We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Salas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Community and environment is something I’ve always deeply cared about so I wanted to get into an industry where you’re also making a positive difference in communities and the environment. My main motivator was never the money, although it’s a very important aspect; My main driver has always been the impact value. I’ve been a social entrepreneur even before I knew the term existed.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Safe to say, Lady Green Recycling is a grassroots company and unique from all other waste management companies. It was born out of necessity after observing that the recycling system in 2008 wasn’t working overall. While in graduate school, I realized how essential education was when it came to recycling and how it lacked throughout the industries and communities. The lack of education has caused several problems like high contamination rates, leading the recyclables to go to the landfill, or even worse, the environment. Aside from providing customized education to all of our clients, we offer several different services, from customized pickup services to digital-based products. Our Lady Green App is free to use and has a Bin Sorting game to teach users how to recycle right! Studies have shown that gamification is an effective tool to learning and we are seeing the results. We also offer customized videos, activity books, and toolkits all geared around recycling education and sustainability. Most recently, we started processing our own plastics locally and making products and raw material. This has been a dream of mine for several years now and now I’m just stoked it’s finally happening.

The road to entrepreneurship in the waste industry is not an easy road. It takes grit to keep on going and believing in your product or service; Believing that you can really make a change. So many valuable lessons I’ve learned throughout the years. I’ve learned it’s essential to make connections and build relationships. It’s also important to find ways to adapt and evolve in this ever changing world, especially in the plastics and consumption arena. Among many other lessons, I’ve realized how important it is to continue to grow as a person so you can be the best person and leader you can be for your team, your clients and community. You want to give your best to them always, for their benefit and for your business.

When I started the company, I started with my Jeep and a trailer. I used to call it the little Jeep that could. I started with little to no resources and worked up to 3 jobs at one point just to get Lady Green off the ground. I’d like the world to know that ‘small’ actions can have a big impact on our planet. That anything is possible if you believe and have grit because there will always be challenges along the way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I always like to invite my friends to jiu-jitsu class at Gracie Barra Doral. Training jiu-jitsu and self-defense is a passion of mine and I love showing my friends and family how fun and effective it is. I like going to Key Biscayne Hobie beach, going out to eat somewhere local like Special Tea Lounge. They have great food and lots of healthy options to choose from!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I attribute the existence and success of Lady Green Recycling to our team, our clients and our communities. They all play a vital role in making Lady Green a reality. You couldn’t have one without the other. I consider myself a facilitator or a helmswoman steering a sea vessel. You need a vessel and an entire crew to operate it, otherwise you have nothing.

Website: www.ladygreenmiami.com

Instagram: ladygreenrecycling

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-salas-baa41124/

Twitter: ladygreenmiami

Facebook: ladygreenrecycling

Other: www.ladygreenclub.com

Image Credits
Paradise Key

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