Trash Talking With Eco-warriors | Sustainability, Green Business, Conservation

It's hard to imagine a time when we didn't have curbside recycling programs, but it was actually less than 30 years ago now. That's when Christine Datz-Romero had decided to do something to help divert recyclables from the waste stream. This expanded into an entire center that is the largest collector of food scraps and electronic waste here in NYC. The Lower East Side Ecology Center that Christine founded helps divert 400 tonnes of food scraps from landfill. They also have a year-round e-waste recycling program that helps remove the 70% of heavy metals that can be found in landfill from electronics that are incorrectly disposed of. -- Resource mentioned in this episode: Mary Appelhof -- Check out the LES Ecology Center’s e-waste drop off sites! There are popup locations every weekend through June. They’ve also opened an additional drop-off site in Chinatown at 75 Broadway near the East Broadway F stop or the Grand St. D stop. You can bring your computers, keyboard, printers, etc. on Monda

Perennial means present at all seasons of the year and Karen Leibowitz and her husband Anthony Myint have been working towards initiatives that encourages the removal of carbon from our atmosphere through food. But not just any food, a sustainable food system that accounts for everything including how something is grown and the positive contributions this can supply to the environment and the way every part is used in meals and the energy expensed in creating a meal at the restaurant. The Perennial restaurant in SF uses initiatives like Kernza, a perennial grain that draws carbon out of the atmosphere year-round, at their restaurant. It's incredible to hear how they've accounted for everything in designing their business and how they're working to influence other restauranteurs. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Soil Solutions Draw Down -- Join the conversation on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and try our repurposed coffee body scrub. Don't forget to subscribe, review, and s

Susan Albert was working in the fashion and textile industry here in NYC. She had moved from her homeland in the UK and was struck by the amount of disposability here in the US. After her kids were born, Susan wanted to figure out a new career path. She decided she would create artwork that spoke to the theme of sustainability and environmental impact. Susan’s multimedia works are on display at her studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn as well as in various places like the Human Impact Institute and NYC Climate Week. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, my favorite piece of Susan’s has to be the tablecloth she created with imagery of various pieces of trash and QR codes that can start “dinner” conversations on issues of waste. -- We're hosting a screening of WASTED! The Story of Food Waste on April 10th at the Kickstarter HQ in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Get your tickets now. Entrance includes food and drink from sustainable companies like Toast Ale, Proud Pour, Ancolie, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Aerofar

Born from one sailor's love of the ocean, By the Ocean We Unite is on a mission to prevent plastic pollution. Their work includes research conducted at sea on mini-expeditions where they invite interested citizens to join them. These expeditions are led by Roos Swart, a Marine Biologist who completed her Masters in the Dutch Caribbean. BTOWU is a clear example of how ordinary citizens can help educate and guide the public conversation around conservation and environmental protection. You can join them for one of their sailing expeditions. Their next one sets sail on April 14th from Harlingen, Netherlands. Check out the information on their Facebook page. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Guppy Friends Bubble Barrier Blue Planet 2 Plastic Expedition Up to Norway Plastic Soup Foundation Seabin -- We're hosting a screening of WASTED! The Story of Food Waste on April 10th at the Kickstarter HQ in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Get your tickets now. Entrance includes food and drink from sustainable com

About 40% of food in America will be wasted. And an average American family wastes $1,500 worth of food every year. That's billions of dollars of food that goes to landfill, creating greenhouse gases that warm our planet. Don't be a statistic. Sabine Valenga and her co-founders, David Rodríguez and Victor Carreño, were at a Harvard incubation program when they came up with the idea of Food for All, an app that allows you to rescue food from restaurants an hour before they close at a fraction of the cost. The app has partnered with hundreds of restaurants in Boston and New York City, with plans to disrupt the food waste culture in America and beyond. -- Want to meet Sabine and other eco-warriors like her? We're hosting a screening of WASTED! The Story of Food Waste on April 10th at the Kickstarter HQ in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Get your tickets now. Entrance includes food and drink from sustainable companies like Toast Ale, Proud Pour, Ancolie, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Aerofarms + Local Roots, No

Founded in 2013, bio-bean® is the first company in the world to industrialize the process of recycling waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals. In the UK alone, they produces 500,000 tons of waste coffee grounds every year. Like most of our trash in landfills, organic material breaks down and creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Coffee, rich in oil, makes a source of energy that burns clean and hot, perfect for cold countries with wood burning stoves like the UK. Julia Porter, National Supply Chain Manager, and Dianne Mitchell, Engineering Director, at bio-bean chat to us about their processes, challenges, and tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle. There are some funny stories and jokes, but bio-bean, with plans to expand into extracting oil from coffee waste at a commercial scale, has some serious solutions to ending our global dependence on fossil fuels. We're hosting a screening of WASTED! The Story of Food Waste on April 10

Bertha Jimenez, with a degree in mechanical engineering and Ph.D in technology management, heard about industrial symbiosis when she was studying fish packaging warehouses. Wanting to understand what happened with the massive amounts of waste, she realized there was a significant difference between the companies who put their waste into the trash and those who upcycled. Looking for a way to keep the flow going on several industrial processes, Bertha and her team members came across an ingenious idea - take spent grain from microbreweries and turn it into high protein flour. RISE Product's low carb flour has now been made into several products by companies like Runner + Stone, Grain Stand, Lighthouse, Osteria Francescana, and others. If you’re interested in working with RISE flour or want to learn more about them, you can reach out to bertha@riseproducts.co or jessica@riseproducts.co. Resources mentioned in this episode: Change Food William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle and Upcycle We're hosti

It all started with one challenge between 10 friends - plant 1,000 trees each to help offset their carbon footprint. Well, that challenge never ended and soon turned into an organization that is starting a Treevolution in South Africa. Lauren O'Donnell did not mean to start a green revolution. In fact, she wasn't even all that interested in sustainability or conservation. But, in taking on this personal challenge, Lauren and her friends sparked something in the community. Today, Greenpop has planted over 82,000 trees in ancient forests near Cape Town as well as in disadvantaged communities in the city. Their annual Reforest Fest takes place on the weekends of March 13-15th and March 23-25th and includes planting trees, seminars on sustainability, live music and local food. Check out one of their events and help support the planting of trees on their website. Cape Town is today facing a water crisis that will leave the city with no water by May 11th*, what the town is calling Day Zero. Greenpop has

All beer is made from four ingredients - water, carbohydrates, hops and yeast. In ancient Babylonian times, they would use bread as the carbohydrate source as a way to preserve a food prone to spoilage. When Tristram Stuart, founder and CEO of Toast Ale, first heard about this recipe he realized he had found the perfect project to go all in on. Toast takes leftover bread from bakeries and sandwich shops and turns it into delicious beer. The company has open sourced its recipe and encourages franchises and partnerships in other cities and countries. They have partnerships in New York City, Iceland, South Africa, and Brazil, with further plans to expand. All proceeds go to Tristram's charity Feedback. Louisa Ziane is the Chief Financial Officer and Brand Manager for Toast Ale UK. She went from working in finance to the Carbon Trust and eventually landing the opportunity to help Tristram start Toast from the ground up. Louisa shares with us some incredibly inspiration stories about how she chose her curre

Proud eco-geek and science communicator Danni Washington is making waves with her non-profit work and as the host of her own Fox-syndicated television show Nature Knows Best. She also founded her own non-profit called Big Blue and You and puts on a yearly event called ArtSea in Miami. Wanting to bridge the gap between scientists and every day citizens, Danni embarked on a wild adventure that has taken her from recording videos for text books, to YouTube and winning a contest led by clothing brand Roxy, and onto being the star of her own tv show. Listen in as Danni tells us how she made it all happen and the time she tried to convince comedian Kevin Hart to go green. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Andrea Marshall, Marine Biologist Blue Mind, Wallace J Nichols Mission Blue, Dr. Silvia Earl Saved by the Sea, David Helvarg March for the Ocean, June 9th Plastic Ocean, Capt. Charles Moore Rachel Carson Plastic Paradise, Angela Son Kiss the Ground Klean Kanteen -- If you're in the Miami area on

It’s Valentine’s Day this week and chances are you’ll be partaking in one of my favorite guilty pleasures - chocolate. Every year, 58 million pounds of chocolate is purchased. But not everything is so sweet about the practices that surround this commodity-driven product. Nathan Hodge, head chocolatier of Raaka Chocolate in Brooklyn, NY, is working to change this. If you’re like most conscious consumers, you’ve probably thought of the impact that a commodity-driven treat like chocolate has on our planet and the communities that grow them. This episode dives into the indigenous cultures where cacao is grown as well as the meaning of sustainable chocolate. Nate shares with us the time he set his oven on fire and when he had a bow and arrow drawn on him while researching cacao trees in South America. He's very passionate about creating delicious, sustainable chocolate that supports the health of the makers, consumers, and planet. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Taza Chocolate Patagonia Lost City

When you think of fresh, crisp greens and herbs, what images are conquered in your mind? If it's warm, lush fields in California and the pain of throwing out sad, wilting leaves you're going to love this chat with Nicole Baum of Gotham Greens. Using a fraction of the space, water, and no soil, Gotham Greens has build hydroponic green houses on the rooftops of urban cities. Their mission - get fresh greens at a minimal impact to the environment and create arable land where there is the densest population - New York City and Chicago. Nicole talks us through Gotham's programs, where you can go to visit the farm, and the urban projects that are changing the way city-dwellers get their fresh greens. The best part is that these greens are fresher, more nutritious, and turn food miles into food footsteps. Gotham Greens has already taken over most retail stores, from Whole Foods Market to Key Foods and FoodKick, and are looking to expand to the cities with the harshest weather and highest populations. L

Lilian Liu grew up in two worlds - her home country of Sweden where sustainability and responsible business practices were prevalent - and Shanghai, where her parents were from, which faced aggressive growth during her childhood. China dominates the clothing industry with more than 40 percent of clothing being produced in this one country alone. This led Lilian to pursuing non-traditional methods of international relations and development. Beginning with interning at the United Nations, Lilian is now the Manager of Partnerships and UN Relations, a program with over 9,000 business partners. She shares incredibly valuable insight about pursuing a career path in international relations and sustainability as well as her view of the global fashion industry. Lilian will be speaking at the UN on Tuesday, Jan. 30th at the UN General Assembly on Sustainable Textiles. This event is open to all and registration information can be found online. Connect with Lilian on LinkedIn or email here at lilianyliu@gmail.com. *DI

Mexico is seeing the beginning of its sustainability movement. Camila Lopez Gomez, Project Manager at Impact0, Mexico's only sustainability organization with an international ISO certification, tells us about the climate of Mexico's environmental movement and the hard decisions she had to make in pursuing her passion. Impact0 has helped divert over 80,000 kgs of recyclable materials from landfills and they help everyone from small companies to museums figure out how to reduce their impact. Camila travels to different festivals around the world like Glastonbury, learning about sustainability initiatives and bringing that knowledge back to her homeland. Over the years, as Carnaval de Bahidora's attendees have increased, the festival has worked to decrease their impact. If you're interested in coming to Mexico in February to meet myself and Camila, check out Carnival Bahidora's festival page. You can reach Camila directly by emailing camlop@impact0.org or connecting with her on LinkedIn. -

It's the ultimate way to cut down on the environmental impact of growing food - hydroponic, vertical growing. It may look SciFi like, with the glowing LED lights and high-tech equipment, but it certainly could be the way we grow food in the future. Dana, Operations Manager at Farm.one, tells us all about their farm, the weird things they grow, and how you could own your very own piece of Farm.one here. In this episode, Dana breaks down what you should know about food and environment, in a delicious episode that's sure to get you thinking about where your next meal could come from (or, at least those fancy edible flowers on your Restaurant Week plate). You can also book a tour and check out their facilities, with a glass of sustainable prosecco in hand. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Christina Tosi Alice Waters Ripple Foods Perfect Day Impossible Foods Patagonia —- Join the conversation on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and try our repurposed coffee body scrub. Don't forget to

Paula Pebsworth landed her first research job by emailing and asking one question, "Can I volunteer my time to help you?" This got her working with some of her research idols and led to her study of geophagy, a self-medicating behavior where primates will eat clay to alleviate GI symptoms. Paula has traveled the world doing her research and witnessed beautiful moments in nature. From Madagascar to Japan, Paula is a go-getter who values finding a way to help reduce human-wildlife conflict in the world. If you're inspired by Paula's work, you can read her research papers online. And, if you’d like to reach out to Paula, you can email her directly at paula.pebsworth@gmail.com. Paula is currently in India undergoing another research project and can be slow to respond. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Primate Information Network Jane Goodall David Attenborough Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver This Changes Everything - Naomi Klein Draw Down - Paul Hawken Bill McKibbon *some of

When Nicole Caldwell's uncle passed away and left her a 65-acre hippy commune farm in Redwood, NY, she was undergoing a whirlwind of change in her life. Wanting to connect her passion for the environment and sustainability to what she did every day, Nicole decided to quit her job, move to upstate NY, and start a farm/bed and breakfast. From one book about gardening and while moonlighting as a bartender, Nicole built Better Farm from nothing. She now has programs to teach people how to homestead and garden, a bed and breakfast, and an artist residency program. They also hold an annual music festival in the summer. The farm is home to rescued animals, like a herd of alpaca and Henrietta the chicken. And after just 4 years, Nicole was able to turn a profit from all her hard work. Nicole says this was the best decision of her life. She is also Editor of Green Matters, an online media company focused on green news. Listen in as Nicole shares how she got there. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: How

Berlin Crystal Kelly was working in finance in NYC when she was struck with the realization of how much money was spent on alcohol every night in one city alone. So, Berlin quit her job and started a wine company with one premise - for every bottle of sauvignon blanc sold, an organization would restore 100 wild oysters to the water. These hard working bivalves filter 3,000 liters of water every day and help restore the natural waters of New York harbor. From there, Berlin expanded to pinot noir and wildflowers and has plans to help other keystone species. Berlin shares her experiences working the land and how she hopes to change the way people think about their relationship to the land. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Proud Pour WWOOF New York City Home Brewers Guild Charity Water -- Join the conversation on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and try out our repurposed coffee body scrub. Don't forget to subscribe, review, and share this podcast with other eco-warriors. We read all of your

Cara Braund spent nearly two years volunteering and working on various conservation projects in Kenya before landing her dream job - managing the office of a carbon-credit community-based conservation project in Eastern Kenya. At Wildlife Works, Cara helps manage several projects that are all part of a larger organization utilizing the local community to reduce carbon emissions and environmental destruction. They support everything from an eco-factory to eco-charcoal production and also have a wonderful eco-lodge where guests can stay and tour the 500,000 acres of protected land. -- Resources mentioned during this episode: REDD+ The 11th Hour Brush with Bamboo Carbon Offsetting with Wildlife Works -- Join the conversation on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and try out our repurposed coffee body scrub. Don't forget to subscribe, review, and share this podcast with other eco-warriors. We read all of your reviews and your positive ratings help us spread the word and spur more eco-warriors to actio

After hiking Mount Chirripo, the tallest mountain in Costa Rica, Jenny O'Grady and Ian Giddy were observing the deforestation caused by farming and decided to buy the land. The idea was to let mother nature regenerate, but the couple was too impatient for that, so they decided instead to build a reforestation project Today, the Cloudbridge Reserva is home to all 6 of the endangered feline species native to Costa Rica, like jaguars and ocelots, along with black-handed spider monkeys and Baird Tapirs. Jenny tells of this incredible project and if you are really inspired, you can book a stay or take the time to volunteer at this beautiful conservation project. -- Resources mentioned in this episode: Elizabeth May Out of Africa Inconvenient Truth & Inconvenient Sequel Barite Galdikas Dian Fossey Bill McKibben, 350.org Cloud bridge -- Join the conversation on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and try out our repurposed coffee body scrub. Don't forget to subscribe, review, and share this podcas