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Girl wins project grant to cut waste with canvas bags
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Eleven-year-old Sammi Goldfeld thinks there is a simple way to reduce the world’s pollution and she wants everyone to know about it.
The Scottsdale homeschooled student received a $1,000 grant to launch her project “Reusable Bags: A Simple Pollution Solution” at a National Service-Learning Conference in Albuquerque, N.M., last month, when it was chosen as one of two projects from Arizona for the regional project showcase.
The project emphasizes the use of reusable shopping bags as a way to reduce waste.
“My family has carried our own cloth shopping bags for as long as I can remember,” Sammi said in a news release. “We took out a calculator one day and figured out that we save about 800 disposable bags from landfills each year by shopping with reusable bags. Then we got to thinking about what that number would look like if everyone carried cloth bags.”
As part of the project, Sammi will give out canvas bags and educate people.
“To get people to carry bags, we have to tell them why,” said Anne Goldfeld, Sammi’s mom. “We give them out (because) we don’t expect people will buy as many bags as they need if they can get something for free.”
Sammi is the oldest of five siblings. Over the years, the Goldfeld family has collected about 15 canvas bags — and every one gets filled on weekly grocery trips to Trader Joe’s.
She will continue her efforts Friday and Sunday during Youth in Service for Peace on Earth Days.
Sammi and her fellow members of Roots and Shoots, a branch of the Jane Goodall Institute’s worldwide environmental and humanitarian program for youths, will give out reusable bags. Kids will be able to decorate their own bags with fabric markers and paint.
Sammi has already decorated her bag with flowers and bears.
Anne Goldfeld said paper bags are not much better than plastic. As part of Sammi’s project they made a display that explains the pros and cons of both.
“The best thing is not to create waste at all,” Goldfeld said.
“If we keep doing that, we’re going to end up living on top of a landfill,” Sammi said. “It’s going to be everywhere.”
For information on next week’s events, including dates and times, visit www.peaceonearthday.info.
For information on Roots and Shoots, visit www.phoenixrootsandshoots.org.
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