Allyson Mitchell is the executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition. The Indiana Recycling Coalition is a nonprofit in the state of Indiana that was founded in 1989. They focus on the education and advocacy to inspire the Indiana community, businesses, institutions, and governments to encourage waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. Their mission is “to strengthen the circular economy in Indiana through waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting.”
In this episode, Allyson shares her path to becoming the executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition, some ways that you can improve your own recycling habits, how recycling impacts jobs, the economy, and the environment, and what the organization is currently working on.
This episode is hosted by Emma Benner.
What we talked about:
2:40- Introduction to Allyson Mitchell and what lead her to becoming the Executive Director at the Indiana Recycling Coalition
7:10- How her law degree benefits her work in the Indiana Recycling Coalition nonprofit organization
9:15- Current global events happening in the recycling industry that is causing the United States as well as local organizations (such as the IRC) to rethink and restructure how they recycle
13:50- The history of the Indiana Recycling Coalition
18:55- Creative ways to reduce your waste
22:50- The truth behind if and how items get recycled and how to maximize the chances of your items being recycled
33:15- How recycling can become contaminated and how to best clean your recyclables
36:50- How we can encourage people within our communities to recycle and what to say to someone that doesn’t believe that recycling works
40:05- Other things that recycling benefits beyond the environment
44:45- The obstacles that people face with recycling and what leads to people not recycling
49:45- What a day in the life looks like for Allyson as the executive director at the Indiana Recycling Coalition
52:40- How their organization is making structural and organizational changes to confront racism in the recycling community
58:45- End of podcast questions
Show Notes:
Indiana Recycling Coalition Website
Indiana Recycling Coalition on Facebook
Indiana Recycling Coalition on Instagram
Allyson’s Book Recommendation: White Fragility
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