twobuck
chuck, my boyfriend and I lamented over
chuck, my boyfriend and I lamented over
chuck, my boyfriend and I lamented over
the lack of glass recycling in
the lack of glass recycling in
the lack of glass recycling in
Louisiana. The bottle we just finished
Louisiana. The bottle we just finished
Louisiana. The bottle we just finished
would likely end up in a landfill. And
would likely end up in a landfill. And
would likely end up in a landfill. And
we wanted to figure out how we could get
we wanted to figure out how we could get
we wanted to figure out how we could get
all of this glass recycled. The next
all of this glass recycled. The next
all of this glass recycled. The next
day, it took a quick Google search to
day, it took a quick Google search to
day, it took a quick Google search to
remember that glass comes from sand and
remember that glass comes from sand and
remember that glass comes from sand and
that sand is an increasingly finite
that sand is an increasingly finite
that sand is an increasingly finite
resource. And the last puzzle piece we
resource. And the last puzzle piece we
resource. And the last puzzle piece we
found was this small humansized machine
found was this small humansized machine
found was this small humansized machine
that could crush one bottle at a time
that could crush one bottle at a time
that could crush one bottle at a time
into sand. And we jumped into action.
into sand. And we jumped into action.
into sand. And we jumped into action.
Since that late night winefueled idea,
Since that late night winefueled idea,
Since that late night winefueled idea,
we've been able to divert more than 8
we've been able to divert more than 8
we've been able to divert more than 8
million pounds of glass from our
million pounds of glass from our
million pounds of glass from our
landfills. We quickly grew out of that
landfills. We quickly grew out of that
landfills. We quickly grew out of that
small tiny machine and upgraded a lot
small tiny machine and upgraded a lot
small tiny machine and upgraded a lot
along the way. In a few short months,
along the way. In a few short months,
along the way. In a few short months,
we'll be opening up our new facility,
we'll be opening up our new facility,
we'll be opening up our new facility,
enabling us to recycle the 295 million
enabling us to recycle the 295 million
enabling us to recycle the 295 million
pounds of glass entering our landfills
pounds of glass entering our landfills
pounds of glass entering our landfills
annually. And with a combination of
annually. And with a combination of
annually. And with a combination of
biodegradable sandbags and native marsh
biodegradable sandbags and native marsh
biodegradable sandbags and native marsh
grasses, we've already restored
grasses, we've already restored
grasses, we've already restored
thousands of square meters along our
thousands of square meters along our
thousands of square meters along our
coast, converting open water back into
coast, converting open water back into
coast, converting open water back into
thriving wetlands.
thriving wetlands.
thriving wetlands.
But the key to our success so far isn't
But the key to our success so far isn't
But the key to our success so far isn't
that we had all of the answers in the
that we had all of the answers in the
that we had all of the answers in the
beginning or tons of money to try this
beginning or tons of money to try this
beginning or tons of money to try this
thing out. The key was that we simply
thing out. The key was that we simply
thing out. The key was that we simply
started and we kept going. Somewhere the
started and we kept going. Somewhere the
started and we kept going. Somewhere the
belief that we as individuals could
belief that we as individuals could
belief that we as individuals could
enact change trumped our doubts.