Inside SoCal: Plastic Warriors (4/14)

PLASTIC WARRIORS

An El Sereno Middle School alum is trying to save the world and those less fortunate through a unique recycling program.

1PLASTICLIFE

Armando Ochoa is surprising in the best possible way. His humble and shy nature hides a powerhouse thinker and doer. What was simply research on fish tanks led to a desire to save the oceans from plastic. But why stop there? He dreamt up a 3-part plan to: 1) educate youth on recycling and inspire them to implement a plastic collection strategy; 2) employ those homeless to help sort and clean the plastic so it can be melted down; 3) turn the material into a new product (cell phone cases and face shields) to sell to consumers (all profits go right back into the organization to sustain it and grow it). Kudos to Principal Martha Gomez for seeing something special in Armando and the willingness of El Sereno Middle School to implement Armando's recycling program. Together, they are creating real change in the community. But trust me, this is only the beginning for Armando and his plastic warriors.

For detail on 1PlasticLife and ways you can get involved, visit 1plasticlife.org