We all know we have a problem with waste, trash, single-use plastics, wrappers, plastic bags. Plastic has become ubiquitous in our daily lives thanks to its convenience and artificially low prices. But it comes with many costs, upstream and downstream, so to speak.
Fossil fuels fracked and pipelined to produce it, petrochemical facilities polluting communities, ecosystems, and the climate. Millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped every year, much of which makes its way into the oceans, harming wildlife and ecosystems in the process.
Yet the majority of all plastic that has ever been made, some say around 90 percent, is not recycled. But keep in mind that recycling has some value, and we will get to that.
Our EcoJustice Radio co-host Jessica Aldridge, as most of our regular listeners know, has been working for the last sixteen years in the waste industry to bring a sustainability vision and provide solutions to this insane dilemma. We have invited her into the interviewee seat this week to give us an overview of what can be done to confront this problem. And joining us as interviewer this week is Auri Jackson, Environmental Journalist and a veteran of viral video news site BuzzFeed.
Auri Jackson [www.aurijackson.com/] is a director and storyteller that specializes in making sustainability and social impact relatable to inspire action and offer hope. She pioneered environmental content at BuzzFeed and created a myriad of viral videos about everything from plastic pollution to climate change. She knows what makes millions of eyes pay attention and shes passionate about working with non-profits and brands who put people and planet first. She also makes compelling narrative work which has won audience awards at the Austin Film Festival and Outfest. Jackson has been quoted in Vox, profiled in Jr Hi the Magazine, has written an article for Shondaland about zero waste, and has spoken at community events, as well as at corporate events for Nike and BuzzFeed, about how to be an everyday environmentalist.
Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 16-year recycling industry and Zero Waste leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. In her day job she is the Sustainability and Zero Waste Programs Director for Athens Services.
Guest Host Auri Jackson, Environmental Journalist, interviewing our own EcoJustice Radio Co-Host Jessica Aldridge, who is a Sustainability and Zero Waste Industry Leader.
EcoJustice Radio [http://ecojusticeradio.org/] is a weekly program that presents environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame, featuring voices not necessarily heard on mainstream media, co-hosted by Jessica Aldridge, Carry Kim, and Jack Eidt. We investigate solutions for social, environmental, and climate issues with an eye to advance human health, steward wild landscapes, and solve the climate crisis across the USA and the world. It is a project of the nonprofit environmental organization, SoCal 350 Media, based in Los Angeles.