Transformational Leadership Blog

Concerns for the environment have gained popularity in recent years, thanks to the work of activists and non-government organizations raising the awareness of the extent of climate change that we are going through. Awareness is good. But unless it is followed up by action, it remains nothing as mere wishful thinking.

Denise Matias, however, picked up the passion for the environment. Although most people feel that incorporating environment-friendly practices into their lifestyles is a tedious, inconvenient and no-fun process.

Sometimes, all it takes for an idea to be implemented is to narrow down on some specific aspect of our lives.

For Denise, that meant helping recycle paper efficiently and creatively! He re are several lessons we can learn from the advocacy and experiences of Denise Matias.

It starts with passion!

From her undergraduate years, Denise Matias had a love affair with mountaineering. Eventually, she started doing some rock-climbing, caving and mountain-biking. Not a bad hobby for young lady! Such passion for the outdoors translated to a passion for the environment and a desire to stop its degradation. For this, she got involved in environmental advocacy decrying mining, deforestation, the proliferation and mismanagement of solid wastes, as well as the rights of indigenous peoples.

As she became more passionate for the environment, she realized that there are indeed more pressing problems that should be addressed such as the disposal of toxic wastes, pollution, and climate change!

Start with something small!

One thing leads to another. As she realized the extent of deforestation in the Philippines, Denise started limiting her usage of paper. She would use both sides of paper before discarding them. At first, she thought that by segregating waste products, she was helping the environment. But she soon found out that garbage segregation ends at her door. That’s why, she, herself, started collecting paper.

Try to make others happy.

Denise turned the papers she collected into cute greeting cards that she gave away to friends and family members. Pretty soon, they also started gathering paper for disposal to give to her. She tried selling the greeting cards she made but because her family criticized (gasp) her lack of artistic talent, she stopped selling it and focused on simply trying to recycle paper!

When it grows big, deal with it!

But the problem was, the pile of papers-to-be-recycled was growing in her room! It was crowding out her room. In 2007, she met a visual artist who liked her idea and prodded her to go on. If art was the problem, then her friend would help her!

Not long after that, the very same family members who criticized her gathered a group of friends to help her design and create Densiocards! Densio is the nickname of Denise and Densiocards was the first name of her venture. When they decided for another name, it became The Green Itch Project because they have an “itch” to live “green.”

Go bigger!

The Green Itch Project is more than just a paper-recycling project. More than just the recycled paper products, the aim of this venture is to encourage Filipinos to be more responsible in managing solid wastes.

Whenever you dump papers, remember that you have a choice. If you cannot recycle it by yourself, you can always contact The Green Itch and give it to them.

The products of The Green Itch Project now includes notepads, bookmarks, scrapbooks and cards with several artists collaborating to design the products. They also hold workshops in recycling paper and raising the awareness of people regarding caring for the environment.

According to their Multiply.com page, The mission of the Green Itch Project is:

We believe that every little gesture for the environment can make a difference and we realize that the easiest way to do that is to integrate it in our daily lives. Yes, we want to earn a little extra on the side, but we also want to make an impact on society and show everyone that we do not need a drastic change in lifestyle just to be able to help the environment. We just need to be a little more conscious of our choices and a little more concerned with our surroundings and, then, everything else may follow.

With The Green Itch, we wish to increase paper recovery rate in the Philippines and to promote proper waste segregation (if not all types of wastes, maybe starting with just paper) to each and every person that we reach. May this small step help in creating a more ecologically-sensitive Filipino nation.

We hope that you’ll support us with The Green Itch (TGI) project and that you’ll be inspired to start your own environmental venture. We also welcome artists and other enthusiasts who may want to join us in this endeavor. If you wish to join us, share ideas, or inquire about anything, please do not hesitate to or leave a comment at the guestbook or contact us at

e-mail address: thegreenitch@gmail.com
mobile number: +63917 323-0902

Connect with The GreenItch Project via Multiply, Facebook. You can also read more about Denise Matias over at the ParagonAsia website.

image credit: The GreenItchProject

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