Every year the College of Charleston’s Office of Sustainability hosts a Sustainability Week. This year it takes place during the week of April 9th through the 11th. Today, Monday April 9th I attended a viewing of the mini-documentary “Waste Deep”, followed by a Q&A led by Andrea Sanders of the Be Zero Organization. The event started with an introduction followed by the viewing of the documentary. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, “Waste Deep”, which included a number of impactful people. My favorite, and most relatable part of the film was during the part about Tim Westwood. Westwood, like myself, are avid surfers so this part of the film really caught my attention. Along with a keen surfer, the film explains Tim’s passionate advocacy for protecting and restoring our oceans from the harmful impacts humans have placed on Earth’s oceans. I consider Tim Westwood a role model to anyone who values keeping our oceans healthy, as well as our whole Earth free of needless waste and pollution. All in all, the documentary showed an alluring look at how food and packaging wastes simply don’t just “go away” when we toss it away. The long-term, surreptitious impacts waste has on the environment, wildlife, and sequentially our healths is most acknowledged in “Waste Deep”. More specifically, the documentary demonstrates how food and waste from plastic can be easily avoided, with attention on the amount of unneeded and unnecessary waste that comes from packaging food. Giving a great deal of insight into not only the environmental impacts, but the social impacts of our wasteful tendencies that are choking our lives, animals, and seas. This film gave me insight on what is happening to our Earth and our oceans. In my opinion, food manufacturers need to see this film, supermarkets need to see this film, corporate food companies and everyone else in between needs to see this 20 minute film to start making positive impacts. Following the film, the second part of the sustainability event was a Q&A discussion with Andrea Sanders of the Be Zero Organization. Be Zero is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the State of Colorado. Be Zero’s mission is as stated from their website: “To inspire, educate, and activate individuals to dramatically reduce their plastic and trash footprint and to create sustainable and mindful habits.” Andrea Sanders emphasized their focus on developing easy and accessible ways for diminishing household trash and plastics. Be Zero inspires individuals to adopt lifestyles that are center around living “low-waste friendly”. For example, Be Zero advocates “The Circular Mindset” as a way to rethink everyday consumer and lifestyle habits to make a difference in reducing human’s trash and plastic footprint on Earth. It is important to be conscious about the value we have on the things we use, where we live, what we eat, and the resources used to make these things. It is great to know that there are organizations around the world centered on making Earth a more healthy and ultimately more sustainable place to live. After attending this event I plan on attending more events during Sustainability Week at the College and I encourage you to as well! If you missed this event, I have attached a free-to-watch link to the documentary “Waste Deep” as well as a link to Be Zero’s website.

http://www.bezero.org/