21: Kelsey Rumburg | Trash to Treasure: Build a Business from Waste

43 min • 16 juni 2021

In just 30 years, the world's annual waste output will reach an estimated 3.4 billion tons. This worldwide garbage tsunami endangers our environment, economy, and even our relationships. To survive, we must not only contain it, but also use it.

When we realize that our waste has value, we can start to see how we might put it to greater use in our life. We can change our lives, as well as the businesses and communities around us, by adopting this approach. To reverse the trend, forward-thinking investors and inventors are constructing an economy that views trash as a valuable commodity and an ever-renewable resource. Kelsey’s book, Trash to Treasure: Exploring What It Takes to Build a Business from Waste explores the experiences of modern-day pioneers who are making waves—and money—by turning trash into treasure.

A few businesses you can explore to learn more about reducing waste in your life are Patagonia, Rust Belt Riders and Hungry Harvest. These businesses are as much climate and environmental activists as they are businesses and companies. They are all on a mission to make a sustainable impact, change the world and make it healthier.

About Our Guest, Kelsey Rumburg:

Kelsey conceived a plan to leverage her passion for problem-solving to have a positive influence on the world around her from her family's Midwestern farm. Kelsey is now a part of Miami's startup ecosystem, where she assists entrepreneurs in developing businesses that address environmental, economic, and social challenges.

Website | LinkedIn

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction

5:02 Where can we start reducing the amount of trash and waste in the world?

6:47 Tips to recycle properly

9:31 What is Terracycle?

12:37 How to build companies that are actually embedding sustainability into reusable products

22:05 What companies are already doing a great job of reducing pollution and waste

30:47 Think regeneratively

32:53 Minimalism

35:39 Living a zero waste lifestyle

39:06 It’s never too late to start reducing your output of waste