DeepSummary
In this episode, Katie interviews Peter Wang Hjemdahl, the co-founder of Repurpose, a social enterprise dedicated to creating a global community of conscious consumers, workplaces, and brands going plastic neutral. Peter explains how Repurpose helps individuals and organizations measure their plastic footprint, offset it by funding recycling initiatives in India, and reduce their plastic consumption through personalized tips.
Peter shares his experience visiting a landfill site in Mumbai, where he witnessed the harsh conditions faced by waste pickers and the massive scale of the plastic waste problem. This encounter motivated him to empower these workers and their families by providing them with a sustainable income stream and access to healthcare and education.
The conversation also touches upon the importance of understanding the breakdown of one's plastic consumption, the challenges of recycling certain types of plastics, and the role of legislation and awareness campaigns in driving change. Peter discusses Repurpose's plans to expand its services, collaborate with brands, and create engaging campaigns to visualize the plastic waste issue.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Repurpose helps individuals and organizations measure, offset, and reduce their plastic footprint through a three-step process.
- Exposure to the harsh realities faced by waste pickers in India motivated Peter to empower them and address the social and environmental aspects of plastic waste.
- Understanding the breakdown of one's plastic consumption is crucial for taking effective action to reduce it.
- Proper recycling practices are often overlooked, and individuals should familiarize themselves with local recycling guidelines.
- Plastic waste has the potential to raise awareness and drive collective action across political divides.
- Repurpose aims to collaborate with brands, workplaces, and content creators to promote plastic neutrality and engage consumers in conscious living.
- Visualizing the scale of individual plastic consumption can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and driving behavioral change.
- Repurpose's long-term goal is to create a circular economy where responsibility is shared among manufacturers, consumers, and recyclers.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “And there's just a stark contrast that we kind of couldn't unsee anymore after seeing that, I guess, for the first time.“ by Peter Wang Hjemdahl
- “I think if that's one thing that I think everybody can start doing a little better, is to just, like, really look up your own, wherever you're located in Australia or in India or in the UK or wherever, look up your local city recycling guidelines and see what you like, you know, what you can do, what you're supposed to recycle, what you're not supposed to recycle, but because chances are we all recycling quite poorly.“ by Peter Wang Hjemdahl
- “And I think that really adds a lot of awareness to the issue overall. And what I think is really cool about the plastic issue that I think maybe is even a little different than other climate issues, that it actually reaches across the political spectrum, which I think is actually quite interesting in our current landscape of things.“ by Peter Wang Hjemdahl
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Episode Information
Getting In the Loop: Circular Economy | Sustainability | Closing the Loop
Katherine Whalen
8/5/19