101 ways to go zero waste and introducing the idea to friends and family

Apr 3

Sharing her wisdom here is Kathryn Kellogg of GoingZeroWaste.com and the author of the just-published 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.

Hear about how we can explain the concept of zero-waste living to friends, the feasibility of bioplastics replacing plastics, why we will never go back to a plastic-free world, and more.

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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights

[1:58] What inspired Kathryn's new book, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.

[2:55] Kathryn: "Going zero waste is so individual and so personal."

[3:53] Explaining the concept of zero waste to someone learning about it for the first time.

[5:34] Kathryn explains the importance of knowing what is actually recyclable in our areas and keeping in mind that recycling is an imperfect solution.

[6:28] Kathryn: "Sustainability is so gray; there's no one way to be sustainable."

[6:32] Dealing with the frustration of being around friends or family members who may be very wasteful.

[7:53] Kathryn: "Remember that your choices are only your choices; you can only control your actions. It's a great lesson in letting go and truly being okay with what you're doing and being different than others around you."

[9:49] Kathryn: "People are so focused on what they can't do that they miss all of the awesome stuff that they already are doing or what they can do."

[11:25] How Kathryn balances keeping her content simple and accessible while personally knowing there is a lot of nuance and complexity.

[14:31] Kaméa: "What is one of the biggest zero waste lifestyle nuances that isn't talked about enough, but should be?"

[20:08] Kaméa: "Based on what you know, is plastic a byproduct of the oil industry, and if so, what does this mean in terms of plastic's place in our society today?"

[24:21] Kaméa: "What are your thoughts on the practicality of bioplastics replacing regular plastics?"

[27:51] Kathryn talks about her personal '30-day buy-ban' which helps her make more mindful buying choices based on needs rather than impulses.

[30:51] What personal sustainability means to Kathryn.

References

Kathryn's first Green Dreamer Episode (#35)
101 Ways to Go Zero Waste (Book)
UN says that if food waste was a country, it’d be the #3 global greenhouse gas emitter(Scientific American)
Americans waste food because we're confused—and because we can(USA Today)
Imperfect Produce
Scraps(TV Show)
Love a Lonely Banana: A Song About Food Waste(Kathryn's YouTube video)
It takes the equivalent of 17 million barrels of oil to make plastic water bottles for the US(CBS News)

About our Guest

Kathryn Kellogg is a recognized spokesperson for the zero-waste movement who's been featured on National Geographic, The Guardian, CNN, and Refinery 29. She's also a zero-waste consultant blogger at goingzerowaste.com, and is now a published author with her new book, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.

Keep in Touch

Tips

A product or service that should exist: Kathryn wishes universal composting existed everywhere.

A policy or nonprofit to support: Kathryn supports Plastic Pollution Coalition, Drawdown Foundation, and Earth Justice.

Action to tackle burnout: "First, I get over it and keep going... And then at some point, I just order a pizza, sit on the couch, and binge watch Netflix for the next 48 hours."

Advice to an earlier self: "First, I'd teach myself about personal sustainability. Second, I'd give myself advice about nuance, understanding, and compassion."

Podcast Sponsor

Arbor Teas is a small, family-owned business based in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a big focus on sustainability. The company only sources loose leaf and organic certified teas, packages all its teas in backyard compostable materials, uses solar power in its operations, and offsets all of its emissions with CarbonFund. We're grateful for our sponsors making our show possible and invite you to shop organic teas from Arbor Teas.