We're all connected - we're all doing our bit, wherever we are, whoever we are. We are a global community united for the planet and a regenerative future. Here are some of their stories...

OUR FIRST NATIONS

Neil Morris (DRMNGNOW) 9:30am AEST

We’ll hear from Neil Morris, a Yorta Yorata/Dja Dja Wurrung man, community empowerment and rights advocate and artist (DRMNGNOW).

OUR NEIGHBOURS IN AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND - 10am AEST

Māori Stories - Te Kawa Robb, Para Kore

Para Kore means Zero Waste. Humans are the only species on the planet that don't live by zero waste principles. The natural world does not create waste. Everything at the end of its life, whether it's a plant or animal, becomes part of another system. A dead insect becomes kai for another insect, a tree that falls in the bush rots and provides nutrients to the earth for new growth. Everything in nature is part of a closed, continuous, endless cycle. The Para Kore programme works with marae to increase the reuse, recycling and composting of materials thereby helping to reduce the extraction of natural resources and raw materials from Papatūānuku.

Meet the speaker

Te Kawa Robb (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) grew up on the wild south coast of Te Whanganui Ā Tara (Wellington, NZ), strengthening his ancestral connection to the ocean and the natural environment. Te Kawa is passionate about Māori-led environmental restoration projects and self-determination actions, and as kaiārahi (waste advisor) for the Māori Zero Waste organisation, Para Kore, he supports the capacity building of indigenous spaces and groups around Aotearoa. He is a documentary photographer, voyager of traditional Pacific deep ocean sailing canoes, and student of indigenous tertiary institution, Te Wānanga o Raukawa.

The Rubbish Trip Story - Hannah and Liam 10.30am

The Rubbish Trip is a fulltime, New Zealand-wide roadshow on zero waste living. They deliver presentations and develop resources to support individuals to reduce their household waste, based on their own research and experience, having lived without a rubbish bin since 2015. Since July 2017 they have delivered over 400 presentations to over 20,000 people in every region, city and almost every district of New Zealand, in collaboration with councils, community groups, businesses and NGOs.

Takeaway Throwaways is a campaign calling on the New Zealand Government to ban single-use disposable food and drink serviceware containing plastic (including degradable, biodegradable or compostable plastic), and mandate co-designed, accessible, reusable alternatives instead. Rubbish Trip also provide practical resources for how hospitality, large and small events, festivals, markets and more can phase out their reliance on single-use serviceware with reusable systems and schemes.

Meet our neighbours - Liam and Hanna, The Rubbish Trip

Liam is co-founder and co-director of The Rubbish Trip, co-founder and events spokesperson of Takeaway Throwaways, Deputy Chair of the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance, advocate of decentralised composting and urban farming, and a professional jazz musician.

Hannah is co-founder and co-director of The Rubbish Trip, co-founder and policy spokesperson of Takeaway Throwaways, Coordinator of the New Zealand Product Stewardship Council, trustee of the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance, and has a professional background in public policy and law.

COMMUNITY STORIES

Our Local Community Stories - 11am AEST

Hear from our local Zero Waste Victoria community members and what they’re doing to create change. Chloe Lines from the Zero Waste Festival team will facilitate a conversation with two our our 'proud and paid up' Zero Waste Victoria Members. These two incredible women not only signed up to be regular donors to Zero Waste Victoria's work but are wonderful community members too. They show that zero waste is a journey, not a destination. Less pinterest, less perfectionism, more authenticity and more action! Here are their stories...

Meet our members

Chloe Lines

This Zero Waste Festival team member has lived in many different places in her life - 26 homes, 4 cities and 3 continents to be exact. When she was living in Los Angeles, she realised the physical and mental space our belongings were taking up. Two babies in quick succession certainly highlighted it and no matter how much she sorted and edited and donated, there always seemed to be more. It was then that she discovered zero waste and the joy of living better with less. Chloe is now based down in the Mornington Peninsula and runs her own business the clean lines co.

Caitlyn Socwell

Working as a physiotherapist, Caitlyn quickly realised the extent of over-consumption of plastic within the healthcare industry and realised that it was time to take action and follow her newfound passion for sustainability and eliminating zero waste. Having started out as just your average run-of-the mill gals, and begun a mission to empower people to live their best lives environmentally through education and social enterprise projects. Funnily enough, this ends up positively impacting on the wallet, tum-tum, health, and over-all outlook on life, all of which she have encountered first-hand on the ride thus far. Follow the journey on Instagram @thewastenotspot and keep an eye out for the soon-to-launch blog.

Carina Turner

Carina is passionate about helping people reduce their impact on the world. We can all make small changes to our daily habits, but it’s easier when you are supported with a community to help. Women against waste are that community. We’re not perfect, but striving to be better.

Community Reflection and Learnings - 11.30am

Tammy Logan from Gippsland Unwrapped shares “How getting to know my place has helped me reduce waste in new ways”. She shares how staying at home has opened her eyes to what was around her and how she could make use of resources she already had to reduce her consumption, ecological footprint and waste.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY

Zero Waste is a growing global movement - we check in with our fellow global citizens making a difference in Europe and in Africa!

Zero Waste France

Created in 1997, under the name of Cniid, Zero Waste France is a citizen and independent association, which works with all audiences: citizens, elected officials, professionals, companies, and has three missions to contribute to it - role as whistleblower, tackle the source of the problem and is mainly funded by donations from citizens, which allows it to remain independent. Hear from Laura Châtel, advocacy officer of Zero Waste France, about what they're up to next!

Nipe Fagio, Tanzania

Nipe Fagio (“give me the broom” in Swahili) is a civil society organisation founded in 2013. They aim to empower individuals, especially the youth, the civil society, the private sector and government to build lasting change towards turning Tanzania into a clean and sustainable country, conscious through education of its role on waste management and reduction of pollution (air, water, soil). Ana Le Rocha from Nipa Fagio will share about their latest projects in Tanzania.

Zero Waste Victoria presents the Zero Waste Festival online - a festival of hope, action and regeneration!

Our Zero Waste Festival vision is to connect a community of changemakers who are inspired, passionate and empowered about a waste-free future. We generate inclusive conversations to inspire zero-waste actions.

Amplify our impact: You can do this by clicking "going" on the RSVP and share the First Nations + Community Stories event listing with friends and family!