To coincide with 2020 Visionary Summit North Fork Valley Community Rights Advocates, students from Paonia Experiential Leadership Academy, Paonia High School, and The Learning Council are reducing plastic waste in our community thanks to a generous grant from Western Colorado Community Foundation.
Local seamstresses have made 500 reusable bags from deadstock canvas and Chaco straps. Funds are also subsidizing the construction of ‘boomerang boxes’ (take-a-bag-leave-a-bag receptacles). Local businesses are invited to adopt a box, so customers may borrow and return reusable cloth as well as plastic bags.
The boxes will be installed the week preceding the Summit (also Earth Day), April 20-24, 2020. The grant-funded reusable bags will be ‘seeded’ in each box, and we’ll invite the community to bring more.