Being green typically isn't all that fun. It usually means going
without (i.e. reusing your bath towels during a hotel stay) or having to do something
that can sometimes be kind of gross (EX: washing out pet food cans so that they
can be placed in the recycle bin).
But what if I were to tell you that there was now a colorful,
even fashionable way to go green? And best of all, you could actually do
something to help improve life elsewhere on this planet by shopping at a Disney
theme park?
Photo by Angela Ragno
If this sounds like something that you might be interested
in doing, then I urge you — the very next time you visit Disney's Hollywood Studios
or Epcot's World Showcase — to drop by the BeadforLife booths.
Here, you'll find some very unique Disney-related
collectibles. Beads that are made out of old WDW guide maps and other outdated paper
products that have been collected in and around The Walt Disney World Resort.
Photo by Angela Ragno
"And how exactly are these recycled beads made?," you ask. The out-of-date
WDW guide maps are shipped over to Uganda where 50 talented women first measure
these recyclables & then cut them into individual strips of paper. These
strips are hand-rolled into bead shapes and then dipped into a water-resistant
sealant. Once these beads have dried, they're shipped back over to Walt Disney
World, where Guests can pick out individual beads and have them strung together
into colorful anklets, bracelets, chokers, earrings and necklaces.
And best of all, because these beads are created out of
recycled paper which have been used to promote various WDW rides, shows and
attractions, this very green piece of jewelry can sometimes feature individual
beads that are Finding Nemo Blue, Tinkerbell Green or Sleeping Beauty Pink.
Photo by Angela Ragno
I know, I know. It just seems kind of bizarre that
purchasing a bracelet or a necklace at Walt Disney World can then help eliminate
extreme poverty in the third world. But that's what BeadforLife is really trying to do here. Which is why I applaud The
Walt Disney Company for using its theme parks as a way to raise the profile of
this most worthy nonprofit.
If you'd like to learn more about BeadforLife (which not
only turns Disney World's recyclables into beautiful pieces of jewelry but also
sells soaps & cosmetics which have been fashioned out of the shea nuts that
women in Northern Uganda collect), be
sure and drop by its official website. Where you can then learn more about this
nonprofit organization's desire to create bridges of understanding between
impoverished Africans and concerned citizens of the world.
Photo by Angela Ragno
Your thoughts?