Kid Connection - The Changing Times, Winter 2022

Each issue, The Changing Times features an organization that works with kids and families. This Winter we interviewed Jeremy Drake, owner of Strategy Zero Waste Solutions, about the Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) Zero Waste pilot program, and his work as project manager.

Jeremy Drake, owner and founder of Strategy Zero Waste Solutions.

How did you get interested in zero waste? 

One day, around 15 years ago, I was rinsing out a plastic container at the kitchen sink and thought to myself, does it make sense to use all this fresh water just so I can recycle this thing? Soon thereafter, I found myself on a bus to a 3-day class called Introduction to Recycling. The moment I saw the instructor I could tell by his work clothes and his well-worn hands that he was more than an instructor, he was a recycler, one of the original generation who had decades of on-the-ground experiences to share. I had met my first Zero Waste mentor and, three days later, my life was changed forever. Oh, and I eventually discovered that, yes, it is worth it to rinse #1, #2, #5 plastics for recycling, but the best choice is to AVOID plastic in the first place!

What drives your passion for zero waste?

What drives my passion is that Zero Waste is a climate solution, a social justice solution, a community resiliency solution, and an environmental solution all wrapped up in one. Zero Waste is a philosophy, a system, and a set of principles and practices that aim to bring about a more just world. Zero Waste challenges us to rethink our relationship to stuff, to figure out how to do more with less, and to align our actions more closely to Earth’s natural systems, which are the best model of Zero Waste we’ve got. Zero Waste is also the easiest, quickest, and most cost-effective climate solution available to everyday people like you and me because using less stuff = fewer emissions. Some people think Zero Waste is an unattainable goal. I like to think of it like the North Star, it seems like a long way off, but it gives us direction. After all, if you’re not for Zero Waste, how much waste are you for?

Students learning about Zero Waste at Jeannette Rankin Elementary. Photo from Home ReSource.

Can you tell us about the history of MCPS and zero waste?

MCPS’s Zero Waste journey began about 4 years ago when Ian Knight, a Hellgate High School student inspired by the recent City of Missoula Zero Waste Resolution, wanted to see MCPS adopt something similar. Thanks to Ian, MCPS committed to shifting away from using expanded polystyrene #6 (aka styrofoam) products in their cafeterias! That was a huge victory for Zero Waste since a key component of Zero Waste is to reduce the toxicity of the stuff we use and styrofoam is one of the most toxic plastics made. That eventually led to the district’s first Zero Waste pilot program at Jeannette Rankin Elementary. Now, we are on the cusp of launching Zero Waste programs at three more elementary schools and building support for one at Sentinel High School. Our focus right now is expanding recycling, introducing composting, and reducing wasted food in the cafeterias.

What is your role in this project?

I am the project manager through my company Strategy Zero waste solutions. In that role, I coordinate all of the school teams and community partners, identify program opportunities like milk carton recycling, and oversee implementation of the Zero Waste programs. But what I really do is balance an overwhelming sense of urgency shared by some and an understanding of the importance of broad engagement to build understanding and support. Yes, we should have started doing all of this yesterday and it takes time to make sure we do it in a way that brings everyone along.

What is the overall plan to bring zero waste to all MCPS schools?

Our approach is very people-focused. We work with teams from each school community to develop their own Zero Waste plan. Inviting people in and engaging them in the plan development is the most important part of the process and a crucial step in ensuring program sustainability. It’s easy to put out a recycling bin; it’s much more impactful if the people who will be using that bin have played a role in putting it there. Since we go so deep with each school, we are working with a handful each year. The end goal is to have Zero Waste programs in place at every school.

Is there a way for non-public schools to participate?

Zero Waste is completely open source! Anyone can do it. It doesn’t require any special technology or equipment, it only requires the passion and commitment to make the world a better place and the buy-in of those around you to support the programs you collectively decide to implement.

Is there a way for families to get involved with the school effort?

Yes! Parents, grandparents, and other family members can volunteer to help in the cafeterias at the elementary schools rolling out Zero Waste programs soon (Chief Charlo, Lewis & Clark, and Russell). A key component of those programs will be a new cafeteria sorting station where students will pour out unfinished milk (Kids! Please drink your milk!), recycle empty milk cartons and other recyclables, save uneaten/unopened foods for sanitizing and redistribution, compost food scraps and other compostables, and finally put what’s left in a bin destined for the Missoula Landfill in our lovely North Hills. It will take students a little getting used to and providing them support on how to do it would be a wonderful way to contribute to this effort. Please contact me if you’re interested!

Zero Waste Station at Missoula Urban Demonstration Project’s 2015 Earth Day Celebration. Photo from Home ReSource.

What can families do to join in on the effort of "going zero waste?”

The web is full of stories and resources on how to practice a Zero Waste lifestyle from packing Zero Waste lunches to changing what we buy and how we buy it. I encourage curious families to do some research and decide together what they are willing to try. After all, the journey to Zero Waste begins with a single step! And over the course of that journey you just might stumble upon these wise words from Zero Waste chef Anne-Marie Bonneau: “We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” With that in mind, and with plenty of grace for yourselves and your family members, gaining an understanding of the Zero Waste hierarchy may help you identify the most impactful actions to consider.

How can you make it fun and engaging for kids to participate?

Zero Waste, in theory and in practice, is chock full of learning and engagement opportunities for kids of all ages. We are working with Home ReSource to develop mini in-class lessons for elementary school teachers to help their students understand the Zero Waste program, why it's important, and how to be a part of it. In the end, what’s not fun and engaging about saving the planet!?

Do you have any books or films or websites to recommend to get started on the Zero Waste Journey?

Microplastic Madness is a wonderful film about the students at Red Hook Elementary in Brooklyn, NY that chronicles their discovery of the plastic pollution in their environment and the solutions they identify to reduce it.

The Zero Waste Solution is a book by Paul Connett, with contributions from many Zero Waste experts. Despite the book’s heavy emphasis on incineration, which is a form of destructive, highly-toxic waste management that we thankfully don’t have in Montana, it provides a really solid foundation of what the global Zero Waste movement is about.

zerowasteworld.org is an excellent resource from one of the world’s leading Zero Waste advocacy organizations, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA). GAIA has helped people understand the social impacts of waste and how Zero Waste can bring about a more just world. GAIA puts people right in the middle of the solution, which I think is very empowering.