Trash Magic!

Carpet America Recovery Effort (a national non-profit) is Developing Market Based Solutions for the Recycling & Reuse of Post-Consumer Carpet. Today we are joined by Bob Peoples CARE, Executive Director!

Guest Cory Connors delves into the world of packaging alternatives. What are some alternatives to plastic packaging? What does the future of packaging look like? Plastic often gets a bad rap, but does it have sustainable qualities and uses as well? What should consumers do and how can we educate ourselves? Cory answers this and so much more!

Is cremation actually environmentally friendly? Is it truly possible to "return to the earth" after we die? Can our bodies heal the earth?

Worried about electric vehicle battery recycling? Let Steve and Bijan put your mind at ease in this episode of Trash Magic!

--------------------------

Trash Magic! is made out of love. You can support the podcast with a like, subscribe, download, rate or review.

This episode is a game changer!!

Heidi Sanborn, the renowned advocate for an Equitable Circular Economy, has dedicated over 32 years to championing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Circular Economy policy. She is the Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC).

Heidi's advocacy for "Truth in Labeling" emphasizes the significance of transparent labeling, enabling consumers to make informed choices and holding producers accountable for their products' environmental impacts. Her immense expertise has made her a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences, where she passionately shares her insights and drives change toward a more sustainable future.

Join us in celebrating Heidi Sanborn, the Translator for Tricky Topics, as she continues to pave the way through legislation, education, and industry collaboration.

Tired of spinning your wheels on what to do with old tires?

Discover the tire recycling revolution with Brittany Wright. Join us as we explore Schuyler Rubber's pioneering journey in transforming tire waste into valuable resources. Dive into the tire recycling process, debunk misconceptions, and learn about the artistic magic of repurposing. Tune in to be inspired and empowered to support a more sustainable future.

Co-hosts Sara Fuentes and Oakley J Fast imagine a future, sustainable world run by a circular economy!

This special episode is brought to you by Level Up Planet! Oakley (Level Up Planet Founder) takes listeners through everything you need to know about recycling: Where does the recycling go after being picked up at the curb? What exactly is recyclable and what isn't? Isn't recycling a scam - why should I care? And finally, Oakley wraps it all up and puts recycling in a bigger context.

Join Oakley on this educational journey to become a recycling expert, enabling you to confidently sort your recyclables and impress others with your recycling knowledge ;) Get ready to level up your recycling game and contribute to a more sustainable future!

In this electrifying episode of Trash Magic!, hosts Oakley and Sara are joined by special guest Julianna Garibay Sparacio, an esteemed expert in electric vehicles. Together, they embark on an exploration of electric vehicles (EVs) and end-of-life possibilities for EV batteries. Julianna sheds light on the environmental benefits of EVs and debunks common concerns such as range anxiety and end-of-life of EV Batteries.

Welcome to Season 5 of Trash Magic! In this episode, our co-hosts, Oakley J Fast and Sara Fuentes interview Athena Burk Bravo, the founder of the Trash Talk project in Washington state. Athena, a high school student from Seattle, started her project to educate people about waste sorting and bridge the gap between waste management companies and haulers in King County, Washington. She organizes tabling events at local festivals and markets, where she provides information on waste sorting guidelines and engages people through interactive games. Athena emphasizes the importance of proper waste sorting to prevent contamination and increase recycling rates.

Despite her young age, Athena's project has gained significant support and success. She plans to take a gap year to travel to Chile, where she will immerse herself in her mother's culture and work on improving her Spanish skills as well as work on her passion of ocean conservation. Athena has also applied for a grant to expand her team and ensure the continuity of the Trash Talk project while she is away!

Yes, you read that right - Poop! Daniel Tillias and Sasha Kramer are creating a sanitation revolution in Haiti by safely converting human waste into compost. 

Our own Oakley Jennings-Fast was invited to talk about circular economy, climate change and the future of humanity on TazzyPhe's podcast called Unfazed. 

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli joins Trash Magic! on this episode to enlighten us on the fact that there is no throwing something "away." We all live on the same planet and our environment is effected by everyone! Meredith believes that materials literacy and upstream/downstream supply chain transparency are foundational building blocks to the circular economy. Meredith is the co-founder of WATS (Waste Administration + Tracking Software)! WATS is a woman-owned SaaS product bringing business waste management operations into the 21st Century

Have you ever wracked your brain to figure out how to make your office space zero waste? Find out step by step in this week's episode!

Andy Smerek is on a mission to increase the transparency of the waste/recycling industry and answer the questions: what really happens with my waste? Am I putting the right thing in the bin? Clementine aims not only to answer these questions, but also make it fun through gamification! Operating in Colorado, Clementine operates their own compost hauling and app where users can see exactly the weight of what they have composted and if they put the correct items in the bin.

Did you know Ceramics do not biodegrade? Think about it, ceramics are found buried from ancient civilizations! Shashank Nimkar was inspired by seeing all the ceramic waste from factories near his home and created an innovative solution! Shashank Nimkar founder and CEO of Earth Tatva is reducing mining for natural resources through closed-loop manufacturing of ceramics. Through his innovative process, he can take fired ceramics and recycle them into new ceramics which can be recycled this way forever!

In this episode we explore how technology can save the planet! Jessica is an industry analyst, current director of digital innovation at Intentional Futures, former founding partner of Kaleido Insights, and emerging technology advisor specializing in intersections of data, technologies, humans, and environment.

Find Jessica at: https://jessgroopman.com/

The co-hosts of Trash Magic! - Oakley and Sara - dive deeper into the meaning of trash magic and why we LOVE TRASH, genuinely. Learn more about how Sara and Oakley met, our re-branding of our podcast from "What the hell do I do with this?" to "Trash Magic!" and dive deeper into our love of circular economy. 

Sara and Oakley explore the health and environmental impacts of makeup. Dive in for some dirty secrets on the beauty industry. 

Note: We refer to "women" a lot in the episode but this information applies to anyone who wears makeup. 

Lots of resources mentioned in this episode! Here they are:

Derek Ruckman is the CEO of WasteXperts. WasteXperts does onsite waste sorting and training and save their customers money while improving recycling/environmental performance. Derek has over a decade of experience in the waste and recycling industry and he is dedicated to keeping waste out of the landfills and creating a circular economy.

Today we learn about the power of proper residential recycling, the economics of recycling, and much more! Advice from Derek when you do not know which bin something goes in: When in doubt, FIND OUT!

Being a sustainability professional or climate change activist can be draining. Burnout is high when we are all trying to save the world. That's why Chance Thompson (aka The Designer) created VIRIDESCENT! He helps change makers create their Sustainability Alter Egos - the superhero version of ourselves we can lean on when our work becomes too much. VIRIDESCENT adds fun and creativity to sustainability - because solving these problems needs a new perspective! We hope you enjoy our interview with Chance! You can find our more about Viridescent below and the workshop coming up on March 2nd!!

Lena Ziegler gives us practical tips and tricks to creating a sustainable wardrobe! Join us for this special episode where we explore what we can do as individuals to be more conscious of our impact and look good doing it!

Sources Lena mentions in Episode:

Have you ever wondered what happens to that old band t-shirt when you donate it? Or who sewed your jeans together? Where did this sweater really come from?
In her book Unraveled, Maxine Bédat takes an incredible journey around the world to discover exactly how our clothes are made and where they end up when we discard them. Oakley and Sara review her book and give our reflections on an industry that is dismissed as "girly" but is in need of much needed attention in the climate and human rights space!

"You mess with nature it will kick your butt!" - Carl, a farmer from Unraveled

For the majority of people, waste management is a mystifying force with operations that vary widely from state to state and even differ across county lines. In this episode Oakley and Sara interview a variety of thought leaders in the waste and recycling space. Trash Magic is excited to feature our friends and colleagues from the National Waste and Recycling Associations (NWRA) Women's Council!

Featuring: 

Is plastic itself the problem or just how we are handling it? We answer that question and so much more with a good friend and plastic expert: Dr. Kat Knauer! She is a PhD in polymer science and dedicated her career to research and implement the latest in plastic recycling technologies! We talk about the technologies which will change the future of plastic recycling, her volunteer efforts with Ocean Plastics Recovery and about her new book coming in 2022 about chemical recycling for plastics! As a nerd, Oakley is super excited for this book. Thanks for the amazing interview Kat!

This episode is dedicated to Morgan Ruth Vickers who sadly passed due to complications from her chronic illnesses on December 2023. She will live on in our memories. Think of her when you wear something you love and feel good about yourself in. She would want nothing else!

In this episode we explore the many layers to fashion - and I don't just mean the layered tanks we wore in the early 2000's. Today we are joined by Angelica Maulucci - founder of Glow Up Glow Together where she helps youth discover that fashion can open the door to connection, self-discovery, and transformation and Morgan Ruth Vickers - founder of Morgan Ruth Style where she uses fashion to help women with chronic illness and survivors of domestic violence to discover and rediscover their inner beauty. 

We cover so many amazing topics today including how to use fashion as a source of self expression, how to decide which clothes to get rid of (from our fashion experts), and how to decide where to sell or to donate (so it doesn't just feel like throwing it on another Goodwill). 

This is one of our favorite episode yet! Our amazing friend and hydrologist, Kirpa Grewal explains to Sara and Oakley how plastic gets into our oceans, waterways, air, and EVEN FOOD. It is an alarming issue but Kirpa does an incredible job explaining the reality of the issue and giving us actionable steps and hope to fight this pressing issue. So grateful for your knowledge and expertise Kirpa! You can find her on instagram @climatekirpa

Sara and Oakley explore the complex issue of plastic and give ya'll clear tips on what exactly you can recycle! We go through the myths around plastic, the pros and cons of the material, the technology to change the industry, and what you can do about your own plastic!

We had the amazing opportunity to interview Tom Hockin, National Director for Origination & Feedstock at Brightmark. China banned accepting plastic waste from the globe in 2018. In response, Brightmark has created a US-based solution to handle our plastic recycling and turn it into a valuable end product. This is the first episode on our three-part series on plastic in celebration of July - Plastic Free Month! 

This episode is about what the hell to do with batteries, lightbulbs, and paint. And of course we dive into the bigger picture of all three in terms of their impact on people, the planet, and even beetles! Yes, beetles. Listen to find out!

Is MRF a material recovery facility or the name of Sara's boyfriend? Find out on this week's episode!

Do you know what happens to your recycling after it's picked up!? Learning what happens to your recycling is an amazing way to understand what can be recycled and what is "wish cycled" (something we hope can be recycled but truly can't!) One thing you as an individual to help the planet is recycle right! It truly helps!! If recycling is contaminated with too many things that cannot be recycled, it is sent to the landfill. Learn more about how recycling is processed and how to recycle right in this episode!

Sara and Oakley share their tips and ticks for buying and selling second hand! Why is it worth buying and selling second hand? We share our favorite stories. Spoiler: buying second hand is good for the environment, good for your wallet, good for your community. We are also joined by Abbie Burgess who is a new mom who was inspired to start buying more second hand! How does she pull it off? Take a listen!

Have we really evolved if we throw solar panels in the landfill?

Our own Sara Fuentes said it best herself: "Any new innovation that's going to help save the planet has to be created in a way that is everlasting." It may not be sexy to think about the end of life of objects but when it comes to the future of clean energy, we have to think about it! Do you have solar panels at home?

Phone, wallet, keys, mask... we live in a new world where we have one more thing to remember before we leave the house. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is something you're already familiar with if you work in manufacturing or the healthcare industry but now everyone knows what it is! An example of PPE is what we wear everyday to protect ourselves and each other from Covid: a mask! On this episode we talk about what the increase in single-use masks and gloves has had on the environment and what individuals and companies can do to reduce their impact. The first priority is always safety and following local guidelines and work guidelines. Please do what is within your means, protocols, and comfort level when it comes to any of our suggestions. Your safety comes first! We also wanted to express our gratitude and thanks to our frontline workers.

Here on Trash Magic, the glass is always half full! On today's episode we talk about what to do with your glass jars and even windows and car windshields! Did you also know that sand, the main ingredient in glass is actually running out!? Did you know wine bottles may not be able to be recycled!? Before you panic, take a listen to the episode for some solutions and tips. Stay classy, stay trashy, and stay glassy 

What exactly is circular economy!? Who are our hosts Sara and Oakley and how did they get into loving trash so much? What horoscope sign is Pitbull!? Learn all of this and more in this week's episode!

Hi everyone! Welcome to part 3 of our food series. Great episode today talking about commercial compost, practical tips to reduce your food waste, and how to compost at home featuring Oakley's friend Julia Samson. Julia tells us how she uses worms to compost her food at home! 

Which takeout container is the "best" for the environment? Is this the last straw for plastic!? Find out in this week's episode

Which has a lower environmental impact: a meal from the grocery store or one delivered from a meal kit service? How do I get rid of this packaging from my meal kit delivery!? Find out in this week's episode! 

Is our addiction to Amazon really that bad for the environment? The answer may surprise you.

Hello, and welcome to Trash Magic! This is our first episode. We are so excited to bring this show to you! In this episode, we chat about what to do with all this paper: how to properly recycle or dispose of unwanted paper and how to purchase more sustainable paper in the future. Today we are joined by our cohosts Oakley Jennings-Fast, a chemical engineer, and Sara Fuentes, a waste and recycling expert.