Presentation at Massachusetts Green Careers Conference 2015

1. Massachusetts Green
Careers Conference
Zero Waste
Christin Walth – Toward Zero Waste Communities
Grant Berman - Dirty Boys Composting

2. Massachusetts Green
Careers Conference
Zero Waste
Christin Walth
TowardZeroWasteCommunities@outlook.com

3. Why me?
Created a consulting and advocacy career around Zero Waste
Advise communities and residents on moving toward zero waste
for economic and environmental benefits

4. How it started…
• How
• Sweden
• Diet or buy new pants
• 1 hour/day –
• 7 years, international expert
• Living Zero Waste

5. How it started…
Real impact – Toward Zero Waste Newburyport pilot
1. Findings – 4 points
1. Organics
2. Education
3. Non-traditional streams
4. Pay As You Throw
• Public policy vs. personal responsibility and conviction
2. Deliverables – database, donations, new streams , how to guide

6. Community Activist leads to Project Manager
• Pay As You Throw
• Education workshops and resources
• Organics pilot
• Non-traditional waste streams

7. Organizing this talk – following Zero Waste
• Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Repair
• Repurpose
• Recycle/Rot
Community Waste Diversion - Waste reduction consultant/advocate

8. REFUSE
• Product bans
• Straws
• Plastic bags
• EPR – Extended Producer Responsibility

9. REDUCE - Pay As You Throw
• Research and report the benefits
• WasteZero
• Speak to local groups
• Lobby local pols
• Bring to vote
• Endear yourself to vendor and city/town hall as point person!

10. Create Waste Prevention Workshop
• Week 1 – Refuse/Reduce
• Toothpaste
• Items with too much packaging – B & J
• Week 2 – Reuse/Repurpose
• Donations
• Freecycle/curb alert
• Week 3 – Recycle –
• bin
• All that you can, none that you shouldn’t
• Beyond the bin
• Week 4 - composting

11. • Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Repair
• Repurpose
• Recycle/Rot

12. REUSE
• Start a curb alert – and a ebay business!
• Free store (Ithaca, NY)

13. REUSE
• Make Reuse Your Career and a Daily Habit Too
• Reuse Institute
• Reuse Alliance
• Reuse Marketplace
• EXTRAS for Creative Reuse
• repurposedMATERIALS
• Boston Building Resources
• Location, location, location

14. Learn to REPAIR!
• Small appliances
• Fans
• Toasters
• Coffee makers
• Mending
• Shoe repair

15. REPURPOSE
• Crayon Initiative
• Scribbles
• Candles
• repurposedMATERIALS
• Drying rack

16. RECYCLE / ROT
• Hauling!
• Styrofoam
• Mattress
• Bulk items
• Rubicon = Uber of trash hauling
• ORGANICS
• Compost/food waste
• Workshop 19 October: Food for People, Food for Soil

17. Top of interest materials
• Organics
• Mattresses
• Carpets
• Bulk plastics
• Paints
• Textiles

18. Toward Zero Waste your community
Project Manager!
• Use our template to research and customize for your community
• Create documents, webpage, facebook and other resources
• Conduct workshops
• Launch pilots

19. Funding your Zero Waste startup
• DEP
• Tom’s of Maine
• Keep America Beautiful
• New England Grassroots Environmental Fund
• Closed Loop Foundation
• Local grants
• Waste Management
• Projects with schools

20. Learn more:
• LIKE – Toward Zero Waste Newburyport
• Keep an eye on the source of articles and join the listservs!
• LIKE - Newburyport Curbside Organics Collection Pilot
• LIKE – WasteZero
• Visit - TowardZeroWaste.wordpress.com/
• Visit – WasteZero.com

21. Operations Director – FoodLink Arlington
• http://www.idealist.org/view/job/x8xXjxnTzwmD/