Girl from Glastonbury makes it her mission to spread the importance of recycling

GLASTONBURY, CT (WFSB) - A Glastonbury girl is all about recycling.

It started at home with her family.

She’s made it her mission to spread the word to anyone and everyone.

It started as a bad dream.

“I was thinking about what I saw on the TV earlier and I was like getting worried,” said Charlotte Couture, recycler.

A dream that haunted Charlotte as she slept.

So much so, she woke up in a panic one night last year and then went straight to her parents room.

“So, I was like, ‘mom, mom’ I worried about pollution and litter,” Charlotte said. “If we don’t start recycling and helping our environment, the world will just burn.”

Charlotte, then 10 at the time, was dead serious.

“I didn’t realize how heavy it was weighing on her heart until the middle of the night,” said her mom, Alison Couture.

Alison remembers the conversation.

“She said ‘mom, I’m really worried about this. I need to do something. What can we do?’ Well, I said ‘you can write a letter.’” Alison said.

That’s what Charlotte did.

She wrote that letter to the President of the United States.

“Dear President Biden. My name is Charlotte Couture. I’m 10 years old and I’m in 5th grade in Glastonbury, Connecticut,” said Charlotte, reading her letter.

She went on to tell the president: “I recycle and try and do what I can to take care of the Earth, but I need help from everyone.”

She begged to him: “please help people see that is not too late to save the Earth.”

For one year, she didn’t hear a word. Not a peep.

Yet, her passion for recycling never waned.

Then in August, her motivation got a big and unexpected boost by simply checking the mail.

It was the reply from the President.

“I got it out of the mailbox, and I was like looking at it. I just like stopped and was like,” Charlotte said.

Her mom snapped this picture just moments after charlotte opened the mailbox. Her expression says it all.

“It made me feel proud, like I did that,” said Charlotte.

The President wrote: “It is important you use your voice and speak out on this issue.”

Now Charlotte is even more determined.

“You put like meat and bones and food waste in her and like coffee grounds and filters,” Charlotte said.

Her family just added a compost bin.

But Charlotte wants everyone to do their part.

“Are you stopping?” Eyewitness News asked.

“No. Because now that I know I can do it,” said Charlotte.

The 6th grader is leading with her heart, setting the example for us all.

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