On October 30, the League of Women Voters of Evanston sponsored the program “From Trash Talk to Transformation: A Climate Action Experience” in partnership with the Evanston Public Library and Beyond Waste (a program of Climate Action Evanston). About 40 attendees gathered to answer the question: “What if talking about climate action could be joyful, energizing, and even fun?” The event, led by Kelly Fidei of both LWVE and Beyond Waste, combined information on the idea of "circularity" with community building, small group interaction, games, and a little improv. In addition to providing both information and a call to action, the event was an experiment in finding enjoyable new ways to engage people in talking about a sometimes confusing and overwhelming topic.
Kelly began the program with slides explaining that 45 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from the production, transportation, use, and disposal of material goods. Our economy is based on a “Take-Make-Use-Dispose” cycle that creates excessive extraction, wasted energy, pollution, and unnecessarily packed landfills. Creation of an alternative culture, or Circular Economy, where still-useful items can be repaired, repurposed, shared, or recycled, and excess food can be redistributed or composted, can strengthen communities while reducing pollution. She showed a video about Amsterdam, a city that has committed to a 100% circular economy by 2050, to stimulate our ideas.
Beyond Waste has identified five waste-related priorities that would have the greatest impact on climate change:
- Recover food and compost organics to promote equity and divert organic waste from landfill
- Reclaim and reuse building materials to reduce embodied carbon pollution, create jobs, and reduce costs for new projects
- Recirculate, repair, and share useful products to keep them out of the landfill and assist community members who need them
- Make it easier to recycle effectively
- Encourage waste reduction practices in packaging and buying
Kelly then led us through a fast-paced series of games and small-group discussions designed to get community members talking and listening to one another about topics ranging from personal experiences with climate, thrifting successes, recycling and composting confusion, city government vs. individual responsibility, and concerns about making a difference. During a Q&A session, Brian Zimmerman, Evanston’s Solid Waste Coordinator, answered questions about the city’s composting and yard waste pickup, and Tom Mulhern, Beyond Waste Program Lead, provided information on the Circular Evanston Roadmap and Beyond Waste’s useful website and programs. Attendees were encouraged to explore the website, comment on the Roadmap draft, and participate in programs such as the Repair Cafés. Handouts at each table offered ideas for small steps to integrate circularity into daily living, such as use of the “Too Good to Go” food sharing app, swapping building materials and tools with neighbors, donating salvaged materials to Habitat ReStore, and bringing reusable containers to restaurants for leftover food. An improv game based on common questions about circularity and a time to reflect about the evening’s takeaways rounded out the evening.
The event emphasized the power of listening and the possibility of finding joy while addressing difficult issues. See the Beyond Waste website for more ideas to promote a Circular Economy culture!