HSU’s 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference

WRAPP hosts full week of speakers, activities and essential waste-reduction knowledge

This week kicked off Humboldt State’s Waste Reduction & Resource Awareness Program’s Zero Waste Conference. The banquet was the first event of the conference and was held in the Kate Buchanan Room Tuesday evening.

The banquet began with keynote speaker and former HSU student Alec Cooley, who recounted the history of the Humboldt State Campus Recycling, which he helped found. The evening climaxed with the Trashion Show which displayed upcycled waste products artfully crafted into snazzy fashion statements.

Tuesday’s event was just the beginning of an action packed conference. The 4th Annual Zero Waste Conference includes events like Tinker Time, a workshopping and tabling event at the UC quad, two clothing swaps and a whole slough of keynote speakers.

“This is the direction of the future that we’re moving towards, it’s zero waste,” WRRAP Student Director Amanda McDonald said. “It’s becoming more and more evident that we cannot keep mass producing waste and being wasteful with how we consume. It’s not going to sustain us into the future.”

Full list of WRAPP’s Zero Waste Conference 2019 Event:

Zero Waste Conference 2019 schedule of events: 

Tuesday | November 12
Zero Waste Presentation: Big Oil and Plastics, 5-6 p.m., Founders Hall Room 125. Tedd Ward, Director of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, will discuss the social, economic, and environmental drivers moving communities toward zero waste, the role manufacturer’s responsibility must take to curb plastic pollution, and the action we can all take to avoid the waste we don’t want.

Zero Waste Banquet, Keynote and Trashion Show 6-8 p.m., Kate Buchanan Room. Join us for a free zero waste meal. Vegetarian and vegan options will be available. Keynote presentation by HSUAlum and waste reduction expert Alec Cooley. Stay to watch the Trashion Show, hosted by Green Campus.

Wednesday | November 13
Clothing Swap, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kate Buchanan Room. All clothes are free. Although encouraged, you do not need to bring clothes to take clothes! 

Tinker Time, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., UC Quad. A series of hands-on, interactive, DIY, and zero waste activities all day on the UC Quad, hosted by The Sanctuary, the BLC, CCAT, Botany Club, and more! 

Sustainable Travel Workshop, 3:30-4:15 p.m., Library Room 209 – Fishbowl. Join students from REC 435 Sustainable Tourism class in a discussion on best practices for minimizing your footprint when travelling locally, nationally, and internationally.

Oh SNAP! Zero Waste Cooking Class, 6-7:30 p.m., Rec & Wellness Center Room 122. Learn techniques and recipes to make delicious zero waste meals!

The Climate Crisis and Solutions: A frank discussion on what each of us can do, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Founders Hall Room 118. Dr. Kate Lancaster is a trained Climate Reality Leader through Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Project. Dr. Lancaster will share her Climate Reality presentation, offering a clear picture of what is happening to the planet and the actions we can all take to change course. 

Thursday | November 14
Zero Waste Heroes Workshop, 10-11 a.m., Library Room 209-Fishbowl. Tired of being a part of the problem? Join the WRRAP team to learn about simple, low-cost and fun practices with big waste reduction implications. This workshop is part of the Leadership Conference, taking place between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. today in the Library.

Clothing Swap, 12-4 p.m., Recreation and Wellness Center Room 126. All clothes are free. Although encouraged, you do not need to bring clothes to take clothes! 

Zero Waste Thinkshop, 1-2 p.m., CCAT. Take a deep dive into zero waste philosophy, discuss with practitioners and gain DIY skills to reduce your personal impact.

The Amazing World of Fungi: Mycoremediation, Biomaterials, & Mushroom Cultivation, 5 – 6 p.m., Founders Hall Room 206. Levon Durr is Owner of Fungaia Farm, a company that offers mushroom cultivation kits, workshops, and ecological restoration services. In this exciting presentation, Levon will discuss the critical role mushrooms can play in neutralizing toxins, restoring ecosystems, creating zero waste packaging, and building human health. 

Calculating the Air Quality & Climate Impacts of Using Forest Residues to Generate Electricity, 5:30 – 7 p.m., Founders Hall Room 118. Dr. Kevin Fingerman and Senior Research Engineer Jerome Carman will present their research on the net environmental impacts of using residues from forest management activities for bioenergy. This talk is part of the Sustainable Futures Speaker Series, sponsored by the Schatz Center and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. 

Ocean Night, 6 – 9 p.m., Arcata Theater Lounge, 1036 G Street, Arcata. Come to the ATL to see films about the ocean, plastic pollution, impacts to marine biodiversity and surfing. All ages, $5 suggested donation. Sponsored by Humboldt Surfrider. More info about films at the Arcata Theater Lounge website.

Friday | November 15
Zero Waste Day, all day, Arcata. The City of Arcata has proclaimed this day to be Zero Waste Day. Go to the city website to learn more about events in the community.

Jewelry-Making from Bike Parts, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Bicycle Learning Center. Turn scrap bike parts into coasters and jewelry with the BLC instructors. Bring your bike to get help with maintenance and repairs. 

Zero Waste Bike Ride, 3 – 4:30 p.m., Harry Griffith Hall Zagster Bike Station/ HGH Room 113. Join the BLC and Office of Sustainability on an all-abilities group ride to check out zero waste activities and businesses. No bike? No problem! Show up to get a FREE promo code to use a Zagster bike!