Becky Migas's guest appearances

Becky Migas

#12minconvos

Green Team Academy

The Tea, Please

Greta Thunberg

Brodie Welch

Joanna Macy

Russell Brunson

Andye Murphy

Jordan Johnson

Natalie Jones

Kat Harris

Isabel Wijsen

Brooke Alpert

Franziska Elmer

Jocelyn Johnson

Julia Williams

Joan Gregerson

Jennifer Larkin

OwlTail

10 | Becky Migas, Co-Founder of Women in Sustainability, spills the tea on some of the major issues we face in this world when it comes to our environment and sustainability. Women in Sustainability is an organization that's passionate about bringing all voices to the table to do better collectively when it comes to taking care of our planet. Becky spills the tea on recycling systems, sustainable swaps, microplastics, and so much more. Listen, learn, do better, and be gracious with yourself! It's okay to not get it perfect. Follow Women in Sustainability: @women.in.sustainability , womeninsustainability.org, Colorado Women in Sustainability , @bgreencoFor More Tea: @theteapleasepodcast, www.theteaplease.comFour Sigmatic Mushroom CacaoShop Here

10 | Becky Migas, Co-Founder of Women in Sustainability, spills the tea on some of the major issues we face in this world when it comes to our environment and sustainability. Women in Sustainability is an organization that's passionate about bringing all voices to the table to do better collectively when it comes to taking care of our planet. Becky spills the tea on recycling systems, sustainable swaps, microplastics, and so much more. Listen, learn, do better, and be gracious with yourself! It's okay to not get it perfect. Follow Women in Sustainability: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/women.in.sustainability/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@women.in.sustainability </a>, <a href="https://womeninsustainability.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">womeninsustainability.org</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiscolorado" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Colorado Women in Sustainability </a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bgreenco/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@bgreenco</a>For More Tea: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theteapleasepodcast/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@theteapleasepodcast</a>, <a href="https://theteaplease.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.theteaplease.com</a><a href="https://amzn.to/3br6L8N" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao</a><a href="https://theteaplease.com/shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Shop Here</a>

The Tea, On The Sustainability Conversation with Becky Migas

It's summertime and that means outdoor festivals, food and fun... and more often than not, a ton of waste! Tune in to this episode to hear from long-time event coordinator, Becky Migas of B Green Events about how to plan and execute epic zero waste events! Don't freak out... Your first step is to try it. Learn and do better next time! Zero Waste Tips from Becky Migas, B Green Events Becky has years of experience in event coordination, working with the 80/35 Music Festival and a historic theater in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2014, Becky moved to Denver and began working with an event coordination company, helping with hundreds of events each year across the country.  Seeing the amount of waste generated by events was so unsettling, Becky decided to make a change. She started her own company, B Green Events, to help people hold events that were good for people and for the planet.  One issue is that people during events are so distracted, the last thing on their minds are what to do with your trash. Some events now use "bioplastics", that is, plastic materials that are made from corn, sugarcane or other plant. Because bioplastic cups and forks look and feel like plastic, people often think they can't be compostable. If they can be composted, it will say "compostable" on the cup.  Sometimes the compost Becky says, "I'm the party planner that's a party pooper, some days." One of the big mistakes is waiting until the end of the event. If you just come in at the end, many of the important decisions will already have been made.  "A lot of people come in two days before their event and want to divert their waste. It tends to be an afterthought, rather than forethought," said Becky. You can have the biggest impact through decisions made in the planning stage. The first thing is to work with food vendors. Ensure that all vendors are using compostable-compliant materials. Confirm that they are certified by Biodegradable Products Institute and Manufacturers Compost Alliance. Don't get caught by greenwashing. Ensure that the products you choose can actually break down in industrial composting facilities. Water bottles are another big source of waste. Look at alternatives such as water stations with compostable cups.  With other beverages, again, look at compostable cups or using cans instead.  Composting is still a single-use approach, so it's better to eliminate the products entirely wherever possible.  How do you handle pushback when you recommend that people stop selling water bottles, that might be a good moneymaker?  Yes, we need to incorporate event sustainability, in the same way that we now have Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).  There are companies out there that want to support events that are sustainable. So, even if there is an additional cost, it may be offset because a sustainable festival can attract more sponsors. It can also create savings streams when you can reuse things year to year.  Other ideas from Joan from Youth of the Earth Festival:  Purchase used t-shirts from the thrift store Purchase reusable water bottles from the thrift store Coordinated with Boulder Food Rescue to use rescued food, served on real plates  What is the price difference going to compostable products compared to the ubiquitous "red plastic cups"?  The prices are coming down as compostable products are now starting to be available in grocery stores, Costco, and directly from suppliers such as Eco-Products or World-Centric. In addition to sponsors, you can also look at grants, such as:  Can'd Aid, Oskar Blues Foundation S

It's summertime and that means outdoor festivals, food and fun... and more often than not, a ton of waste! Tune in to this episode to hear from long-time event coordinator, Becky Migas of B Green Events about how to plan and execute epic zero waste events! Don't freak out... Your first step is to try it. Learn and do better next time! <h3>Zero Waste Tips from Becky Migas, B Green Events</h3> Becky has years of experience in event coordination, working with the 80/35 Music Festival and a historic theater in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2014, Becky moved to Denver and began working with an event coordination company, helping with hundreds of events each year across the country.  Seeing the amount of waste generated by events was so unsettling, Becky decided to make a change. She started her own company, <a href="https://www.bgreenevents.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">B Green Events</a>, to help people hold events that were good for people and for the planet.  One issue is that people during events are so distracted, the last thing on their minds are what to do with your trash. Some events now use "bioplastics", that is, plastic materials that are made from corn, sugarcane or other plant. Because bioplastic cups and forks look and feel like plastic, people often think they can't be compostable. If they can be composted, it will say "compostable" on the cup.  Sometimes the compost Becky says, "I'm the party planner that's a party pooper, some days." One of the big mistakes is waiting until the end of the event. If you just come in at the end, many of the important decisions will already have been made.  "A lot of people come in two days before their event and want to divert their waste. It tends to be an afterthought, rather than forethought," said Becky. You can have the biggest impact through decisions made in the planning stage. The first thing is to work with food vendors. Ensure that all vendors are using compostable-compliant materials. Confirm that they are certified by Biodegradable Products Institute and Manufacturers Compost Alliance. Don't get caught by greenwashing. Ensure that the products you choose can actually break down in industrial composting facilities. Water bottles are another big source of waste. Look at alternatives such as water stations with compostable cups.  With other beverages, again, look at compostable cups or using cans instead.  Composting is still a single-use approach, so it's better to eliminate the products entirely wherever possible.  How do you handle pushback when you recommend that people stop selling water bottles, that might be a good moneymaker?  Yes, we need to incorporate event sustainability, in the same way that we now have Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).  There are companies out there that want to support events that are sustainable. So, even if there is an additional cost, it may be offset because a sustainable festival can attract more sponsors. It can also create savings streams when you can reuse things year to year.  Other ideas from Joan from Youth of the Earth Festival: <ul> <li>Purchase used t-shirts from the thrift store</li> <li>Purchase reusable water bottles from the thrift store</li> <li>Coordinated with Boulder Food Rescue to use rescued food, served on real plates</li> </ul> What is the price difference going to compostable products compared to the ubiquitous "red plastic cups"?  The prices are coming down as compostable products are now starting to be available in grocery stores, Costco, and directly from suppliers such as Eco-Products or World-Centric. In addition to sponsors, you can also look at grants, such as: <ul> <li>Can'd Aid, Oskar Blues Foundation</li> <li>S</li></ul>

055: Becky Migas - Pro Tips for Epic Zero Waste Events