When any person starts their zero-waste journey, there are a few “gateway changes” that start them on the right path: switching to reusables, composting food waste, shopping locally, etc. These steps are so important to creating mindful individuals who can come together to have a larger cumulative impact. But is everyone disposed (pun intended!) to the same capacity for low-waste behaviors? Should we be holding individuals from different economic, racial, medical, and geographical backgrounds to the same standard? All while ignoring high-impact industries that have and continue to devastate the planet? This talk is meant to inspire individuals to meet themselves where they are in their low-waste journey and help them zoom out. With small actions, we can inspire movements of people to create systems that take the burden of saving the planet off the individual. How can we leverage individual responsibility toward collective action without blame and shame? When we approach waste systemically and use our smaller actions to invigorate and motivate us, we are more likely to take collective action against corporate greed, consumer culture, and racial and economic disparities. Let's explore the nuances of our waste systems and create meaningful change from small to structural.
