Orange County Girl Scout sparks community change

Joyce Li, a lifelong Ladera Ranch resident and a rising senior at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, completed her Girl Scout Gold Award project – the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn – by tackling the growing problem of household battery waste in the community.

The idea for the project began at home when her mom started working remotely during COVID-19 and she lost access to the battery recycling bin at her office. She quickly realized there were no convenient alternatives nearby.

Li discovered that many families in Ladera Ranch faced the same issue, and while it is easy to toss used batteries in the trash, she learned that doing so allows toxic chemicals to leach into soil and groundwater, posing serious threats

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