Producing waste is convenient. Many of the systems that produce the resources we consume use materials that eventually become landfilled. Grocery stores and their plastic bags. Restaurants and their styrofoam takeout containers. Fast fashion clothing stores and their garments that only last for a few months. It’s convenient for these places to use disposable materials. They can get it in bulk and they can get it for cheap. So we use them because they are what is offered to us.
But what if the systems that we participated in made being zero-waste the default? This is what we’re talking about on today’s episode of Operation Climate. More specifically, we’re talking about zero-waste grocery shopping and how the first zero-waste grocery store in San Diego came to fruition.
Our guest today is Isabelle Demillan, the founder of The Mighty Bin, the first zero-waste store in San Diego.
To learn more about The Mighty Bin, check out their website here!
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Host: Katherine Li
Writer/Producer: Katherine Li
Reporters: Chloe Fey, Cameron Cho, Rowena Wong
Guest: Isabelle Demillan
Audio Editor: Katherine Li
TRANSCRIPT:
KATHERINE:
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Operation climate, the podcast made by Youth for Youth, where we talk about climate solutions with cool people and learn about how we as young people and students can take action in the climate movement. My name is Catherine and I'll be guiding you throughout this episode. This episode was produced and recorded by three of our wonderful 2022 operation climate high school interns. Their names are Chloe Cameron and Rowena, let's get into the episode. Most of us know the harmful effects of waste. plastic waste contaminates nearly every point of the planet. Landfills pollute neighborhoods. We know this. But most of us aren't perfect when it comes to producing waste. My kitchen cabinet is still filled with plastic shopping bags and when I order takeout my trash can fills up with disposable packaging. What prevents us from being zero waste even though we know the harmful effects of waste? Here are some reasons that I came up with one, the harmful impacts of waste do not impact us equally, low income and bipoc Folks are more likely to live near waste facilities. The US also literally ships 10s of millions of tons of plastic waste to poor countries every month. Maybe many people aren't curbing their consumption because they feel like the waste they produce doesn't personally affect them, it magically disappears from the garbage truck comes to pick it up. Another reason I thought of a reason that is probably relatable for a lot of us. Producing waste is convenient. Many of the systems that produce the resources we consume use materials that eventually become landfilled grocery stores and their plastic bags, restaurants and their Styrofoam takeout containers. It's convenient for these places to use disposable materials. They can get it in bulk, and they can get it for cheap. So we use them because they are what is offered to us. But one of the systems that we participated in made being zero waste the default. This is what we're talking about on today's episode of Operation climate. More specifically, we're talking about zero waste grocery shopping and how the first zero waste grocery store in San Diego, the mighty Ben came to fruition. Our guest today is Isabel de Millan the founder of the mighty Ben the first zero waste store in San Diego.
ISABELLE:
So I decided to open up the mighty bin after many years of being frustrated with how our grocery stores were I wasn't able to find package free products, I was able to find a lot of organic product and non toxic personal care and household products. I did feel like the way our society was there was a need to kind of slow down and just be more mindful in the way that we buy goods and realize that single use plastics and overconsumption is maybe not the most sustainable way for us to move forward.
KATHERINE:
So first, let's paint a picture of the mighty bin. When you walk in, you're greeted with rows and rows of bins on the wall filled with things like grains, nuts, oil, vinegar and beans, drawers and containers of noodles. locally made pastries and even dog treats are found around the shop. Fresh Produce bins line the wall milk that comes in a reusable container that you can refill once you're done with it. Shells filled with both hygiene products like shampoo, soap and conditioner. There's even a machine that grinds away at peanuts so you can make your own peanut butter. Okay, to me, this sounds like something I never knew I needed. Let's rewind to the beginning of the mighty bins creation. So first, Isabel had to make sure that there were other people feeling the same way as her that people wanted a low waste alternative of shopping.
ISABELLE:
So there are a number of zero waste grocery stores abroad, and they were popping up all over the US. And so I realized that there was this need and want for this way of grocery shopping. And so I figured San Diego is having more progressive changes around the city and I felt that this would be a good time to start something like this.
KATHERINE:
We've got a long way to go when it comes to all businesses centering social well being and sustainability in their operations. But it's something that consumers are demanding more of people are concerned about climate change and environmental degradation, as well as transparency and fair labor practices. And actually, profit and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, companies that center sustainability in their core business strategies do better than those that don't and analysis done by the nonprofit CDP found that s&p 500 companies that are actively managing and planning for climate change have an 18% higher return on investment than companies that aren't, and 67% higher than companies who don't disclose their emissions at all. So what elements can businesses look to when bringing sustainability to their businesses? And how can we make it easier for businesses to be sustainable? Here are Isabel's thoughts
ISABELLE:
there's different aspects of the business. So I would say like supply chain, just really paying attention to where you're getting your products? Because, you know, there's a lot of social ethical issues on how you're treating your workers, as well as where are they getting this product? Is it degrading our environment? So just the supply chain is a great place to look and see, am I doing my best and sourcing product? And then there is the whole idea of like the in store aspect, you know, am I using LEDs Am I being as efficient as I can with my lighting, my water energy usage, and our mind machines, fridges, things like that, can I get energy star rated in terms of the waste stream, it really depends on where you are right now, because San Diego is supposed to be carrying out our organic waste bins throughout the county, but it has been really slow. And so that route is hard for businesses because they don't know where to put their organic waste at the moment. Currently, we are partnered with a local compost group. So we are able to divert all our organic waste in the store. And so it's just about that effort, going that extra mile and finding that business instead of just the curbside pickup, but there are, you know, other states that do have that option, which is wonderful. So you can have that be part of your business.
A big mission for the store is convenience. And so I wanted to make sure that making the small switches in your life and just trying to lower your waist and just being more non toxic and less wasteful in your life, I wanted it to be convenient for people. And so I built my store on making it really easy for people to make these changes. So one of the things was composting. You know, I personally, I don't have a spot to compost and I don't have a yard or anything. And so a really easy way for everyone to divert their waste is just to place it in a bucket, and then drop it off at the store and it's sent to the compost group, and they break it down and they actually create compost that we sell at the store. So it's a really wonderful cycle. And it's super easy to do anyone an apartment living and things like that. And not only is it food waste, but they accept any type of organic waste and paper products and any other plant based products that we sell at our store, it's a really great way to divert all that organic waste in the landfill.
KATHERINE:
Let's talk about making it convenient and accessible to be zero waste. Oftentimes, you see influencers promoting all these fancy new and expensive gadgets that will help you be zero waste. But we encourage you to look into what you already own in your household. For example, when I was growing up, my mom packed me lunch in an Oreos bag and everyone in second grade thought I was eating Oreos every day for lunch. They were so jealous of me. When our old clothes weren't wearable anymore, we use them as cleaning rags. Being Zero Waste doesn't have to be expensive. Making sustainable switches like buying foods in bulk can actually save you money. However, there definitely are accessibility problems in the zero waste movement. Not everyone has easy access to a bulk food store or zero waste store. Disabled people and people with medical issues often need to buy prepackaged and pre prepared food that's packaged with plastic. And also it's just easier to not be zero waste. I like to think of being a part of the zero waste movement. There's no way to put pressure on myself and individuals to be perfect all the time when it comes to waste. Because perfectionism isn't attainable, but rather as a way to reflect on how the systems we participate in create waste, and demand better from them. curbing our waste production is possible. Just look at the response that mighty Ben has gotten from the San Diego community. You know,
ISABELLE;
I'm overseeing everything in the store and I can get pretty stressed out easily. But then, you know you'll if I take a step, step back and actually talk to the customers and they come in and just to hear how exciting this store is in our community and how they love the concept so much and they always say they'll be back. It's just it kind of solidifies. You know For me, I was supposed to open the store. And it's a great concept. That's a great idea. And, and I'm doing a service for our community. And it's just, it's nice to just take that step back and kind of appreciate that. So far we have had a lot of support, we've been able to really connect with other local businesses and other sustainable businesses and improve that community feel that I feel is much needed. Nowadays, I think that we kind of lose that sense of community and support. And so that was a big goal of mine is to really create a community store. I would like to see a change in how we're making things and how we're packaging things and where we're sourcing things. We do need to support local more local farms, local businesses, which is a big mission of the mighty Ben, and we need to think about how we're manufacturing and packaging things you know, single use plastic really needs to change and use for organic regenerative farming. We need to support alternatives to plastic being more mindful on having less consumption be the priority of our lives.
KATHERINE:
Okay, let's summarize this episode. Zero Waste stores are popping up all over the country and the world because more people are expressing interest in low waste living. Businesses can focus on both profit and sustainability because oftentimes, the two concepts go hand in hand. Don't Zero Waste doesn't have to be expensive. Reusing and repurposing things that you already have at home is the most sustainable option. zero waste movement can be inaccessible for many people and can create negative feelings of perfectionism among people who try to be zero waste. But that's not our fault as individual consumers if we can't be perfectly zero waste, don't put that pressure on yourself. And here are some action items. If one exists near you, try going to a zero waste store for your next grocery shopping trip. And if one doesn't exist, try making your regular shopping trip zero waste. For example, try bringing reusable bags for holding fruits and veggies reusable containers and go into the bulk section of your grocery store. See how you can make that a part of your life. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of Operation climate make sure to check out the mighty Ben will link their website in our show notes. And if you're ever in the San Diego area, think about stopping by the mighty Ben and saying hi to Isabelle. And thank you for all the work that she's doing. Make sure to subscribe on Spotify and Apple podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts so you can stay updated about future episodes. For a full transcript of this episode and links that you can explore to learn more about what we cover today head to our website at bit.li/operation Climate podcast to stay updated about other operation climate things. Follow us on our socials. We are at Operation climate on Instagram and operation climate on tick tock also, we would love to hear from you so give us a rating and review on Spotify and Apple podcasts. We love hearing from our listeners. Thank you so much. Hope to see you next time. Bye
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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