The Role of Individual Action in Systemic Change

By Liam Prince & Hannah Blumhardt

Abstract

A presentation on reframing the role of individual zero waste action as part of the drive for systemic change. Individual action is often seen as ‘nice-to-have’ but largely ineffective at reducing waste at any significant scale and dismissed as less important than achieving systemic change via government policy and regulation and holding large, polluting companies to account. We see individual and community action as absolutely vital to achieving systemic change – not only does it provide the practical know-how of zero waste works at a consumer level (and barriers to it), but helps to normalise zero waste action in such a way that creates the public mandate for government and business to support through policy.

LIAM IS PARTICIPATING IN...

PANEL DISCUSSION 

10:00AM–11:30AM  06/11/20

ZERO WASTE CULTURE

Zero waste is an approach that envisages a world where nothing is wasted and all resources are valued and reclaimed. This is a significant shift from the current make-use-waste model our society operates under. 

Achieving zero waste will involve shifts in the social, economic and political structures we live in, and the behaviour of groups and individuals. 

This panel will explore a range of perspectives from practitioners across Aotearoa and the Pacific on what’s needed to develop a strong zero waste culture, looking at some of the initiatives they’ve been involved in and key learnings they’ve made on their own zero waste journeys