Reuse-Make Money- Glass

Eleven-year-old Kennedi Kokesch and her mother Nancy were strolling through a local glass store in southern Minnesota when Kennedi learned that the unsold knick-knacks were eventually diverted to landfills.

The fifth grader was outraged and gathered as much glass as she could carry out of the store, determined to find a way to put it to good use. When her mother asked what they were going to do with the “junk,” Kennedi replied, “If nothing else, we’re going to recycle it.”

But Kennedi found a way to reuse the old glass and put a little money in her pocket. She turned the old glass into original, colorful birdfeeders. Kennedi became the CEO of her new industry, Kenko Company. Nancy, who owns a gift shop in New Ulm, Minn., decided to put out some of her daughter’s creations “just for fun.” The response was tremendous: In the first week, Nancy sold 14 birdfeeders.

The birdfeeders can be mounted on a pole or hung from a tree. Nancy tells KSTP TV Minneapolis that her house is full of glass, set out in piles underneath the furniture, and Kennedi already has a design plan for each piece. Kennedi and Nancy, her only employee, can barely keep up with the demand of the eco-friendly creations.

Her creations are now sold in several stores throughout Minnesota, including Bachman’s and The Mall of America. Last year, Kennedi sold more than 1,000 birdfeeders at an average price of $14 under the motto: “Helping nature one glass at a time.”