Waste is a design flaw! This was the message at the 5th Annual Zero Waste Youth Convergence (ZWYC) in San Francisco. Zero Waste Youth is an international organization that engages students and professionals to promote concepts for a zero waste future through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
This year’s convergence featured 31 speakers, including ReThink Disposable’s very own Chris Slafter, who championed the importance of reducing the use of single use disposable food and beverage packaging items.
Waste does not exist in nature. Earth is a closed loop system of perfect efficiency. The presence of waste in our lives is proof that our design is flawed. Maura Dilley, Program Manager at Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute spoke on her journey towards circular apparel, in which clothing is designed to be stylish and made to be broken down to re-enter the cycle for reuse.
Morning keynote speaker Jordan Figueiredo, creator of the Ugly Fruit and Veg Campaign, fights to end food waste due to discrimination against ugly produce. About 25% of perfectly fresh and nutritious produce is wasted before it even reaches the grocery store because of the cosmetic standards placed by large grocers. This accounts for an almost 20 billion pound gap in efficiency.
There were speakers on the psychology of waste and behavioral change and the impact of the zero waste movement on social equity. Jared Blumenfeld, UC Berkeley lawyer and previous Regional Administrator for the EPA during the Obama administration, spoke to the significance of civic duty. Simply showing up and voicing our opinions when a contract renewal is up for discussion can sway the city towards a more sustainable choice.
The most important message from this convergence was the power of community – how the collection of individual actions can make a huge impact on social change. We all need to take action and take that first step towards a zero waste future. Take the ReThink Disposable pledge to remove disposable items from your day-to-day life and challenge yourself to see how far you can go!
ZWYC ’17 has left a lasting impression on my personal journey.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Resist!
