Need tips on sustainability? ‘Zero Waste’ can help

When the topic of sustainability gets brought up, what comes to mind? Maybe things like conservation, recycling and making other environmentally conscious decisions. There’s no doubt that all of these are key concepts of sustainability, but there’s more to it. Sustainability can actually make your life easier by making fresh produce more accessible to you and your family, improve your overall health and even save you money. If any of that sounds good to you, it’s time to check out VPM’s YouTube series Zero Waste!

“Zero Waste is solution-oriented and tells stories of passionate people in Virginia who are taking action to benefit their health, their finances and the environment,” said VPM Science Matters director Debbie Mickle. “Our goal is to highlight important topics in our communities and to empower everyone to make more sustainable choices and lifestyle changes. The thing I love to hear from viewers is ‘I learned something!’”

Hosted by Martinsville native Natalie Hodge of Rudy’s Girl Media, Zero Waste has already explored several interesting topics on sustainability, including foodscaping and how to turn your yard into a place to harvest fresh produce, as well as how to make better decisions when it comes to buying clothes.

The latest episode highlights the issues being caused by the fashion industry, which is putting pressure on the environment by producing a high volume of textiles, most of which end up in landfills. A concept called circular fashion focuses on designing clothes for durability, reuse, repair and eventual recycling. The goal is to keep clothing in use for as long as possible and reduce the need for new raw materials.

“I love something Kimberly Guthrie says in the newest episode, that waste is a design flaw. It’s so true,” said Debbie. “What if we changed the way we do many things that negatively impact our environment? What if we could bring our industries into a circular economy where the loop never closes, where all elements are reused or recycled? That’s what I like about the Zero Waste series, we look at topics affecting our community and our world, and we highlight solutions.”

Stream the latest episode below.
Zero Waste is available on VPM’s Science Matters YouTube channel. Clips from the episode will also be shared on the VPM Instagram and TikTok pages, as well as the Science Matters Facebook page and website.

Are there any Zero Waste topics that you’d like to see? Send us an email at sciencematters@vpm.org.