User:SzilviaP/sandbox

The Gaia Movement USA
The Gaia Movement USA, is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It started in 1999 in Illinois, and operates in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and California.

Mission Statement
The Gaia Movement's main objective is to educate people about the current issues of environment and what does it take to keep the Earth liveable for the future generations. The Gaia Movement USA operates recycling programs through donation bins placed at private businesses in 5 states and schools in several districts in Sacramento CA and Chicago IL. The income from the recycling programs goes toward supporting environmental projects globally and in the USA.

Redirecting used clothes, shoes, fabrics and linens from landfills can save valuable resources, reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and the good quality, gently used items provide clothing for hundreds of thousands of people.

Operation
The majority of the gently used clothes goes to local thrift stores and second hand wholesale dealers. Most clothes sold as it is, loose in plastic bags. Some clothes gets baled or put into cap sacks for shipping.

Clothes shipped to wholesale dealers, get shipped into sorting centers where they get graded for quality and separated into categories. Most facility has washing and drying options too. From the sorted clothes the buyers can order the clothing items they need the most.

Clothes sold to thrift stores get sorted at the thrift store premises. Non-clothing items are also accepted such as books, toys, CD's, DVD's and small appliances.

Clothes, shoes, toys and books donated to local organizations are cleaned, packed and distributed for clothes drives, fairs, fundraising events.

When a donated item cannot be used as clothing it get's recycled as material. The separated materials are sold to companies who can make new products from them. Unwearable jeans cut up to make insulation for buildings, shoes get grind into small pieces to make pavement for playgrounds or roads. Unusable electronics are disassembled, metal, plastic, glass separated for recycling.

The royalties are also used for administration and operating costs for the Gaia Reuse and Recycling Facility. About 90% of sales are for wholesale dealers.

USA
The Gaia Reuse and Recycling facility accepts volunteers and provide community work hours for individuals, groups and schools. During the volunteer hours the participants learn to separate plastics, card boards, metals and other recyclable materials.

Presentations are hold for the interested and workshops on Recycling, Renewable Energy and Urban Agriculture for free. The Gaia Movement USA has clean energy devices on display such as solar panels, passive solar heater and a small scale bio-diesel machine at events in the community.

Other Activities
Volunteer and Community Environmental Events:
 * Recycling
 * Clean-up & Greening Actions
 * Garden Days

International Projects
Environmental Projects in Mozambique, Tanzania and ZambiaSee article here

Water Pumps in ZambiaSee details here

Bio-fuel Projects in Guinea-Bissau See article here

Eco-Service Center in India Here

Green Projects India Here

Solar Energy Projects in India Here