Do you have a passion for Zero Waste and want to help others on their own path toward sustainability? Maybe you’re not sure where to start, or how to do more with your ideas? This month, we share inspiring stories of regular people who found a way to combine their commitment to Zero Waste with their desire to reach others. Read on to learn how these out-of-the-box thinkers are driven by a dream to make it easier for people to live sustainably!

Walking into Khala and Company’s production room, the first thing you notice is how good warm beeswax smells. Husband-and-wife team Asa and Tamar McKee first started experimenting with making beeswax wraps in their home out of a desire to eliminate their family’s plastic footprint. Today, their company has sold enough beeswax and vegan wax wraps to replace more than 3 million square feet of plastic wrap a year.

The former anthropology professor and professional skiier thought at first that they’d just sell a few wraps on the side, but support from friends, family, and the green products industry was overwhelming. Making Khala Cloths was the first business venture for both Asa and Tamar and they have faced challenges, mainly in realizing that you don’t have to do all yourself. “Build a crew, a community around you,” advises Tamar. The team is also extremely mindful of their sourcing - for example, they only buy their beeswax from apiaries within a day’s drive, and much of it comes from a farmer in Longmont, CO.

Asa and Tamar also hope to bring an awareness to populations left out of the Zero Waste movement. “Reusable items are more expensive up front.” says Asa. “Some people don’t have the means or accessibility to participate.” The two hope Khala and Co. can be part of the solution. They offer donations of first runs and seconds of their products and hope to expand their community giving programs as they grow.

“The only reason EarthHero exists is to make sustainable shopping easier,” says Ryan Lewis, founder and CEO of the eco-friendly online marketplace. On the EarthHero website, customers can choose from a variety of reusable products designed to replace their disposable counterparts. The company also makes a point to ship their products with as little packaging as possible so that customers aren’t left feeding their trash cans after receiving an order.

Ryan first got experience in e-commerce working for his father’s company, Tundra Restaurant Supply. But after reading The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, he was pumped to do something about the havoc our excessive consumption is wreaking on the planet. “With my past experience, it was an ‘aha’ moment. I thought, let’s do it!”

Ryan and his team have had a lot of rewarding moments since launching EarthHero in 2017. “We get really nice feedback, both from the suppliers and the consumers. It never gets old to hear people say ‘thank you’ for what you’re doing.” That said, “Starting anything is hard,” says Ryan. “This has certainly been no exception, but at the end of the day, when a customer realizes that they can do some good and have a real impact, that’s the most rewarding thing.”

Art Parts Creative Reuse Center provides recycled materials for education and art and was born from owner Denise Perrault’s artistic vision and desire to put an end to the waste of perfectly good materials. Denise knew that the window treatment company her husband worked for struggled to find ways to responsibly dispose of the fabric left over from projects. At the same time, she was volunteering in her young son’s art classes and watching the teacher scramble to find supplies. That's when a lightbulb went off.

Denise, a textile artist by trade, gathered a team of passionate volunteers and fronted the money to rent a space in Boulder, CO. Now celebrating its 4th anniversary, the center has a Board of Directors, paid staff, and even a small art gallery--Bricolage--on the premises.

“What I love most is expanding people’s abilities to express themselves and be creative with materials they wouldn’t have been able to use otherwise,” says Denise. Art Parts has taken in everything from $200/yard Italian Brocade to bathymetric (ocean floor) maps from the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Upcycling means taking a waste material and turning it into something with greater value. Davidson Lewis and Justin Daugherty built their brand Green Guru around this idea, creating high quality bags and outdoor gear from spent materials like billboard vinyl, climbing rope, and bike tubes. To date, Green Guru products have kept 4 million pounds of bike tubes, 100 square miles of banner, 100,000 pounds of climbing rope and 500,000 pounds of wet suits out of landfills.

It all started as a school project. For his degree in Industrial Design, Davidson designed products made from used motorcycle and truck tire tubes, and that led to experimenting with other used materials. Justin, Davidson’s roommate at the time, felt passionate about the mission of reducing waste and brought his experience in sales to help grow the brand.

For someone considering an upcycling business, Justin advises, “Have a good business plan, make sure there’s a market and realize it’s going to be a lot of years of hard work and tough decisions.” He says it’s worth it, though. “It feels great when customers come up and tell how they believe in the product. We’re not just selling products. We’re doing some good.”

Refill Revolution is a one-woman show. The shop, started single-handedly by Brittney LaGesse in 2017, specializes in bulk refills for household and body care products and sustainable, reusable products that help customers reduce waste.

Brittney was working in sales for a Japanese incense company when she started following a few Zero Waste lifestyle bloggers on Instagram. “It was eye-opening,” she says. Inspired, Brittney started by making small, waste-reducing changes in her own life and then experimented with a Zero Waste pop-up store in Louisville, CO to gauge interest. Soon after, she opened Refill Revolution’s storefront in Boulder, CO.

It has been rewarding helping people on their own Zero Waste journeys, but challenging as well. For one thing, Brittney is dedicated to being sure that her inventory is not delivered wrapped in plastic or excess packaging, and that requires a lot of communicating with and educating suppliers. Education is central to her business model; “Be prepared to educate others,” Brittney advises people thinking of starting a Zero Waste business. “I feel like if people had more information, they would care a little bit more.”

SB19-102 Passes both Senate and House Vote!

In this legislative session, SB19-192: The Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Grant Program, passed a Senate vote on April 15th and a House vote on April 30th. The bill now goes to Governor Polis to be signed into law.

This bill creates the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Grant Program that will provide financial and technical assistance to local communities to implement waste reduction and diversion programs. Only about 12 percent of Colorado’s waste is recycled, which is well below the national average of 34 percent. Much of the state’s waste is generated in Front Range cities. This bill and the fund it creates will help finance new and expanded Front Range waste diversion programs that will boost recycling and composting rates.

Thank you to all who contacted your state representative and senator to support this bill!