LiveSmart BC Community Hero
Junk is more valuable than you think
Few individuals are so excited about recycling that they get a nickname out of it, but that's exactly what happened to Oliver Samonte. His friends from Douglas College gave him the nickname Dr. Recycle, and it's a name that stuck.
Samonte grew up poor in the Philippines, where he learned early on the art of creative recycling. Today he still uses his imagination to teach kids of all ages how to be creative in re-using household junk.
Thanks in part to a natural gift with children, Dr. Recycle is able to captivate audiences in classrooms, workshops and conventions, enabling them to create treasures from old items.
Dr. Recycle doesn't confine himself to the Surrey area. His projects have been used by the GVRD for their educational programs. In 2003 an issue of McDonald's Fun Time magazine featured a project from Samonte's book, Creative Recycling, which features more than 50 fun projects for family and students to enjoy together.
Samonte has found a formula for success through his workshops and presentations. By using his proven T.L.C. formula - Think, Laugh and Create - he helps kids understand the importance of not being wasteful in a hands-on learning experience.
In addition to writing several books on the subject, Dr. Recycle has also invented a board game that could help students think of simple ways to help the environment.
If we could all reuse just a little bit of our junk instead of throwing it away, just think about how much good could be done for the planet. Dr. Recycle plans to continue to show us how.
