Here’s the 3 minute winning video that asks the simple question:

Why are we cutting down our trees to make cardboard boxes that are used once, maybe twice- just to throw them away in a landfill?

Here’s the award winning background information:

 

[ ABOUT MY PROJECT ]

Rent-a-Green Box.com is the first, comprehensive zero-waste pack and move solution in America. Founded in Orange County last year, Spencer Brown, a local OC resident and eco-entrepreneur is converting trash mined from local landfills into a suite of sustainable, cradle to cradle, packing and moving products. Applying his patent pending, NANO technology to hard to recycle plastic trash, he converts all of those colorful plastic bottles found under your kitchen sink and laundry room into a series of three durable, rentable and reusable moving boxes called Recopacks [ recycled ecological packing solution]. They’re the replacement for cardboard boxes that save relocating residents and businesses time, money and the Earth. 
For every 100 Recopacks rented, we remove over 500 pounds of hard to recycle plastic trash from our landfills, prevent over 350 pounds of packing and moving waste entering our landfills, reduce our fuel consumption by 50 gallons, eliminate over 2,500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from entering our atmosphere and save three trees from being converted into a limited use, disposable cardboard box, that ultimately ends up in our landfills. It’s detox for our landfills and we’re delivering environmental consciousness in a box!

[ WHAT I HOPE ABOUT MY PROJECT'S IMPACT
 ]

My project and mission is to change the way America packs and moves! I’m de-toxing our landfills by extracting and using hard to recycle trash to make a rentable and reusable stacking box that will last for over 400 uses. When it expires, we grind it up to make another Recopack. This cradle to cradle process is an “outside of the box” concept using our expanding post consumer waste stream to craft a 100% recycled product-the Recopack; which demonstrates a simple and powerful sustainable message. Basically, we must preserve our limited natural resources by using a readily available and plentiful untapped resource- our trash! By reinventing the cardboard box, we can stop the viscous cycle of eco and environmental destruction when Americans pack and move. Simply put, why are we cutting down our trees, to make a limited life cycle cardboard box, that ultimately ends up in the landfills? By offering relocating Americans a choice to rent a green box for a buck a box a week- that’s less than 15 cents a day, it will save them time and money and the Earth.

[ MY PROJECT'S STATUS IS ]

We have been operating for 17 months and we’re doing phenomenal!

[ MY BIGGEST "AH-HA!" MOMENT
 ]

My big “AH-HA!” moment was when I spent $800 bucks for cardboard boxes and ended up at the landfill to dump them. I looked around and knew there had to be a better way to pack and move without the waste issue and impact on the landfills. I saw a pile of colorful HDPE #2 plastic bottles, picked up a few and said to myself, self- i’m going to make a really cool plastic box to replace the cardboard box. That was the start of my journey to change the way America packs and moves!

[ HOW DOES KEEN REFLECT MY VALUES?
 ]

My values are very simple and have some parallel with the “Keen Lifestyle Brand Values”. Stay grounded, be honest with yourself and your life, explore and challenge yourself throughout your journey and appreciate and respect your loved ones, family and friends.

[ THE COOLEST THING I'VE EVER DONE IN MY KEENS
 ]

I have hiked some of the largest waste dumps and landfills in California with my coolio KEENS supporting my feet and journey to change the way America packs and moves!