Lauren Olson
In this week’s episode, Mary and Emma dive deep into the world of plastic consumption and waste management with Lauren Olson, a Zero Waste Manager at World Centric, exploring the world of compostables and the use of plastic in our daily lives. The discussion covers several aspects of the topic, including the difficulties of “zero-waste," how plastic sneaks into our homes even when we are consciously trying to avoid it, and all the ways in which existing systems make it difficult to create true sustainability in our homes.
Lauren explains the science behind bioplastics, as well as the difference between industrial vs home compostables. She also shares how to determine genuinely compostable products and helps us imagine a cradle to cradle world where waste equals food for the earth, and not the other way around!
Mary and Emma ask the vital questions, what can we do to work through this monumentally large plastic problem, and is it really possible to achieve the ultimate goal of a zero-waste economy? Lauren gives practical tips for individual action, while encouraging all of us to use our voices as paying consumers to demand change from the top down.
Listen to our conversation below!
SHOW NOTES
1:30 - Mary and Emma catch up and talk about plastic problem solving!
10:30 - World Centric
Let’s get into the episode:
11:30 - Introducing Lauren & the world of World Centric
16:30 - Is zero waste really achievable?
22:00 - Bioplastics
30:00 - Landfills as coffins for waste
35:00 - What can we do?
36:00 - Greenwashing
43:00 - Facing this massive issue
50:00 - What does the Good Dirt mean to you?
Things Mentioned:
