Protest or gain support? What's your take?

While some like to protest about things they are not happy about, there are others who try to gain support.

In India there is a group of people collecting used plastic bags that are polluting their environment. They found support in RagBag, a company that sells the fashionable bags and organizers they are able to craft out of the plastic bags.



According to BidNetwork, the company is doing so well that they are looking for more suppliers to meet their sales demand. In fact RagBag has gone as far as South-Africa, Cameroon and Brazil in their search for suppliers.

Other than used plastic bags, RagBag is also selling bags made out of material woven out of old cotton sari.



So, it is no wonder that "European Business Awards for the Environment" named it the winner of "The International Cooperation Award".

Instead of protesting about plastic bags polluting their countries, some people living in slums managed to earn a decent living, while a company managed to start a global business and win awards, through the innovative designs by young European and Indian designers.

What's your take? Start a group collecting used plastic bags in your own country?

A GreenBeing Mention

The Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative, SOS, is a project of the Zero Waste Alliance. I am proud to highlight that my "GreenBeings Invasion" website has received their attention. Read their "Eco-Friendly Fund Raising" article and see if they deserve to win the National Recycling Coalition's Annual Awards and make your nominations.

http://www.zerowaste.org/schools/documents/Eco-Friendly_Fundraising.pdf

For details of what this award is about:

Recognizing the Best in Recycling: NRC's Annual Awards

Each year, the NRC presents awards to outstanding organizations and individuals in a number of categories. Winners are selected by a committee of NRC members and the awards are presented during the NRC's Annual Congress & Exposition.

We are now accepting nominations for eleven awards, which will be presented at the 26th Annual Congress & Expo in Denver this September.

This year, we are looking for stand-out candidates for these awards:

* Outstanding Recycling Organization (for NRC-affiliated ROs)
* Recycler of the Year - Lifetime Achievement
* Best Local Elected Recycling Leader
* Outstanding Corporate Leadership (The Schmitt Award)
* Outstanding Environmental & Community Leadership (The McClure Award)
* Outstanding Public Education (The Boettner Award)
* Outstanding Community or Government Program
* Outstanding College or University Program
* Outstanding K-12 School Program
* Outstanding Recycling Innovation - Product or Process
* Outstanding Market Development

All nominations must be made by an NRC member, and NRC members may nominate themselves. However, nominees are not required to be NRC members. Winners are selected by a committee of NRC members led by Committee Chair Lisa Skumatz.

Nominations are due at 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 28, 2007. For more information, download the:

Award Instructions
http://www.americarecyclesday.org/mobius/award_instructions07.pdf

and the Nomination Outline (a Word document):
http://www.americarecyclesday.org/mobius/nomination_outline07.doc

Eyeing a new model again? Not when you can do this and that.

Before you trade in your old banger, check out what you can do with it first by taking a peek at Art Car Agency.

Take up the idea, pick those artistic vandals off your neighbourhood streets and solve one of the common problems faced by many with disposing their leftover cans of paint, and you are in business.

On top of that you stand a chance to win "The Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award (PMHA)", in public recognition of your business environmental accomplishments and leadership.

And once you are rich and famous, remember this old Chinese saying, "When someone shares with you something of value and you derive benefit from it, you have the obligation to share it with others".

What#@*!? Can't figure out how to market your graffiti rich car? Hmmmmm... Give me time to write a book about it.