Bags Sold: 500 Money Raised: $3,895.00
Mission
To work as a community to create a positive environmental impact by reducing our collective plastic and paper footprint with proceeds that give back to various local organizations.
How Wise Wilton Started
I am a rising senior at Wilton High School and I started working at the Village Market over a year ago. While we encourage our customers to bring reusable bags, I have seen first-hand the number of plastic and paper bags that continue to leave the market.
Based on these observations and the opportunity to make a difference, I decided to start my own town-wide reusable bag initiative, Wise Wilton. I created bags with a distinct Wilton design to entice people to be more forward-thinking and make the WISE choice to bring Wise Wilton reusable bags whenever they shop!
Statistics
According to biologicaldiversity.org:
- 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually.
- Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.
- It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill.
- The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.
- According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling. That means that the average family only recycles 15 bags a year; the rest ends up in landfills as litter.
Pricing
Cost per bag: $5
Payment Methods:
Cash
Checks made out to cash
Venmo to @wisewilton
Where To Purchase Your Wise Wilton Bag
Pay with Venmo @wisewilton and I will deliver your bags to you!
Purchasing Instructions for Venmo:
1. Search for @wisewilton
2. Type the address you would like your bags to be delivered to and the number of bags you would like into the "What's it for?" section of the payment
3. Confirm payment
Visit wisewilton.org for updated times and locations of where I will be selling Wise Wilton bags.
Outside Of The Village Market:
July 20, 2019
August 3, 2019
September 21, 2019
Wilton Farmer’s Market:
Wednesday July 24th 12:30 to 3:30 pm at the Wilton Go Green tent
Where Does The Money Go?
All profits will be split equally among the following Wilton organizations that are important to me:
Wilton Food Pantry - I work at the Village Market, a big supporter of the Wilton Food Pantry, and therefore I understand the need to donate to this great organization in our town.
Animals In Distress - I have had cats as pets for my whole life. They are a constant source of comfort and entertainment. It takes a lot to care for and feed one cat. Donating to an organization that ensures the well being of the cats and the search for their new home is important to me.
Ambler Farm - When I was little I used to go to camp at Ambler Farm and I have great memories of my time there. Kevin Meehan and all of the volunteers work hard to make it a very special place in our town.
Wilton Athletic and Recreation Foundation (WARF) - I have played sports in Wilton for as long as I can remember. I grew up playing football, baseball, and lacrosse in the youth programs and still play lacrosse for the high school varsity team. I want to give back to Wilton Athletics because playing sports in Wilton has helped shape who I am today.
My Contact Information
Cole Stephenson Email: 20stephensonc@wiltonps.org Phone: (203) 970-8313