Key Takeaways from the 2023 Zero Waste Conference

The circular economy is central to our vision of a better world. Our active role in working to help advance sustainability and our attendance at last year’s inspiring event fuelled our excitement to return to the Zero Waste Conference in our home city of Vancouver.

After travelling to multiple circular economy events this year, we felt more connected to the space and more energized than ever. Bringing along new experiences, deeper knowledge, and the sparks of meaningful ideas, we were able to benefit greatly from the conference’s action-focused presentations and networking sessions.

Keep scrolling for our highlights, including details about this year’s iteration of the event, pathways for affecting change, the role of storytelling, and inspiring circular economy innovations.

Connecting With Circularity Champions

Around 500 people from various backgrounds and professions gathered at the Vancouver Convention Centre to get behind the zero-waste movement. We noticed more students in attendance than last year, along with a mix of industry, academic, and government groups, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — an encouraging sign that the circular economy is moving into the thought space of senior government officials, bringing us to new heights of possibility and widespread action.

We were also thrilled to see featured changemakers from Make The World Better Magazine at the conference, including ReFeed Canada, Circular Economy Leadership Canada, ShareWares, and Love Food Hate Waste Canada (coming up in Issue 6!). 

And since consistency is key for bringing far-reaching change into any space, it was encouraging to reconnect with folks we met at last year’s 2022 Zero Waste Conference and the Canadian Circular Economy Summit 2023.

Everyone brought an incredible amount of energy and engagement to this year’s theme “climate action through circularity.” There was palpable excitement around circular economy solutions and a focus on what we can do as opposed to things that we cannot control. This created a beautiful counterbalance to the anxiety that often arises in the face of negative environmental impacts and climate change.

Part and parcel with taking action, the event maintained a strong level of sustainability from start to finish. Meals were vegetarian (and delicious), dishes and utensils were reusable, no unnecessary swag was distributed, and magnetic badges were used instead of lanyards. To add an extra zero-waste touch, the badges were collected to be reused at next year’s conference and last year’s decorations were reused throughout the event.

While the decorations were the same, there were some notable changes to the 2023 iteration of the event. As a result of feedback given last year, the conference portion of the agenda was a bit shorter to provide greater opportunities for networking (thanks for listening!). We were able to walk away with a lot of new learnings, connections, and inspiration. 

Positivity and Problem-Solving Pathways

We were given thought-provoking insights into problems impacting the circular economy space, finding pathways for circular economy solutions, and taking action to end waste. 

The opening keynote was given by Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown, who offered a clarion call: “We need science, dreams, heroes and leaders,” to help solve today’s climate crisis and bring about solutions. 

The truth is most people don’t realize that 80% of the solutions to address climate change are actually cheaper than current approaches, only 1% are talking about solutions, and many are getting lost in the “doom and gloom” of our climate crisis. 

We need to shift the conversation to meet people where they are and talk about tangible and solvable issues, strike a balance, and replace fear with an image of what a better future looks like. This will help us move beyond climate anxiety, which has become a stumbling block both to proper education and action.

Dr. Foley also highlighted the valuable role of imagination and positive stories, which can help us create and get people on board with winning circular economy strategies. This resonated with us personally since we use Make The World Better Magazine as a vehicle for presenting stories about changemakers who are actively taking action to make a positive impact.

This theme carried over into the day two keynote, “The Elephant in the Room: Behavior Change Solutions for Climate and Circularity,” where Dr. Jiaying Zhao, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Sustainability and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, also discussed the importance of positivity as a solution pathway.

As Dr. Zhao explained, only 5% of people in North America talk about climate change on a regular basis, while 65% of people in the world have climate anxiety. “We’re often told what not to do, not what we can do,” Dr. Zhao said. We need to change the narrative and present people with solutions. 

Dr. Zhao introduced us to a simple yet fascinating solution: “Happy Climate Actions.” Happy Climate Actions can be carried out across all facets of our daily lives and implemented into existing schedules, including thoughtful transportation, conscientious shopping, and reducing food waste. Dr. Zhao provided Happy Climate Action examples for clothing, including making clothing easy to re-wear and repair, making shopping a special treat, and turning clothing swaps into social outings. Happy Climate Actions in day-to-day life are a great way to inspire hope, accelerate circularity, and achieve happier living. 

Storytelling Toward Circularity  

The essential role communication, storytelling, and education play in bringing us closer to our net zero and zero waste goals was centre stage throughout the event.

In his presentation, Neil Menezes, Packaging Sustainability Policy Manager at General Mills, spoke about the value of promoting innovation through social media. Offering a glimpse into the company’s commitment to a more recyclable future, he shared insight into their work to make their Nature Valley Crunchy bar wrappers store drop-off recyclable. Two ways to promote this innovation were discussed, along with the benefits and limitations of each. Only providing on-package messaging would speak directly to the communities where drop-off recycling is possible but would limit reach and awareness and slow the pace of adoption. Promoting through social media would demonstrate innovation, speed progress toward sustainability goals, and make it possible to raise awareness among a wider audience but some communities may not be able to recycle.

On the second day, a workshop on Circular Food systems, FOOD SOLVE for loss and waste, invited participants to examine case studies for solving food loss and waste from several different organizations. A grocery store in Vancouver caught our attention, as they’re currently facing an issue with communicating the value of food and supply chains to consumers, a gap they want to close so they can better combat food waste. As a group, we brainstormed solutions for the owner of the store. Most of the solutions the group came up with were centred around education and storytelling, including marketing collateral, effective in-store design, and digital campaigns.

This supports our belief that we need to lean into storytelling if we want circularity to become mainstream. With the right education and emotional connections, people will come to understand the value of zero waste and how they can make sustainable lifestyle choices. 

Inspiration and Innovation

During the conference, we had the chance to connect with a variety of changemakers in the circular economy space and learn about inspiring innovations. 

Our discussions with sustainability professionals led to many encouraging discoveries. In speaking with the Fairmont team, we learned there’s a lot of neat circularity work being done behind the scenes. One of their team members is creating fun and interesting ways to communicate sustainability and is building a culture of sustainability focus.

We also had the opportunity to learn about Oberland Agriscience, an innovative company rearing nutrient-rich black soldier fly larvae that will become part of livestock, pet, and fish feed, and an all-natural fertilizer. To maximize the circularity of the loop they’ve created, the insects use discarded fruit as their food source. Their products and processes can also help activate natural plant defences that could reduce the need for pesticides.

Apart from these fruitful conversations, we engaged with many presentations that shed light on innovative circular solutions and sustainability-minded companies.

Dr. Ehab Sayed, Founder and Chief Evolution Officer of Biohm, gave a presentation about this biotechnology company’s fascinating approach to problem-solving using fundamental concepts in physics to help derive real-world solutions. The connection Biohm drew between macroscopic and microscopic was not only interesting but was the ultimate end product in their construction of new materials derived from fungi.

Mindful Architecture was another noteworthy organization and the star of an interesting presentation on architectural projects based on Indigenous designs and lifestyles. In all of their projects, Mindful Architecture seeks to interweave nature with architectural design to re-establish a symbiotic relationship with nature. 

Indigenous-owned, slow fashion, sustainable clothing brand Anne Mulaire also gave a great presentation. Considering the heavy impact of fashion on our planet and the fight to transform the fashion industry through circular solutions, it was great to see a brand making a tangible difference. 

Let’s Work Together to Make an Impact

At the Zero Waste Conference, people from all walks of life brought unique approaches to the (circular) table. Sharing these different perspectives and circular economy strategies is a powerful way to activate people, gain support, and find the best path forward. All of these inspiring changemakers and advocates carry the desire, expertise, and authority to make a positive impact on the world and are proving what’s possible. 

A graduate student told us that the Zero Waste Conference made her feel like she wasn’t alone in wanting to make a difference. That’s a feeling we want everyone to experience.
Are you working to make a positive difference in the world? We would love to team up and amplify your impact. Contact us for a free marketing consultation.