Doin’ the Holidays the Local, Sustainable Way

Zero Waste Holiday Fair Recap

By Sara Lanning, WEN Board Member

On December 12, the WEN board hosted a Zero Waste Holiday Fair at Sports Basement in Berkeley. Members enjoyed the environmentally-themed holiday fair, complete with networking and easy DIY crafts. A framed moss art piece; personalized, stamped cards; and preserved lemons were on offer to create. (Did you make preserved lemons? Here are some ideas on how to utilize your creation.)

 

 

 

 

Participants were treated to an inspiring talk by Alfred Twu, Chair of the Zero Waste Committee for the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay Chapter. Alfred spoke about the recent initiatives that Berkeley and surrounding cities have been achieving on the zero waste side. One bright spot in his talk regarded the need for us to keep educating our networks on the way we can improve the environment. It is up to us to make a change!

Molly Moore, Co-founder and COO of SUPER (Single-Use Plastic Elimination or Reduction) spoke about excess plastic in the world, which trickles down to the way we do business. Molly is working diligently to certify offices in the Bay Area that are willing to commit to reducing or eliminating the use of plastic in the office environment. Please reach out to SUPER if your organization is interested in making this important commitment.

 

 

 

 

Paul Liotsakis, founder of GO Box SFBay, spoke about the amount of waste generated by single use containers in take-out restaurants and other food facilities. Throw-away packaging litters oceans, piles up in landfills, and contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. GO Box reduces the number of styrofoam, plastic, and cardboard takeout containers in circulation and in our landfills. This subscription service also has some circular momentum, in that it uses the existing kitchen workforce to wash and sanitize the GO Box ahead of each use. GO Box containers have the potential to be used 500+ times and are BPA-free!

Vendors also presented their wares at the fair. Members were able to browse products from Wisdom Supply Co., a plastic-free school supply company; plastic-free products for everyday use from FillGood.co; local honey products from Urban Beekeeper; stunning WizAmulets: Symbiotic Air Plant Jewelry; and beautiful painted rock creations from Starr Stones, the proceeds of which will be used to establish a foundation supporting kids with dyslexia.

                  

WEN would like to thank the members, vendors, and speakers who took time out of their busy holiday season to participate in this event. A special thank you to Anne of Sports Basement, who went above and beyond to help coordinate our event in the wonderfully spacious community room. WEN would also like to thank Berkeley Bowl for their kind food donation, which helped to fund a portion of the refreshments.

WEN wishes you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. Stay tuned for the exciting events we’re working on for 2020!