Zero Waste Trash Talk

Karen McIntyre from Nashville's Westmead Elementary is much more than a librarian. She's helped start a compost program, a school garden, recycling drives and a way for students to donate uneaten food from the lunchroom. She shares her successes and the lessons learned along the way to making her school an example for the entire Nashville school system. Karen is proof that one persons dedication can affect systemic change. Find out how you can support what she's doing and/or get inspired to help your local school become more environmentally friendly.

Does your city have a Zero Waste Plan? If it does, is it being implemented and/or championed by your elected officials?

The Chairman of the Nashville Solid Waste Board, John Sherman, gives us some background on how and why Nashville has a Zero Waste Master Plan and what we need to do to support it.

Gleaning is an ancient practice mentioned in the Old Testament and codified into law in some countries. Normally, over 1/3 of the food produced in the world is wasted but during the pandemic shutdown this was exacerbated as crops were being plowed under and milk dumped down drains as distribution channels shifted from institutions and restaurants to grocery stores.

Jeannie Hunter from The Society of St. Andrew tells us how their program uses gleaning as a tool to end world hunger and help get food to the people who need it. Find out all about Gleaning and how you can help end hunger and waste.

Hey Ladies! Did you know that tampons and pads that we have been told to use our whole lives are actually toxic to our bodies? Maybe this isn’t news to you, but really these foreign objects we’re putting into our bodies are NOT good for us! and they are just going to be thrown AWAY - which we all know by now that there is no away. For this episode we invited fellow Zero Waste Nashville group member Larissa Maestro to explore the opportunities for healthier more sustainable feminine hygiene options. Join Maris, Jess and Larissa as they get personal with their sustainable feminine hygiene experiences.

There are a lot of items that sit in our closets, attics or basements that only get used a couple of times a year. Do you know how many resources it took to produce, ship and sell all that stuff so that it can just sit around unused? Ruckify is a new peer-to-peer rental marketplace that makes it super easy to put unused items back into circulation AND make money in the process! THEY ALSO PLANT A FRICKEN TREE FOR EVERY TRANSACTION! In episode 12, founder Steve Cody tells us how he started the company and how you can rent products locally instead of buying more crap that you might only use one time! (Receive 30 Ruckbucks towards your first rental with our promo code revealed when you listen)