Kids for a Cooler Planet is a student group that wants to reduce the use of disposable shopping bags (paper and plastic) and promote the use of reusable shopping bags. We started our project in Hanover, NH and Norwich, VT. We devised a business plan to recruit corporate sponsors, developed some entertaining power point presentations and managed to convince local retailers to sell the reusable shopping bags. We got a town government endorsement, put up banners and posters and took out newspaper ads. In April 2007, the stores sold out 8,000 bags in one week, and have ordered thousands more. The bags have become so popular that our stores have a hard time keeping them in stock!

We’ve seen firsthand how kids can make a difference in their community. Adults really listen to kids and care about the world that they will leave for their children and grandchildren. We hope to empower other kids around the country to help change the world by encouraging others to take simple steps, like using reusable bags. Numerous news reports by our local media and some great national coverage– including USA Today and CN8 TV network—have helped spread the word. People from other towns around the country have contacted us on how to start similar projects in their towns.

Our goal is to encourage retailers and consumers across New Hampshire and Vermont and eventually throughout the United States to do their part to help the environment by taking one simple step. Our vision is to have every major retailer to sell and promote reusable bags and to encourage consumers everywhere to use reusable bags rather than paper and plastic disposable shopping bags which are costly to our environment.

This goal isn’t so far fetched. Many other countries have taken steps towards helping their environments through the use of reusable bags including Australia and Ireland. Each of these nation-wide programs started with a small community-oriented project. We believe that once people see how easy it is to take one simple step, such as reusable bags, that they will be willing to try many more things to help the environment.