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Cellect Plastics LLC and Girl Scouts Louisiana East Announce Launch of Educational Water Protection Initiative

SEPTEMBER 2010

Scott Smith, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Cellect Plastics LLC, along with Jacqueline Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts Louisiana East, are pleased to announce the launch of an educational initiative designed to help protect both fresh and salt water across the Gulf coast region.

Cellect Plastics LLC’s environmentally responsible Opflex™ products are currently being used in the clean-up of the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  Together with Girl Scouts Louisiana East, Cellect Plastics, whose Opflex™ products meet stringent EPA requirements, will be working to educate people on the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and encourage all citizens to take part in protecting our lakes, rivers, beaches, marshes, bays, harbors, and wildlife.

According to Alexander, this type of eco-initiative is nothing new for the local Girl Scout council, who played a key role in the 1990s in the closing, cleaning and reopening of the Tangipahoa River which flows through one of its Girl Scout camps.  

“We are pleased that Girl Scouts Louisiana East will be able to partner with an environmentally responsible product such as Opflex™ that helps clean and protect our precious water systems, lakes, streams, harbors, beaches, marshes, bays, oceans and wildlife,” said Alexander.

The joint educational initiative will be adapted to fit into Girl Scouts Louisiana East’s current environmental educational program, further establishing the Girl Scout council as a leading pioneer in community environmental awareness.

“Girl Scouting encourages girls to be at the forefront of ecological stewardship,” said Alexander.  The initiative, still in its planning stages, ties in perfectly with the Girl Scouts’

It’s Your Planet—Love It! Journey program launched last year, which tackles issues like preserving the world’s water supply, creating innovations in energy usage, how our food network and food choices impact the environment, and even forming an equation for what it will take to bring about environmental justice in the world.

“In our It’s Your Planet journey girls accept a challenge to take the lead in protecting the planet,” said Alexander.  “We learned how important our water is when it kept our girls from swimming at camp years ago, and more recently its effect on our way of life due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  Girl Scouts wants to not only educate others about water, but to take action in ensuring its safety.”

Cellect is pledging to the Girl Scout organization, in perpetuity, 20 percent of net profits generated whenever Opflex™ is sold to a marina, or government agency -- including the U.S. Coast Guard and local or federal fish and wildlife agencies.

Smith commented that Cellect Plastics, LLC is currently reviewing other Girl Scout initiatives in hopes of playing a major part in helping the leadership development organization obtain positive and measurable outcomes for girls and young women of all races, religions, ethnicity and economic background.

About Cellect Plastics LLC

In May of 2010, Scott Smith took his iPhone and his product, Opflex™, into the marshes of Venice, LA and made a video.  He captured the Opflex™ cleaning the oil from the marshes while clear water ran through it.  The Opflex™ retained and absorbed the oil.  Upon viewing this video, BP America approved Scott Smith to go to the joint command center in Robert, LA.  There, BP ordered the first Opflex™ to be used on the beaches and in the marshes of the Gulf to help with oil clean up from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Subsequently, BP placed repeat orders and Opflex™ was also tested, approved and used by the government of China in the Dalian oil spill. 

In addition to Opflex™, Cellect Plastics LLC manufactures, markets, and sells a variety of low carbon impact foams used in a variety of markets, which include yoga mats, exercise mats and equipment, gaskets, medical markets, adhesive tapes, and Homeland Security.  More information about Opflex™ can be found at www.opflex.com.

 

About Girl Scouts Louisiana East
Girl Scouts Louisiana East is the premier leadership development organization for girls, ages 5 to 17, in the 23 parishes of Southeast Louisiana.  Together with committed adult volunteers who partner with girls to guide and inspire their growth and achievement, the organization builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, to make the world a better place. For more information, contact the council at 504-733-8220 or visit its website at www.gsle.org.

 

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Media contact: Marianne Addy, VP of Communications and Fund Development
(504) 733-8220, ext. 2226 or maddy@gsle.org  or Marianne McEvoy, Communications Director, Cellect Plastics LLC, (774) 313-9816 or mmcevoy@cellectplastics.com

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