Artist Collab/WM Food Waste Recycling

My latest collaboration holds a special place in my tree-hugging heart!

I spent my pre-artist years as recycling and community relations manager for WM. This means my entire life consisted of recycling outreach and a whole lot of trash talk! Since then, sustainability has been a priority in my personal life and a value I strive to instill in my kids. In our house we passionately recycle, pick up litter, conserve water and even host a happy little backyard worm colony for home composting.

So when WM reached out to me to help them design a Food Waste outreach campaign, I jumped on the chance!

My designs can be found on reusable household items such as kitchen towels and tote bags and are set to be distributed by WM at local events held throughout the community, including the KHTS Home and Garden Show being held April 30 and May 1 at Central Park in Santa Clarita, CA. If you’re in the SCV area, stop by for your free WM food waste swag! More events to come! So keep an eye out, I’ll keep everyone posted!

The project comes as a response to California Senate Bill 1383 which requires California residents to sort and recycle their green and food waste. According to Cal Recycle, “Californians throw away nearly 6 million tons of food scraps or food waste each year. This represents about 18 percent of all the material that goes to landfills.” Food waste means any meat, bones, dairy, fruit/vegetable scraps and food-soiled paper (like napkins and paper towels), that you would otherwise have thrown in the trash. The goal is to reduce the amount of food waste in landfills by 75% by 2025.

Hopefully, these cute, cheerful designs will not only brighten up your kitchen but also serve as an every-day reminder to recycle your food waste!

Check with your local jurisdiction to find out more about how your community is recycling its food waste. Visit Cal Recycle for more information about the food waste crisis and SB 1383. Visit WM for more tips on recycling or to learn more about about WM.

Every project is a learning opportunity and I am excited my work can help others learn about sustainability! Yay!

Until next time!

J/Marie

J Marie is a stay at home mom, artist and blogger based in the Los Angeles Suburbs. Follow her on Instagram for daily artwork updates! You can find her work on Etsy, Geometry House and Spoonflower.