10-year-old starts recycling program to help fund clean water initiative

Josiah Colton is spreading the word about how everyone can do their part to protect the planet.
The 10-year-old from New York uses social media to share eco-friendly tips on everything from ways to conserve energy and water to best gardening practices. He's also an entrepreneur — in 2018, he started a recycling program called J Go Green, and every Saturday, he collects bottles and cans from local businesses. Colton gives 10 percent of the proceeds to Charity Water, a nonprofit working to ensure that no one goes without clean water.
Colton decided to start donating to the charity after he saw a video showing people drinking dirty water out of a river; he believes everyone deserves clean water, and felt inspired to help. Charity Water recently honored Colton by naming him a Tiny Hero, a badge he wears proudly. "I'm helping the Earth, and I feel very good about that," Colton told Good Morning America.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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