New event: Philadelphia’s Recycling Problem: Zero Waste Solutions to Cut Trash at the Source

Join us for an event to hear changemakers who are solving problems in the city.

Delayed pickups, combing trash and recycling, and unclear guidelines of what can go in the blue bin: Philadelphia’s recycling is broken. Although there isn’t a silver bullet for a solution, we can all do our part to reduce our waste. Think: Zero waste businesses, reducing our packaging, cleaning up our streets, and working with local government. 

That’s why we’re excited to bring together local changemakers and entrepreneurs that are tackling waste at the stream.

Speakers

Terrill Haigler:  Less than three months after accepting the position as a laborer for the Philadelphia Sanitation Department, Terrill Haiglerbecame an essential worker. To bridge the gap between residents and sanitation workers he created the Instagram page @_yafavtrashman to give residents an inside look as to what sanitation workers experience during the pandemic. When Terrill noticed that his co-workers didn’t have the proper PPE to execute their jobs safely he decided to stand in the gap and start a Custom Ink t-shirt fundraiser to purchase PPE, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Catapulting him to Philly’s latest viral sensation.

Alex Torrey is the Founder and CEO of The Rounds. Alex was Entrepreneur in Residence at startup accelerator Techstars before going to business school at Wharton where he met his Co-Founder. Prior to founding The Rounds, Alex founded a consumer startup that was featured on Shark Tank, backed by Mark Cuban, and was an Intelligence Officer at the CIA.

Heidi Barr is the founder of kitchen garden textiles, a Philadelphia-based lifestyle brand that prioritizes ethics and the environment. They offer sustainable textiles designed to replace single-use and plastic disposables in homes and restaurants. She is also co-founder with Emma Delong of Kneehigh Farm of the PA Flax Project. They are working to re-establish a flax into linen supply in Pennsylvania, placing textiles back into regenerative agricultural systems where they belong.

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