Winnetka boy scout retires nearly 300 flags

WINNETKA, Ill. - A Winnetka boy scout went above and beyond to mark this Flag Day.  

He has collected nearly 300 flags from the community that are set for retirement. 

"I think it's very special because it represents all the people who have fought for this country and so it's a very sacred thing to do and that's why it's important to me to represent all of those people," said Peter Garrison, Troop 18 boy scout.

Garrison, 17, a Loyola Academy student and local boy scout, is marking this Flag Day in a unique way. 

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For his Eagle Scout qualification project, he's showing the community how to retire plastic and polyester flags in an environmentally conscious way.

"We separate the flag into four pieces and then recycle all of the stripes, and we keep the stars and bury them in a wood box, so it's a lot less harmful to the environment because you're not putting pollutants into the air by burning them," said Garrison.

Cotton flags are still retired in the traditional way, by ceremoniously burning them.  

Flag Day has been celebrated since 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation. It commemorates the country's adoption of the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777.