Glass Half Full: Turning Waste into Coastal Restoration Solutions

Two college students transformed glass waste into sand, proving that individual action can combat climate change effectively.

### Turning Glass Waste into Hope: A Louisiana Initiative for Coastal Restoration
* 🌊 Growing up in Louisiana, the fear of losing land to the Mississippi River was palpable, with the state losing a **football field's worth of land every 100 minutes** due to coastal erosion, totaling **over 600 square miles lost in my lifetime**.
* 🍷 In 2020, during my last semester as an engineering student, my boyfriend and I discovered that Louisiana was landfilling about **295 million pounds of glass annually**, which felt like a **waste we wanted to address**.
* 🔍 A quick Google search revealed that glass is made from **sand, a finite resource**, and we found a small machine that could **crush bottles into sand**, inspiring us to **take action**.
* 💪 Despite skepticism from others, we launched a GoFundMe campaign and initiated a pilot project to **recycle glass into sand for restoration projects**, naming our venture "**Glass Half Full**" to combat the pessimism surrounding climate change.
* 🌱 Since our inception, we have **diverted over 8 million pounds of glass from landfills**, collaborating with over **50 scientists and engineers** to ensure our recycled sand is **beneficial for the environment**.
* 🏗 We are on the verge of opening a new facility that will allow us to **recycle the entire 295 million pounds of glass** that currently enter landfills each year, furthering our impact.
* 🌿 With biodegradable sandbags and Native Marsh grasses, we have already restored **thousands of square meters of wetlands**, demonstrating that **hope combined with action** can lead to **significant change**.
* 🚀 Our journey emphasizes that **starting with belief in our ability to make a difference is crucial**, and taking that first step can lead to **meaningful contributions to solving larger environmental issues**.

Your Empty Wine Bottle Could Help Rebuild Coastlines | Franziska Trautmann | TED

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Tackling Coastal Erosion and Glass Waste in Louisiana

Louisiana is losing land at an alarming rate due to coastal erosion, with over 600 square miles gone in the author's lifetime.

The author and their boyfriend started a glass recycling initiative after realizing the state's significant glass waste.

They set up a GoFundMe campaign and a pilot project to crush glass bottles into sand, aiming to alleviate both glass waste and contribute to restoration projects in the state.

The Impact of Climate Apathy and a Success Story

Climate apathy, the belief that individual actions won't make a difference, is now a major threat to environmental progress.

The speaker's initiative has successfully diverted over 8 million pounds of glass from landfills and is set to recycle 295 million pounds annually.

Through biodegradable sandbags and Native Marsh grasses, they have restored thousands of square meters of coastline, demonstrating that taking the first step can lead to meaningful change.

Expressing gratitude is important for building positive relationships.

A simple "thank you" can make a significant impact on others.

Showing appreciation can also enhance one's own well-being and happiness.