5th Annual Students For Zero Waste Conference – Melissa Miles to Give insightful Keynote: Garbage is a State of Mind

Come to the University of Pennsylvania on November 2-3, to start the weekend off with a bang at the 5th Annual Students for Zero Waste conference. Join over 500+ students, staff, industry innovators, activists and community members from across the country to envision a world without waste.

Friday, Nov 2nd 5:30-8pm: Keynote event at Irvine Auditorium

Saturday, Nov 3rd 8am-8pm: Students for Zero Waste Conference in Perelman Quad

The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) is proud to announce the keynote speaker for SZW18 as Melissa Miles, an environmental and climate justice activist, community organizer and grassroots feminist who works within the Ironbound Community Corporation to protect the health and well-being of Newark residents from the harm being done by extractive-polluting industries and gentrification.

“I’m a grassroots feminist because I see the innate dignity in all life; because those who have suffered the most deserve the most to live happy and healthy lives; because as long as I live I will fight for justice for those who have been denied it” – Melissa Miles

The Friday evening keynote will be free and open to the public, inspiring community members and students alike to build coalitions and address issues from a systemic point of view. The full day and a half event include over 50 speakers in 30 interactive and student-led workshops, professional trainings, hands-on sessions, affinity group meet-ups, and panels covering waste and environmental justice, coalition building, and the Point’s of Intervention theory of change. The event follows a problem, solution, action format with the themes of Systemic Challenges, Collective Impact, Your Move(ment) format, leaving participants with the tools and strategies they need to implement Zero Waste solutions on campuses across the country.

Students, professionals, activists, and leaders passionate about Zero Waste are welcome to join the event happening November 2nd-3rd at the University of Pennsylvania! More information on the conference schedule, partners, and other updates can be found on our website, the event page, or on social media. Full speakers list to be announced soon.

Learn more about PLAN here.

Stay tuned for more updates from the team soon!