‘Zero Waste’ webinars planned for local businesses

Zero Waste Humboldt’s 2021 Zero Waste Business Training and Certification Program will start as a webinar series on Jan. 12 and 13. A third webinar will be presented on Jan. 19 for businesses that want to earn Zero Waste certification. Those who register for the webinars before Friday will receive a discount.

Zero Waste Humboldt has assembled a team of expert presenters who are among the Zero Waste thought leaders in the western U.S. Judith Silver, waste prevention and recycling manager for Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, Larry Kass, sustainable materials management specialist with Environmental Science Associates, and Tedd Ward, Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority director, are featured presenters. Eddie Blakeslee, Los Bagels co- owner, and Maggie Gainer, Zero Waste

Humboldt board president, are among locals to present “how-to” implement Zero Waste methods. Gregg Foster, Redwood Region Economic Development Commission executive director, will moderate the webinars.

In addition to the Zero Waste basic methods training, Zero Waste Humboldt is introducing a localized Zero Waste certification program to be more relevant, more affordable and more convenient for Humboldt County’s small businesses and school districts to achieve Zero Waste standards. The national Zero Waste certification program is designed for larger companies and costs thousands of dollars.

Forty- five local businesses have attended Zero Waste Humboldt’s training workshops to date. Several of them have successfully applied the workshop templates for setting goals and tracking their waste reduction progress over time.

“Measurement and monitoring is a hallmark of the Zero Waste method,” Gainer said. “We have learned how to integrate waste reduction goals into business operations without burdening small businesses.” These webinars and the certification offer several benefits for local businesses, including:

· Assistance to achieve cost savings from waste reduction.

· ZWH will publicly acknowledge and promote model Zero Waste businesses.

· Receive clear procedures and templates to integrate Zero Waste into business operations.

· “Bragging rights” by converting waste reduced to report a reduced impact on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

In response to many questions from businesses about waste reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, these webinars will include helpful examples from other local businesses about how they are striving to avoid single use plastics and wasteful packaging.

The cost is $50 for the series, and only $40 if registration is received before Friday. This cost includes three webinar presentations from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, 13 and 19. The first two are focused on practical Zero Waste methods and the third is specifically for businesses that want to obtain Zero Waste certification and is optional. A group discount is also offered for more than one from the same workplace.

Businesses and school districts that want to enroll in this training or receive technical assistance for certification are urged to take advantage of the early registration discount at the registration website at www.zerowastehumboldt.org and to email questions to contact@zerowastehumboldt.org.