We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin Sather a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Hi! My name is Justin Sather and I’m 13 years old. I live in San Diego, California and am the founder of a new online business called Recreate.World. I’m an Outdoor Advocate and Environmentalist on a mission to recreate the way people live their daily lives by encouraging them to get outdoors and at the same time inspire them to value nature by buying products that are sustainable and better for the planet.

In kindergarten my mom read me a book called, “What Do You Do with an Idea?” and I learned one idea could change the world. It wasn’t long after that I learned frogs were dying from pollution, pesticides, climate changes, and people cutting down their homes. I had an idea to help. I started spreading the news that frogs are in danger to my friends, family, classmates, teammates, and anyone that would listen.

I started a website called “Justin’s Frog Project” and had fundraisers to raise money to help protect frogs by saving their homes. On my 8th birthday my friends helped me restore the Ballona Wetlands near my house and by my 13th birthday my idea grew even bigger. With help from thousands of supporters, I was able to protect 100 acres of rainforest in Ecuador. Now that’s a lot of Frogs Saved but I didn’t stop there.

As I learned more about frogs, I learned it wasn’t just the frogs that were in danger. You see, frogs breathe and drink through their skin and that’s why they are so sensitive to their environment. Scientists explained pollution and pesticides in our rivers, lakes, and oceans could be harming more than just the frogs. I started a second website called “The Parallel Projects” and learned from others worldwide how big our pollution and plastic problem had become even in just these 13 years of my lifetime. Together we made a pact to work together “in parallel” to help clean up our planet, specifically with a plan to recreate the plastic industry with businesses and the government.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

It wasn’t until recently when I started middle school that I began to focus more on my passions through my classes. I’ve always enjoyed building things since I was little so when I was awarded “The Most Passionate Engineer” of my class I started to think how to use this skill in my work to help the planet. How could I find creative solutions to build a better future for the next generations? I started to think how businesses could “Engineer for the Environment”. There had to be a way to create safter products for my friends, family, and animals too. And that is when my idea grew even bigger, and I founded www.Recreate.World.

Recreate.World is an online store that honors companies that use their imagination and innovation to “recreate” products that we use every day so that they are better for the environment. If you look closely at our logo it starts with the traditional arrows of reduce, reuse, recycle and then branches out with an additional recreate arrow emphasizing that it’s time we need to step up and do more. Humans are the main cause of our environmental problems, so we need to minimize our ecological footprint and reverse the damage we have already done. Our goal is to approve companies that are taking steps to make products that are sustainable. We look for products that replace single-use plastic items or use as little plastic as possible. We also look for products made from natural, renewable, or recycled materials and strive to find items that are certified “biodegradable” and at-home compostable. In addition, we also support products that are durable and made to last for years and years.

I’m most proud of my JFP Stamp of Approval. It stands for Justin’s Frog Project (JFP) and helps kids and adults understand what companies I support. After years of research, I learned it takes over 400 years for a plastic bottle to decompose and found out that 91% of plastic is not even recycled. And who knew most of our clothing even contains materials made from plastic. Some of my favorite items with my JFP approval are shirts made from organic cotton. And hats and backpacks made from recycled water bottles. I also approved several reusable water bottles and bags, lunchboxes, wooden spoons and forks, and compostable coconut straws. My hope is that Recreate.World and my JFP Stamp of Approval will make sustainability easier and educate others on simple ways they can do their part from destroying our planet.

In addition, I’m really excited Recreate.World is a platform that encourages kids and adults to get outdoors. The store is set up with products in categories designed to inspire families and friends to get outside and enjoy activities such as hiking, biking, camping, and more. The goal is to help create a relationship between people and the planet and encourage more people to get involved in taking positive steps to creating a healthier world. And there’s one thing more- a percentage of our sales supports our efforts on conservation and protecting our planet.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Recreate.World was co-created with my mom, dad, and younger brother. It is a family passion project dedicated to spending time together in nature while at the same time protecting it. Together we enjoy finding new products that make our outdoor adventures fun, stylish, and comfortable. And we feel good that our products don’t have a negative impact on the planet.

One percent of our sales goes to our partners “Reserva Youth Land Trust” (reservaylt.org). I have been part of the youth council for several years and have protected over 100 acres of rainforest under their leadership. They help create youth-funded nature reserves in Ecuador and Columbia and empower the younger generation to make a measurable difference for threatened species and habitats through conservation, education, and storytelling. You can visit www.JustinsFrogProject.com to learn how you can write a letter to protect a classroom size of rainforest on the reserve.

Another percent of our sales goes to our “Parallel Projects” work. We have partners in Tanzania, Africa and we work together in parallel to make a global impact on our plastic pollution crisis along with working on creative solutions to improve our planet. You can visit www.TheParallelProjects.com to sign and join our petition to recreate the plastic industry in addition to submitting an idea or creation you have to use less plastic.

We are constantly looking for new innovative and sustainable products for our Recreate Store and looking to award businesses and products with the JFP Stamp of Approval. We want to honor companies that come up with ideas to help the planet. And we are asking you to do the same!!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

My advice for others that want to come up with their own idea is to read the book “What Do You Do With An Idea?” by Kobi Yamada. It inspired me to create change and have the confidence to grow my idea bigger and bigger until it changed the world. I also recommend learning about training your brain to have a growth mindset. This means you recognize making mistakes is part of the learning and building process, and if you want to succeed, it is important to stay determined despite problems and obstacles that come along the way.

I hope to inspire more kids, adults, and businesses to come up with ideas to “recreate” the future to solve problems such as plastic pollution, deforestation, unsustainable living habits, and climate change. By Engineering for the Environment, I believe we can create new ideas with science and technology mixed with imagination and innovation to create a healthier world.

As you can see, my mission is to be an ambassador for our planet. I believe my business Recreate.World will inspire individuals, businesses, and the government to work together to create a better world for the next generations. Come visit our store, learn about sustainable products, sign our petition to join the movement to recreate, and be inspired to get outdoors!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.Recreate.World
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinsfrogproject/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555253678270
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/justins-frog-project/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0tXiP4e2ecjSZsNBM5f16g
• Other: Here are Justin’s Other Social Media Outlets:
  www.JustinsFrogProject.com
  www.TheParallelProjects.com

• Sign Our Petition - https://www.theparallelprojects.com/petition