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SUPPORTS EARTH WEEK April 18th - 26th, 2008 EARTH WEEK, Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3 An Independent & Free Press carrier is sav- ing the environment one plastic newspaper bag at a time. For the last month, Mitchell DArcy, 13, has been collecting used newspaper bags from the people on his paper route and reusing them the next time he delivers the Independent & Free Press. Mitchell, who has been delivering papers to McClure Court, Gilmer Court and Seed House Lane for four years, says he is just doing his part to save the world. Were in a time when we need to start caring about the environment, he says. Everyone should look for ways to save the environment in any way they can because every bit counts. Mitchel l , a Grade 8 student at Stewarttown Middle School, got the idea to collect the bags from one of his neighbours, who collected used newspaper bags and gave them to him to reuse. Mitchell thought it was a great idea, so he sent a letter to every- one on his route asking them to do the same. He saw results right away. When he went door-to-door to drop off the newspaper, people gave him handfuls of bags or tied them to their door handle if they werent home. He even had some people chase him down the street with a fistful of bags. After his first collection, people kept ask- ing him if he was going to do it again. They were thrilled to hear that Mitchell is going to collect the used bags for as long he does that route. The response has been amazing, says Linda DArcy, Mitchell s proud mother. After the letter, every time Mitchell came home he was smiling and hed say Look at all the ones I got today! Mitchell gives full credit to his neigh- bours for embracing his collection efforts. They have been so support ive and so responsive that one week he managed to col- lect enough used bags for all of his 145 newspaper deliveries. Mitchell has been collecting more than just the Independent & Free Press bags. He accepts any newspaper bag from any publi- cation. One time he even found a plastic LCBO bag mixed in with the newspaper bags. That was funny, he says. Even though we couldnt use the bag. Mitchell says he hopes other newspaper carriers will follow his lead and start collect- ing and reusing used bags. If we start reusing the bags we give out, we can start saving the environment bit by bit, he says. People might think its a small thing, but it makes a difference. Every bit helps. ANDREA LEFEBVRE Staff writer Independent & Free Press carrier Mitchell DArcy collects newspaper bags from the people on his route and re-uses them for the next edition. Mitchell hopes other carriers will follow his lead. Photo by Andrea Lefebvre Carrier delivers on pledge to help save the environment