>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE PUTTING A PAUSE ON RECYCLING PICKUPS. A
LOT OF PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO
CHANGE THEIR HABITS TO REMAIN
ECO-FRIENDLY, REDUCING YOUR
WASTE FROM THE START AND
REUSING WHAT YOU HAVE WILL
BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S
REALLY GOOD WHEN YOU’RE TRYING
TO GO GREEN. SO SARAH FAGAN,
THE FOUNDER OF ECO ECLECTIC,
JOINS US THIS MORNING TO TALK
ABOUT SOME WAYS TO DO THAT.
YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS
FOR YEARS. IT’S BEEN A PASSION
PROJECT FOR YOU BECAUSE I KNOW
THAT YOU’RE YOUR REAL JOB IS
YOUR SCIENTIST, SARA. BUT WHEN
YOU THIS, YOU JUST FEEL LIKE
YOU’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
>> EXACTLY. YEAH. YOU COLLECT.
IS MY I MOVE TO THE BEACH AND
STARTED LIVING ON MY OWN AND I
GOT TO SEE FIRSTHAND GUY OUT
FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE
LIKE WE JUST SAW ALL THE
LITTER AND TRASH PRODUCED. AND
AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS LIVING
ON MY OWN SAYS ABLE TO MAKE MY
OWN LIFESTYLE DECISIONS ON THE
PRODUCTS THAT I WAS USING AND
BEING ABLE TO SEE THE DIRECT
EFFECTS OF THOSE PRODUCTS AS
LITTER OF THE BEACH. SO
STARTING MY BUSINESS AS A WAY
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THERE AND
GIVE PEOPLE BETTER
ALTERNATIVES TO THOSE
TRADITIONAL WASTEFUL PLASTIC
THINGS. YOU JUST THROW A
RIGHT. WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT
RECYCLING FOR YEARS, RIGHT? AS
A KID. YOU JUST LEARNED IF YOU
GOT
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: SOMETHING
THAT’S PLASTIC. YOU THROW IT
IN THE RECYCLE BIN AND THEN IT
ALL THE SUDDEN MAGICALLY
BECOME SOMETHING AGAIN GETS
NEW LIFE. THAT’S NOT
NECESSARILY THE CASE,
ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS BECAUSE
WE’RE SEEING THAT THE PEOPLE
THAT WERE BUYING PLASTICS AND
OTHER A RECYCLABLE GOODS ARE
JUST REALLY NOT INTERESTED IN
THEM ANYMORE.
>> CORRECT. YEAH, THEY DO SHIP
A LOT OF OUR WAYS TO 3RD WORLD
COUNTRIES AND EXPECT THEM TO
KIND OF DEAL WITH THAT. SO I
THINK WITH THIS RECYCLING
CRISIS, IT’S A REALLY GOOD
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE. 2 ONE
SHOW THE CITY THAT WE WANT
RECYCLING BY ACTUALLY GOING
AND DROPPING OFF THEIR MAKING
SURE THEY’RE CLEAN AND DRY.
SOME PEOPLE JUST OTHER
CLASSICS OF THE DIRTY AND
DISGUSTING. AND THAT’S NOT OUR
CYCLING. MORE ACCESS CLEAN SO
SHOWING THE CITY THAT WE WANT
THEIR CYCLING AND ALSO JUST
TAKING INVENTORY OF THE THINGS
THAT WE RECYCLE. NOW, NOW THAT
WE’RE FORCED TO DO THIS
OURSELVES, START THINKING,
WOW, THIS TO TAKEOUT
CONTAINER. JOIN LIKE LITTER
REUSE IT CLASSIC. ALL OF THESE
THINGS CAN BE REPURPOSE AND
REUSE. I THINK YES, REALLY
OPPORTUNITY. START TAKING
INVENTORY OF WHAT USUALLY
WASTE IN TURN THAT INTO YOU
FREEZE OFF. SO LET’S TALK
ABOUT REDUCE AND REUSE BECAUSE
YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS.
YOU GO TO FESTIVALS. YOU GET A
FARMER’S MARKET.
>> AND YOU FOUND A WAY TO
REALLY CUT DOWN ON THOSE
WASTEFUL PRODUCTS. TELL ME
ABOUT IT.
>>LAUREN VERNO: EXACTLY. YEAH.
SO ON AND MY BUSINESS. I
PROVIDE PRODUCTS THAT ARE
EITHER PLASTIC FREE OR
COMPOSTABLE. SO GIVING PEOPLE
DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES THAT
THEY DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED. SO I
COLLECT AT THESE MARKETS SO
PEOPLE CAN COME TO ME AND I’M
KIND OF A MIDDLE MAN. THEY CAN
DROP OFF THEIR COMPOST INSTEAD
OF IT ARRIVING IN A LANDFILL.
I ALSO SELL DIFFERENT KINDS OF
REFILL. SEE, YOU CAN REFILL
LIKE YOUR SHAMPOO OR
CONDITIONER DISH. SO LAUNDRY
DETERGENT INSTEAD OF JUST
HAVING A GIANT PLASTIC JUG,
THEY KEEP BUYING OVER AND OVER
YOUR TRADITIONAL STORE, YOU
CAN COME TO ME AND RESELL IT.
SO IT CUTS DOWN ON AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF PLASTIC WASTE AND
ALSO EXCEPT TERRORISTIC OR
CYCLING. SO THEY’RE ALSO
REALLY COOL THAT RECYCLES
PLASTICS AND JUST TRADITIONAL
ITEMS THAT YOU NORMALLY COULD
RECYCLE. I’M LIKE TO GIVE
PEOPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS
THERE. SO MANY DIFFERENT DOORS
INTO SUSTAINABILITY AND
RECYCLING IS JUST ONE OF THEM.
YEAH. WHEN YOU GO TO THE
GROCERY STORE, YOU SEE THAT
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU
BUY.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: IS PLASTIC.
WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
SHAMPOOS, THE BODY WASHES, THE
SOAPS, THE DEODORANTS. THAT’S
WHY IT’S SO INTERESTING THAT
YOU’RE ABLE TO DO THIS.
FINALLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE CLOTHING SWAPS BECAUSE YOU
MIGHT BE DONE WITH IT. BUT
SOMEBODY ELSE. COULD WANT TO
USE IT. TRY OUT THAT NEW PIECE
OF FASHION.
>> EXACTLY. I STARTED HIS
CLOTHING SPOTS BECAUSE I KIND
OF PEEK BEHIND INTO GOOD. WELL
AND SAW THE GIANT PILES OF
CLOTHING THAT JUST KIND OF SIT
AROUND AND A LOT OF THE ITEMS
ACTUALLY END UP IN THE
LANDFILL AT THE NUMBERS I’M
HAS BEEN THINK IT’S LIKE 10,
ONLY 10% OF PUTTING YOU JUST
DROP GOOD LOOK. IT’S ACTUALLY
REPURPOSE OR REUSE. SO THESE
CLOTHING SPOTS ARE REALLY
AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE
TO COME BRINGING THEIR ITEMS
AND SWAP THEM WITH PEOPLE AT
EVENT. SO, YOU KNOW THAT THIS
ITEM IS ACTUALLY GOING TO A
HOME AND NOT BEING DUMPED
LANDFILL OR JUST GIVEN TO
SOMEONE ELSE IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY. ALL RIGHT.
SARA FAGEN, SO MANY GREAT
THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.
THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK IN THE
FUTURE WITH YOUR BUSINESS
MODEL AND
>> ALL THAT YOU DO IN THE
COMMUNITY. AND IF PEOPLE WANT
TO FIND YOU AND MAYBE GET SOME
OF THESE MORE SUSTAINABLE
OPTIONS WHERE THEY GO.
>> YEAH, BRING IT. SO YOU CAN
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM. LIKE
TO HAVE A WEBSITE. YOU COULD
ASK THE CLERK TO DOT COM AND
AT THE FARMERS MARKET PRETTY
MUCH EVERY WEEK OFF BEACH AND
PITTMAN BOULEVARD UP FROM
10:00AM TO 02:00AM. AND IT’S
ALSO GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
SHOP. LOCAL GIFT ARE GETTING
CREDIT IS AND YOU CAN FIND