In lieu of the 2012 London Olympics, the Idea Committee – one of our more secretive think tank coalitions – suggested breaking a Guinness World Record. Our thoughts behind attempting this feat of mental, physical and creative strength: “We’re not all Olympians at the office, but we can sure as hell break a world record!”
With enthusiasm-a-plenty, the GreenCupboards team will set out to craft the world’s largest piece of handmade, recycled paper … around 1,200 square feet of it on August 10, 2012. The current record, held by the city of Toyama, Japan, currently sits at 1,037 sq. ft.
Why paper?
Paper usage is a major focal point in the environmental movement. That’s why we’ve opted to collected pre and post consumer paper waste from the Spokane Community to provide the base for this project. With the help of Earthworks Recycling, GreenCupboards expects to receive around 800 lbs. of shredded salvaged paper. From there, the mixing, pouring and drying begins! More about the method as we approach our attempt date.
We’ve been planning the event since late May and during the interim the Guinness Brains Committee – members Daniel and James especially – have been testing different paper making methods, testing filter and framing materials from fish netting and landscape fabric to salvaged wood pallets and recycled legal pads. In addition to experimentation, each department within GreenCupboards has contributed salvaged paper, including sticky notes, newspapers and final exam papers.
So, what’s the plan for using 1,200 sq. ft. of paper once it’s finished? Good question. The paper will be divided into “specialty areas”. For instance, approximately ten feet will be used specifically for planting vegetable seeds, another ten feet will be use for herbs and flowers and so on. Better yet, community members are more than welcome to and plant their own seeds (available for pick-up at the end of the day on the 10th). Other areas will be devoted to making business cards, GreenCupboards Core Value Posters and compost for our Spring 2013 garden.
