Meet Zerowaste4la (we Prefer To Be Represented As A Collective) | Zero Waste Education & Outreach Organization

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zerowaste4la (we Prefer To Be Represented As A Collective) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ZeroWaste4LA (we prefer to be represented as a collective), what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The most important factor behind our success is making sure that our messaging is digestible, relatable, and especially DOABLE for the everyday person. The topic of climate change can easily get overwhelming, and rightfully so! It’s tempting to try to shame others into action, especially when the stakes of the climate crisis are so high, but we know that this doesn’t work very well. We at ZeroWaste4LA understand that although we have deep knowledge on these issues as well as accessible solutions are, everyday folks may not and it’s genuinely not their fault. It’s not our job to call them out on mistakes that they’re most likely making inadvertently, but rather to call them in! 
 
As a service provided by Universal Waste Systems, we help our customers comply with State and City waste mandates as well as provide hands on training to achieve it. For example, Senate Bill 1383 requires all properties to divert their food waste from landfill, because there, it creates methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. This is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to make a difference on climate emissions (and replenishing soil which is important for growing food). But oftentimes, business owners are busy running their business and don’t have time to read up on these laws and don’t know the benefits. To ease this burden, we help simplify the information and give them a clear path to compliance and how it contributes to larger environmental goals: reducing greenhouse gas, food insecurity, and organic waste in landfill. That is achieved through enrolling in organics services and participating in food rescue. Interacting with business owners all around Northeast LA creates these unique opportunities to have conversations about climate change, and how they can make a difference every day just by separating food waste from trash! By facilitating trainings, demonstrations, and giving advice from personal experience, we equip them with what they need to succeed. 
Creating social media content and community activations that make sustainability fun and easy to understand encourages our audience to be curious and opens up authentic conversations that become these memorable educational moments. We can’t end textile waste overnight, but we can host a clothing swap that allows people to share their clothing and demonstrate a more sustainable way that we can refresh our wardrobe and get something “new.” We can’t save all plastic from going to landfill, but we can rescue hundreds of plastic grain bags that breweries get alot of regularly, and upcycle them into reusable tote bags to give away as practical swag. Whatever our activation is, we want to invite fun into the picture to prove that being sustainable can be enjoyable and easy to adopt into your own life. We’ve grown our audience because folks get excited about what they learned and experienced through our outreach, and are eager to share the information with their circles, which only spreads that knowledge farther and wider. 

What should our readers know about your business?
ZeroWaste4LA is a service provided by Universal Waste Systems, the franchise waste hauler for Northeast LA. We are a group of zero waste warriors whose mission is to bring outreach and education to our customers and community to create less waste and make a positive impact on our planet.
We have a unique perspective on waste since we interact with trash much more closely than the average person and have boots on the ground constantly. Every week, we participate in waste characterizations that require us to go to a Waste Transfer Station where literally tons and tons of trash are dumped by the truckloads. Being surrounded by multiple piles of trash as large as two story buildings destined for the landfill really puts the problem into perspective. We believe that this is something that everyone should see to truly understand that there is no such thing as throwing something “away.” It motivates us even more to do this work because we see the realities of throwaway culture so often, and the sheer volume of waste produced is mind boggling.
The most valuable lesson that we’ve learned while doing this work is what one of our Zero Waste Reps calls “gentle persistence.” Although the problem that we face is urgent, we understand that it takes time to change people’s behaviors and habits. Oftentimes, we speak with folks who resist change and couldn’t care less about sustainability. We do our best to understand their concerns, and find ways to connect and push for incremental, but substantial change over time. Success usually doesn’t happen right away, but a series of failures can lead to success with the right approach and that gentle persistence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Our favorite farmers markets in the area are Atwater Village Farmers Market on Sundays, LA River Farmers Market on Thursdays, and Echo Park Farmers Market on Fridays. All these markets are great places to hang out with locals, support local farmers and artisans, and try some great food (you HAVE TO try Delmy’s Pupusas, grab some beautiful flowers from Patty Farms and And Roses, Too, and the best cookies from MUD Cookies)! Our favorite thrifts are Bridge Thrift, Out of the Closet, Public Estrellas, Son of a Vet, and if you really want to make an entire day out of it, St Vincent de Paul’s Thrift Store has anything and everything you could possibly want! For a fun day outdoors, we highly recommend volunteering at any of LA Compost’s sites and Edendale Grove Community Compost Hub across from Echo Park Lake. It’s a great way to feel connected to nature, meet great people, and get your hands dirty! Last, but not least, we recommend the historic Philippe’s The Original who has taken huge steps in reducing their waste, donating 5 gallon pickle buckets (which we give away for free for collection), and has been diverting organics since the start of the recycLA program!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would love to shoutout Food Access LA (formerly SEE-LA) for providing assistance and resources to make it possible for us to regularly do tabling and events at local farmers markets. With the continuous efforts and support of Food Access LA staff, we have been able to educate and engage with the community about zero waste practices at LA River, Atwater Village and Echo Park farmer’s market through tabling educations and fun events, such as clothing swaps and a workshop on how to make a tote bag out of an old t-shirt. They have worked with us to implement zero waste efforts at these markets, such as three bin systems and organic waste diversion to a local community compost garden. With the help of Food Access LA, we have reached a much larger audience and are beginning to plant the seeds to change the culture of consumerism within this local scope. This shift also wouldn’t be possible without our customers that have worked with us to embrace a new culture of zero waste practices into their businesses and residences. It is so exciting for us to see people not only doing their part, but sometimes even going above and beyond to implement more sustainable habits in their everyday lives, as well as in their communities.

Website: https://Zerowaste4la.com

Instagram: @zerowaste4la

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