Our Mission

Our mission is to cultivate the next generation of leaders through educational and art-based programs. We promote sustainability and provide job readiness oppertunities for Justice Impacted youth and underserved communities.

RECYCLE AND REINVEST

Welcome to RECYCLE AND REINVEST, a grassroots organization dedicated to closing the gap between crime and litter by promoting sustainability and providing job opportunities. We firmly believe in addressing environmental racism issues through the Environmental Justice movement. Here at RECYCLE AND REINVEST, we strive to create a better future by developing green spaces and implementing the broken glass theory. Join us in our mission to foster safer communities and a cleaner, greener environment for all.

At RECYCLE AND REINVEST, our mission is to cultivate the next generation of leaders through educational and art-based programs. We promote sustainability and provide job readiness oppertunities for Justice Impacted youth and underserved communities. By promoting sustainability, creating green spaces, and providing job opportunities, we aim to bridge the gap between these problems. We firmly believe in the power of community involvement and collective action to effect positive change. Together, we can create safer neighborhoods, protect the environment, and address environmental racism.

Our Approach:

To achieve our goals, RECYCLE AND REINVEST employs a multifaceted approach. We collaborate with local communities, organizations, and businesses to develop and maintain green spaces that promote community safety and well-being. Additionally, we strive to create job opportunities for individuals from underprivileged communities, as more employment options lead to a strengthened sense of community and decreased crime rates.

Join Us:

We invite you to join the movement to close the gap between crime and litter. Together, we can work towards a cleaner and safer environment for all.

Join RECYCLE AND REINVEST in raising awareness, promoting sustainability, and providing job opportunities to address environmental racism issues through the Environmental Justice movement. Together, let's make a difference and create a better future.

If you have any questions or comments or would like to get involved in our cause, please get in touch with us at INFO@RECYCLEREINVEST.ORG. We look forward to hearing from you and working together towards a greener, safer, and more just world.

The Broken Glass Theory:

RECYCLE AND REINVEST embraces the broken glass theory, which posits that maintaining and improving the environment can help prevent crime. This theory suggests that visible signs of disorder, such as littered streets, abandoned buildings, and neglected parks, can create an environment that encourages criminal behavior. By actively working to reduce litter and address the physical manifestations of neglect in our communities, we can contribute to a decrease in crime rates.

Data and Statistics:

At RECYCLE AND REINVEST, we rely on compelling data and statistics to support our cause. Studies consistently show that creating green spaces and investing in the environment correlates with reduced crime rates. Communities with well-maintained parks, gardens, and sustainable infrastructure tend to experience lower crime than areas lacking these resources. By incorporating this knowledge into our initiatives, we strive to bring positive change to our communities.

Addressing Environmental Racism

We recognize the existence of environmental racism, which refers to the disproportionate exposure of marginalized communities to ecological hazards and injustices. At RECYCLE AND REINVEST, we are committed to addressing this issue head-on through the Environmental Justice movement. By actively engaging with communities affected by environmental racism and implementing sustainable practices, we aim to level the playing field and ensure everyone has access to a clean and safe environment.

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Environmental justice is the fair and equitable treatment of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. It seeks to ensure that all communities have equal access to clean air, water, and land, and are protected from environmental hazards and pollution.

Environmental justice is particularly important to black, brown, and poor white communities because they are often disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and pollution. These communities are more likely to live near toxic waste sites, landfills, and industrial facilities, and are more likely to suffer from health problems related to environmental pollution. Environmental justice seeks to address these disparities and ensure that all communities have the same level of protection from environmental harm.

PRINCIPALS OF OUR WORK

JEMEZ PRICIPALS FOR DEMORCRATIC ORGANIZING

The Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing are a set of guidelines developed by a group of activists and organizers in Jemez, New Mexico in 1996. The principles are intended to promote democratic and participatory organizing practices, particularly within social justice movements. The principles are as follows:

1. Be inclusive: strive to involve all those who are affected by the issues being addressed.

2. Emphasize bottom-up organizing: prioritize the leadership and participation of those most directly affected by the issues being addressed.

3. Let people speak for themselves: ensure that those most affected by the issues have the opportunity to speak and be heard.

4. Work together in solidarity and mutuality: build relationships based on trust, respect, and shared goals.

5. Build just relationships among ourselves: strive to create relationships that are free from oppression and exploitation.

6. Commit to self-transformation: recognize that social change begins with personal transformation and commit to ongoing self-reflection and growth.

7. Practice democracy and inclusivity in decision-making: ensure that decision-making processes are democratic, transparent, and inclusive.

8. Recognize the value of dialogue: engage in dialogue that is respectful, honest, and open-minded.

9. Addressing conflict: address conflicts in a constructive and nonviolent manner.

10. Maintain a commitment to nonviolence: commit to nonviolent tactics and strategies in all actions and campaigns.

THE PRINCIPALS OF ENVIROMENTAL JUSTICE

The 17 Principles of Environmental Justice were developed at the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991. These principles are intended to guide the environmental justice movement and promote equitable and sustainable environmental policies and practices. The principles are as follows:

1. Environmental justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity, and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction.

2. Environmental justice demands that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias.

3. Environmental justice mandates the right to ethical, balanced, and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of all people.

4. Environmental justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production, and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.

5. Environmental justice affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural, and environmental self-determination of all peoples.

6. Environmental justice demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production.

7. Environmental justice demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making, including needs assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement, and evaluation.

8. Environmental justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms the right of those who work at home to be free from environmental hazards.

9. Environmental justice protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care.

10. Environmental justice considers governmental acts of environmental injustice a violation of international law, human rights, and the United Nations Convention on Genocide.

11. Environmental justice must recognize a special legal and natural relationship of Native Peoples to the U.S. government through treaties, agreements, compacts, and covenants affirming sovereignty and self-determination.

12. Environmental justice affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and providing fair access for all to the full range of resources.

13. Environmental justice calls for the strict enforcement of principles of informed consent and a halt to the testing of experimental reproductive and medical procedures and vaccinations on people of color.

14. Environmental justice opposes the destructive operations of multi-national corporations.

15. Environmental justice opposes military occupation, repression, and exploitation of lands, peoples, and cultures, and other life forms.

16. Environmental justice calls for the education of present and future generations which emphasizes social and environmental issues, based on our experience and an appreciation of our diverse cultural perspectives.

17. Environmental justice requires that we, as individuals, make personal and consumer choices to consume as little of Mother Earth's resources and to produce as little waste as possible, and make the conscious decision to challenge and reprioritize our lifestyles to ensure the health of the natural world for present and future generations.

Environmental Racism In Nashville,Tn

The North Nashville community, which is predominantly Black, has been subjected to decades of environmental injustice. The community is home to several toxic waste sites, including the Union Carbide plant, which was responsible for a massive chemical spill in 1990 that contaminated the soil and groundwater. The community also experiences high levels of air pollution due to the nearby interstate highways and industrial facilities.

Similarly, the predominantly Latino community in South Nashville has been exposed to environmental hazards, including a landfill that has been linked to health problems such as asthma and cancer.

Overall, environmental racism in Nashville has resulted in significant health disparities and economic inequalities for communities of color and low-income communities. Advocates and community members continue to push for environmental justice and equitable policies to address these issues.