Zero Waste Humboldt focuses on waste reduction solutions
“Know Your Nonprofits” is a weekly column in the TimesStandard that takes an indepth look at nonprofit organizations throughout Humboldt County. This week’s featured nonprofit is the Zero Waste Humboldt. Kyra Skylark, Zero Waste Humboldt public education coordinator, answered the following questions.
BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANIZATION AND ITS MISSION » Zero Waste Humboldt is the only organization on California’s northwest corner that specializes solely on waste reduction solutions. Inspired by the Redwood Coast’s natural beauty and cultures, we educate the public, provide technical assistance and training and advocate for sustainable materials management and zero waste policies. Our sense of urgency to conserve natural resources and fight climate change drives Zero Waste Humboldt to target all single use and wasteful products and packaging with proactive waste prevention strategies. Our public education campaigns create behavior change — not “green marketing happy talk.”
WHEN AND WHY WAS THIS NONPROFIT FOUNDED? » We brought the zero waste movement to Humboldt County in 2011 and, with 50 volunteers and business sponsors, incorporated in 2014 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Zero Waste Humboldt’s mission, services and community projects stem from our vision of a desired future with zero waste, sustainable materials management and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OR THE ISSUES THIS NONPROFIT IS TRYING TO SOLVE?: WE TEACH A BASIC THREE-STEP HIERARCHY FOR PLANNING, INVESTMENTS AND DAILY LIFE HABITS BASED ON THE OLD 3 RS » top priority is waste prevention (formerly reduce), second priority is materials reuse and then recycling and composting. Proactive waste prevention at the point of purchase and reuse are our
WHERE DOES MOST OF THE NONPROFIT’S FUNDING COME FROM? » Individual contributions, local business sponsors and small grants
HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION? » Contact zerowastehumboldt@gmail.com to join the board, a variety of volunteer activities and apply for employment.
TELL ME ABOUT A FEW OF YOUR ORGANIZATION’S RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS » With Zero Waste Humboldt’s assistance, the North Country Fair has reduced the waste it generates by two-thirds and has become a learning model for other festivals. Working closely with vendors and fair planners, Zero Waste Humboldt has helped the North Country Fair to adopt the three-point hierarchy for sustainable materials management.
Also, Zero Waste Humboldt’s Refill-Not-Landfill Project awarded 10 water bottle refill stations to local governments and two high schools. Because each of these stations has a counter, we have been able to monitor use. In the first two years of operation, these 10 stations reduced approximately 100,000 singleuse plastic water bottles from waste in Humboldt County.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAS THE PANDEMIC CREATED FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION AND HOW HAS THE NONPROFIT DEALT WITH THOSE CHALLENGES? »
Zero Waste Humboldt’s hands-on work, on-site with businesses and schools, was suspended for more than a year due to COVID-19. We continued public education and workshops via Zoom and online webinars. We were also challenged by the petrochemical industry’s active spread of misinformation that more plastic made customers and employees safer, when in fact, research consistently shows that the COVID-19 virus lingers longest on plastic services. We are now helping shoppers, businesses and schools to “ReOpen with Reuse.”
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION? »
Request the Zero Waste Humboldt quarterly enewsletter. Our website: www.zerowastehumboldt.org. We promptly answer all inquiries and communications through email, zerowastehumboldt@gmail.com.