SALT LAKE CITY — For some, it may just be a school project, but for 21-year-old Luz Garcia, it’s the opportunity to make a difference.
Garcia, a student at Utah Valley University, started working on sea brooms back in high school when her teacher encouraged her to enter a competition where you have to create your project.
“When I was almost falling asleep, a thought came to my mind, and I remember, so I'm from Venezuela, and in Venezuela, recycling is a big part of our culture,” Garcia said.
Garcia said she was taken back to a time in elementary school when she made a broom for the first time.
“My teacher helped me put this broom together, we just put like a bunch of bottles and cut it like scissors,” Garcia said.
Garcia had the idea of taking discarded plastic bottles from different elementary schools to create sea brooms, to spread awareness about plastic pollution.
“It had me realize that it was having a positive impact in my friends, in my community around me, that I was like, Okay, I think this is where I should keep going,” Garcia said.
“Sea Broom” has now turned into a community project, with Garcia selling the brooms at farmers' markets and doing workshops to show the importance of recycling.
Katie Newburn, Education and Outreach Director of Friends of Great Salt Lake, said up to two tons of trash get collected along the shores of the Great Salt Lake every year.
“Unfortunately, around Great Salt Lake, we see a lot of illegal dumping of things like tires and mattresses that are harder to dispose of, but just being aware that those choices have consequences,” Newburn said.
Sarah Erwin, Assistant Professor with Utah State University Extension, said that due to environmental factors, it’s important to protect the water we do have.
“We are the second to third driest state in the nation. It just depends on the year if we're number two or three, so we're already dealing with just a deficit. And so if you think about a limited quality, you want to make sure the quantity is as good as possible,” Erwin said.
Some things you can do to protect the water here in Utah include limiting plastic usage, avoiding pouring anything toxic down storm drains, and discarding trash properly.
“I know we may not have all the resources that it needs to be able to tackle all these crises, but I believe that small actions can create a big impact. And that's why I'm doing this,” Garcia said.
If you are interested in getting a sea broom, Garcia said she posts on the “Sea Broom” Instagram page, which farmers markets she sells them at, usually in the Draper and Daybreak area.
“One broom at a time, one bottle at a time, one action at a time, it will create a big impact,” Garcia said.
