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Community Corner

Gill Elementary Mom Needs Your Vote

Gina Adams-Levy's recycling efforts have her competing for national honors in a Facebook competition that closes Jan. 26.

In a contest that stretches nationwide, Northville resident Gina Adams-Levy is one of four finalists in TerraCycle’s “Make a Difference Mom” competition.

Adams-Levy is passionate about recycling and reducing waste – so much so that she created a non-profit organization, called Peace, Love & Planet, as well as organizing a “Green Team” at her daughter’s school, in Farmington Hills, where she implements a weekly “Waste-free Friday” in the cafeteria. This, of course, is in addition to raising two children.

“I know I’m just one person, but maybe I could make a difference," she said.

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Adams-Levy was a stay at-home mom, working on her garden, with stacks and stacks of leftover plastic containers she had hoped to take to her recycling center. When the informed her that none of it was recyclable, she had one thought: “Really?”

The city only collected plastics with numbers 1 and 2 on them. Not even her yogurt containers qualified. At first, she found alternative collectors, like Waste Management in Northville, but it was not enough to satisfy Adams-Levy.

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“I wouldn’t feel good about myself knowing what’s going on in our community; I had to do something to generate awareness [for recycling],” she said. In 2008, she began collecting plastic recyclables at the Farmer’s Market in Northville. By February of 2009, Peace, Love & Planet (PLP) had officially gained status as a non-profit organization.

With a staff entirely comprised of volunteers, Adams-Levy’s organization recycled 20,000 pounds of plastic last summer alone, plastic that would otherwise be wasting away in a landfill.

PLP collects garden plastics (numbers 2, 5, and 6) at the Farmer’s Market in Northville and elsewhere around metro Detroit. They also sell original products, such as reusable lunch containers, so families do not have to send their children to school every day with disposable plastic bags.

However, the most important function of PLP may be the workshop that teaches kids about the importance of recycling.

“My passion lies in the educational aspect and spreading awareness about curbing our consumption.” With her workshop, Adams-Levy has hosted over 4,200 children at places such as elementary schools, the Northville Farmer’s Market and Camp Canton. This program teaches children the importance of reducing waste, tells them about several ways to do so and lets them get hands-on by making recycled crafts. It also gives her a chance to talk to parents and give them simple solutions to waste reduction that they may not have thought about.

Adams-Levy stresses the importance of using reusable items instead of disposable ones.

“Use more Tupperware instead of plastic bags. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Cancel all of your junk mail,” she said. “A tremendous amount of waste comes in the mail. As soon as you get a catalog, make that call to cancel it.”

TerraCycle, the organization hosting the competition, is also dedicated to get people to recycle items such as pop bottles, drink pouches, candy wrappers, and plant fibers. Gina heard about the contest when she signed up for the TerraCycle brigade, and saw it posted on Facebook. The prize for winning includes $1,500, which would go towards improving PLP, possibly by hiring some helping hands.

As far as the recycling center in Farmington Hills, Adams-Levy collected five hundred signatures expressing concern about sustainability and currently has Farmington Hills, Walled Lake, and Novi all interested in expanding the plastics they accept.

Spreading awareness, though, is an ongoing process for her – one that she will not stop anytime soon.

“Little by little, we’re able to make small headway," she said.

Voting is open until Jan. 26, on TerraCycle’s Facebook page. Contestants are vying for $1,500 and a video camera, along with other prizes.

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