How Gen-Z is turning into the zero waste generation

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

"Code Red" — that's the alarming state of our planet's health, according to a United Nations climate change report, published this month. The catchy slogan “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” doesn’t hold up to such dire news. And it’s recently become clear that recycling is a glaringly broken system in our country. Only eight percent of plastic waste gets recycled in the United States, according to 2017 EPA report .

So, what are we to do? Maybe it’s time to start practicing "reducing" and "reusing" instead of "recycling"? If anyone’s going to, it’ll be Gen-Zers, whose generation could come to become known as Gen-ZeroWaste, since so many are adopting zero waste practices.

From viral zero-waste themed TikToks to internet-famous zero-waste bloggers, millennials and Gen-Zers are popularizing the waste-free lifestyle movement. And local efforts here in Massachusetts are leading the way.

Guests:

Maria Vasco, founder and CEO of Uvida , Boston’s first zero-waste store.
Simon Metcalf, a member of the Sunrise Boston hub and a high school teacher.
Hayley Gambone, account manager at Divert , a Concord-based company working to eliminate waste from the retail industry. Hayley is also a former Boston University Zero Waste intern, who was part of the university’s Zero Waste Task Force.