May 15, 2024 • 36 mins
Join Muge and I for a thought-provoking episode which covers practical tips for the Sustainability. We tap into Muge's expertise as a Sustainability Leader for Microsoft.
- Learn about how the Global Food Network fed an additional 32M people by getting creative about the food reprocessing and distribution.
- Listen to the Sustainability practices that any of us can do. Try and adopt 1 or 2 to do your part to make the planet a cleaner and healthier place.
- Review John Oliver's video on Fast Fashion and how this impacts our environment.Fashion: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) ora more detailed view of "The True Cost" A Must-Watch Fast Fashion Documentary Is Now On Netflix - Fast Company
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Until next time.
Okay, hello everyone.
I am very excited today to bring you the episode of thriving with sustainability with my awesome
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co-host Christine Zamuda.
Sustainability is near and dear to my heart.
It is a personal passion to really deeply understand how we can help the environment and make
our planet a place where multiple generations can thrive.
Humans, animals, plants, all of that included.
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And it's also part of my job at Microsoft.
So as we travel and as we think through all the consumption that we do to really be able
to live.
It just makes me think the impact and what we can do to mitigate that impact.
It's also a topic where it has talked about a lot.
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It is complex.
The whole lifecycle analysis can be interesting of a particular action to see what impact
it does.
But it's also one that we cannot leave unattended.
So we are going to cover multiple dimensions.
I'm looking forward to it.
I think you will enjoy it that goes beyond the traditional considerations for sustainability.
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Before we do that, let's catch up what has happened since our last episode.
So Christine, how have you been?
I've been great, Mugey.
The last couple weeks, I guess two things kind of come to mind.
I guess one on the professional side.
As you know, I've got a big passion for ensuring people can do their best work in the workplace.
(02:17):
And that entails making sure leaders are capable with a skill set around compassionate leadership,
creativity, all those things that are important to driving innovation.
We were introduced to Mark Congdon of the Ideal Life in episode 19.
I've been working with his team off and on since then, but more consistently, I think
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in the last three months.
And we have kind of successfully taken his ideal framework, which was ideally for individuals
into a team experience and starting to see companies have really, really great results
with that.
I guess just a little bit of a public service announcement, we're now starting to onboard
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coaches with business experience.
I know a lot of our listeners have a lot to offer in that area.
So if there are people who are interested in expanding their either their coaching practice
or trying something new, it would be great to be connected there.
And then on the personal side, you and I share a love of tennis, and that's been a great
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source of fun and learning in my personal life.
But we are now in our we completed our fourth week of tennis matches and still undefeated,
which is exciting.
And I've just learned so much more about the game this year in terms of the strategy assessing
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your opponent, thinking less about, to be honest, your own game and how you show up,
but just more thinking about that next point, thinking about reacting a little bit more
quickly.
And it's really paying off.
And I'm just having such a such a blast on the tennis court.
Wow, that's awesome.
I love it.
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And Christine, you're an inspiration on and off the court.
So that's great to hear.
Great to hear the takeoff of the coaching business with ideal life and great call out
for any of our listeners who may be interested, especially our listeners in Ireland.
I think I think that could be a real thing to pay attention to.
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So you know, we definitely shared a level of tennis.
I participated in the 80s themed tennis mixer at my club.
And as always, I am more worried about what I am going to wear than the game itself.
So with the 80s theme, I did not spend too much time on it.
It was just wristbands and headbands.
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But then you go to the club and then you see people with the wigs and the neon outfits.
And I'm like, OK, I need to put more effort next time.
Regardless, it's very uplifting and fun.
That really puts the fun in the game for those of us who play fun tennis versus competitive.
So so it's like, you know, you don't have to wait for Halloween.
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You can have a costume party anytime.
Also up your game in that regard.
And did they have to ask, did they play the music like the 80s music the whole time you
guys were playing?
They didn't put it the whole time, but it was part of the social.
OK, gotcha.
The social that follows the game, which is also I am looking at my watch.
When are we going to get to the social?
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So I can just imagine like people rocking out to Leopard Boy, working for the weekend,
Madonna.
Yes, so many possibilities.
That's exactly right.
That's exactly right.
All right, so let's dive into our topic of sustainability.
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And it might work.
I do work with companies to help them track and analyze their environmental footprint
so that it guides their decisions to optimize their operations.
And when it comes to CO2, water, waste management, how that can be monitored and optimized on
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an ongoing basis.
So as part of that, I went to a customer roundtable in Mexico City, this inspired this episode.
At this event, I met an amazing organization called Global Food Bank Network.
Global Food Bank Network operates in multiple countries.
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It is not actually a food bank, but it is an organization that arranges logistics from
food surplus to the food banks so that it can be directed to communities in need.
And when we look at the challenging issue of hunger, we have some astounding statistics
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around how almost a third of world's population is facing food insecurity.
And we have this food surplus in some places and how can it be directed to communities
in need.
And also, when food goes to waste in very large amounts, it does result in methane emissions
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as well.
So this particular organization operates globally.
They have five food bank networks in Mexico City.
And what stood out for me is not only do they look to direct the food to where it needs
to go through their network of volunteers, but they also run small operations on site.
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They may take a stale bread and turn it into tortilla.
They can take fruits that may be about to expire and turn it into jam.
So they are really working very hard to minimize the waste and get it to where it needs to
go.
And the volunteers actually come also take the food surplus and can redistribute it to
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their communities.
So it's a fascinating operation.
And after that, I looked up some of their reach and impact to this organization, Global
Food Bank Network.
And actually 32 million people benefited from their service.
32 million is a pretty big number.
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And this was a statistic from a couple of years ago.
They partner with more than 50,000 community organizations that are members to benefit
from the logistics and support.
And the net result of this is from an environmental perspective, 1.5 billion kilograms of CO2
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were prevented as a result of using food surplus wisely.
So we are looking to help the communities in need, but also help mitigate the environmental
impact.
And that's the kind of action I think is very inspiring.
I don't know, Christine, if you came across or volunteered at a food bank, but it's just
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an incredible operation.
And the other thing I should add is they are not only working with processed or packaged
foods.
They are also transporting the fresh produce as well.
And they are partnering with Costco, Walmart, key restaurants to get the food to where it
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needs to go to provide the nutrition that communities need.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
And I guess the other benefit that just comes to mind is just by having this organization
and then embracing volunteers, they're spreading education and awareness.
Because if you are doing some of these things, you're more likely to just be aware of how
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all of this impacts your everyday, right?
And you could be sharing with family and friends.
Did you think about either contributing to this organization?
Did you think about buying fewer items?
Did you think about recycling differently?
That's fantastic.
It is.
It just really makes you think deeply on what we can do and just the sheer tenacity that
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is needed to manage the challenge.
So the other thing that really bothers me and makes me think is hydration and single
use plastics bottles.
And they may be convenient and they may even have hygiene minus all the microplastics we
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think can be inherent in the bottles.
But I think it speaks to the complex lifecycle analysis.
So I think reusable water bottles are great.
I think it's good to have the hydration stations we can refill.
We minimize the single use plastics water bottle.
But then I am seeing a little bit the other end of it where like this Stanley Cup craze
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where I think it got to the point where people started accumulating Stanley Cups to have
a color that matches your outfit.
And I even got into it.
And I said, okay, I'm just going to buy myself a Stanley Cup because what am I missing in
this?
Like everybody has this.
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Target shelves are empty.
So I bought myself a Stanley Cup and I actually didn't love it.
It was kind of this really tough, heavy thing.
It's difficult to carry.
So I personally didn't love it.
But besides that, just accumulating bottles, reusable cups to match your outfit, it's a
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little bit other end of it to see, okay, what's the positive impact of this when we are trying
to use reusable?
But then we have 20 of these.
How good is this?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Stanley Cup, they have done some incredible marketing because they're getting to all generations.
I was first exposed to their product through my 10-year-old niece.
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And she showed me her cup and she was really proud of it.
And she was telling me about this color and she had three more at home.
I was like, wow, what's so magical about this cup?
She's like, I don't know.
She didn't say, I don't know.
She was like, I'm getting the blue one next.
That was her next thing.
I was like, okay.
And I said, how much did they cost?
I was thinking, as an aunt, maybe I'll get her the blue one.
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And she says, $50.
And I was like, what?
And I was starting to just pull her aside.
I was like, how about stock?
Let me talk to you a little bit about stock and where we could put your next 50 bucks.
But it is a craze.
It's, I guess on one side, if people just, like you bought one or even two, that's something.
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But when you're buying 10, 12, and you had mentioned this in the notes, so I looked up
just a little bit more and there's this woman who was quoted, she has a collection of 47
cups.
And her quote, she's one of those influencers on Instagram.
So my guess is she's probably getting a cut right directly from Stanley Cup as well.
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But she said, on the days that I do have extra time, I search for the specific color that
matches my shirt.
I wouldn't even say Stan Lee's or something I use.
They're actually part of my personality.
If I don't have it, if I don't choose the right color, my day kind of just doesn't go
how I planned it.
Right.
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Right.
That pretty much explains it.
I got introduced to it for the first time with one of the ladies I play tennis with,
and she was really stressed out.
I'm like, what's going on?
She says, you know, my daughter is 10 years old and she really needs that Stanley Cup
because all her friends have it and she doesn't have it.
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But it needs to be the one with the brand because if it is a cup that looks like Stanley
Cup, but it's not it, it's just not going to work out.
So she's like, I hate this kind of stuff, but I had to cave in, get her one so she can
fit in with the rest of her friends at school.
So a few weeks passed and she's like, you know, it's still not good enough.
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Now my daughter is asking for accessories to go with the Stanley Cup.
So it is just amazing, the marketing, the group peer pressure, especially with maybe
the younger generation.
And it is a thing.
And I think it seems to be dying down a little bit.
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I'm sure the next thing will come up.
The moral of the story, though, I think is Stanley Cup or otherwise, you know, how many
reusable water bottles do we really need?
Just, you know, have one or two.
So you are pretty active, Christine.
You play tennis, you travel.
Do you have any tips for hydration on the go?
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I do.
I'm just a regular, I think it's a, not to put out, not to like plug another name, but
it's just a Yeti cup that's like normal size.
And I always fill it with like three-fourths water and ice, and then I'll put a little simply
lemonade or simply watermelon at the top, just for like a little bit of something, you
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know, to have a little bit of flavor.
But then when I get there, I fill it up, but, you know, after probably, you know, halfway
through the match, it is gone.
So maybe Stanley, Stanley has something there with the bigger cups, but then I, you know,
just fill it up with water with what's at the tennis court.
Yeah, that's a good one.
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I think maybe the motto is find your cup, whatever that is.
It could be Yeti, it could be Stanley.
My younger son introduced me to these Ovala bottles.
It comes with the built-in straw.
It's super easy to use, stainless steel, clean, and it is taking off on college campuses.
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So I see them a lot in at least the Texas schools.
And I'm like, okay, it's easy to carry.
It has a little handle thing.
So find your cup, stick with it, resist the temptation to get a color to match your outfit.
Maybe do something else for the uplifting experience that you need in the day.
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So shifting gears, in terms of environmental impact, you know, we just had the Met Gala.
I am always captivated by the outfits and the creativity.
I truly think fashion can be an expression of artistic and creative intuition, and it
may be very uplifting.
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So I love fashion.
It is very interesting.
So I actually stayed up late last night studying the outfits to see the different ways the theme
was sleeping beauty, awakening fashion.
I'm like, oh, interesting, how will this go?
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But the part that really makes me think is the surplus, the fast fashion.
Fashion by design is an industry is about coming up with new ideas every few months.
So and whatever you have is outdated.
So you keep buying new stuff.
And then what happens to the stuff that you have?
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And then you look at this and again, the statistics behind this is astounding as well, where I
read one that says, if you stop producing anything, the clothing that is available today
can be sufficient for the next six generations of the world's population to address them.
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So that's the kind of surplus we are talking about.
And then what do you do with it?
What do you do with the surplus?
So I think, you know, I used to think you donated the goodwill.
We are doing some good, maybe get it to where communities of need may benefit.
But then it also turns out a lot of the surplus simply get transported to another part of
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the world and it's dumped in these landfills where they sit for many, many years.
So they are actually not going to where the community is needed.
They are simply getting moved from one location to another.
So and I think there are ways by which we can probably connect with a multitude of organizations
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to get it in the hands of people who really need it instead of an intermediary.
But also what can be done to minimize and optimize the surplus of fashion produce.
And there are a lot of, you know, thought and process steps that people recommend, like,
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you know, making it to order and coming with a state of art fabric cutting techniques that
minimize the surplus.
And you know, it's a combination of things.
But at the heart of it, it seems like maybe we need to settle down a little bit instead
of pursuing the very latest fashion that is probably a reincarnation of what we had five
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years ago.
Yeah, yeah.
And I remember when I was at Microsoft, the company Ecolabs, and you've probably come
across them in your sustainability work.
But they did a great job of just educating customers, people at large on the amount of
clean water that's used to make and produce clothing as an example.
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And they physically held up at an event, hey, this white cotton shirt, you know, just guess
how many gallons of water is needed to make through the whole production process, through
growing, you know, growing the cotton to producing it.
And it was 30 gallons of water.
And you just look at your closet and go, oh my God, like, you know, and there's just
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this crazy water shortage that we still are, you know, in danger of.
And so, you know, it just all adds up.
So I've had that in my head, you know, and since that they also talked about Starbucks
coffee was like five gallons of water to make just one cup and just the, you know, thinking
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about that mentally, you look at this, you know, six ounce, eight ounce cup of coffee
and so much more goes into that when you're producing the cup, the beans and everything.
So being more conscious is super helpful.
And I have to admit, I am a, the fashion part's hard for me because I do like to buy,
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you know, things on trend, but I have been a little bit more cautious if like six things
come in, you know, how can you carefully recycle six things coming out so you're not just overly
consuming, right?
Too much.
Yep, that's right.
That's right.
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And I think being mindful and maybe putting some intent in instead of just pure acquisition
may help and then I haven't quite perfected this, but I think taking clothes directly
to people who may need it as opposed to going through an intermediary who may simply aggregate
and dump it somewhere, it takes more work.
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But I think there are women's shelters, there are places where there may be benefit for
people wanting to get clothing for interviews to meet their needs.
And I mean, those kinds of things I think are very rewarding, but there's not, it's
not an easy thing to do.
They are not just everywhere, you know, goodwill is everywhere and that's a good organization,
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but they also get so much stuff.
So it's just something to think about.
So speaking of things to think about, my last bit of a concern and I would say pet peeve
is single use plastic.
So it's not maybe the biggest offender necessarily on the environment, but it's a significant
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one when millions and millions of plastic just simply choke the oceans, rivers, the
wildlife and it just does not go away.
And it isn't everything.
It is not just in plastic bottles.
It is in our clothing.
It is just part of modern life.
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So that's why I am really captivated by material signs to continue to invest into discovery
of new materials that can be more biodegradable, more environmentally friendly.
But looking at the extent of the plastics challenge, as we call it, and I was looking
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this up, I mean, it's just astounding.
I said since plastic was introduced in 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic was produced.
I mean, that's an astounding amount, which is incredibly convenient.
We all love the Tupperware and microwaveable containers and all of that, but it just doesn't
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go away.
And the case in point, almost 80% of plastic that has ever been made continues to be still
in our environment.
So it may shift location, but it's not going away and it is impacting the environment.
And then speaking of reusable water bottles, et cetera, this statistics is another one.
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Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year.
This is the single use water bottles that we just use and discard.
And that is about 13 bottles per month for every person in the US.
And if we were to use a reusable water bottle, whether that be Stanley, Yeti, Oala, whatever
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your favorite brand is, we could save an average of almost 160 plastic bottles annually.
So I know it's not convenient to log around your water bottle looking for the place to
fill, but I think to the extent we can, this is the kind of thing where every bit makes
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a difference.
It is not a single action that solves and addresses the challenge, but each and every
one of these micro steps, when it adds up cumulatively at scale, can make a great difference.
And that's the part that gives me the optimism and passion to really study this and consider
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the actions that we could be taking to make the difference we want to see in the environment
that we live in.
And you know, let's face it, we can try to colonize Mars and I hope we are successful
at that, but that's, we know ways away.
So we really have a responsibility to protect the planet that we live on that is both beautiful
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and fragile all at the same time.
So I'll give you one more stat too that actually I think is eye-opening for our listeners.
I heard this about six months ago that if you consistently drink out of plastic water
bottles, there's trace elements of plastic that you are ingesting.
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And they said if you're doing that consistently over the course of a month, you're ingesting
about a credit card's worth of plastic.
Wow.
And, and it does not go away.
Yeah.
It stays in your system permanently.
How scary is that?
Right.
So that actually got me drinking out of this yeti a little bit more, not a little bit more,
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a lot more.
So, yeah, I mean, we have to protect our planet, we have to protect ourselves and these are
all, you know, very eye-opening stats, new guys.
So thank you for sharing these.
So I think embrace your yeti, right?
Yes.
And you're so right.
It brings that perspective and it's a mind shift.
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Now when you see plastic bottle, okay, we are ingesting plastic.
Do you, would you swallow it if someone gave it to you and put some sugar on it?
No.
So, right, think about that.
So as we, as we come close to the end of this episode and there's so much to talk about
here, thinking about the everyday things that we could be doing to be part of the solution.
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So and I think we don't have to do each and every single thing that is ever out there,
but do a couple things that are in line with our lifestyle.
So meaning if you're able to drive less, walk, bike or use public transportation, that's
a great way to contribute to the environment.
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Bring the reusable shopping bags to pour your grocery shopping.
And you know, I love that because I've got the ones with nice decorations and flowers
and up-up-up-up colors.
I always forget to bring them though.
I own them, which is worse, right?
Because I own them and don't use them.
That is very bad, Christine.
You need to change that habit.
That's very bad.
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I'm going to try.
This is, that's the one I'm picking from the list because that's an easy thing to do.
Yeah, well, it is very hard.
It's like your sunglasses.
It's like your umbrella.
It is always, they are always where you don't need them.
So I struggle with it as well because you have to have it in your car, then you have
to use it.
But then once you bring it home and empty it, you have to put it back in your car and
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you may also take it through the wash.
So, so I mean, it is certainly effort.
And I think the convenience of alternatives, things that we can easily discard is tough
to give up.
But then, you know, talking about the extra effort and intention and, you know, it doesn't
have to be perfect.
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If we do that one out of three times, it's still very good.
Yeah.
Well, here in Maryland, they charge you if it's a 5 cent bag tax for these little plastic
bags and does that dissuade me?
No, I'm like, yeah, I got like 12, 12 or so every time.
But it's just, yeah, that's an easy one though.
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I am signing up for it.
I will report on progress.
Okay, sounds good.
Any other thoughts on what else we could be doing, Christine?
So one thing that I've been doing lately, which I really like to boast both for convenience
and I think it is better for the environment is buying these larger plastic shampoo containers
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with the pump.
Okay.
All right.
Because you can refill them.
They're just convenient to have in your shower instead of just like using more shampoo bottles.
It seems to be working and I kind of like that it's just, I don't know, it just seems
to, it just seems to be cleaner and easier.
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I like that idea a lot.
That is one that I am not doing at all.
So thank you for sharing that.
I think that's also another phenomenal way to help speaking of every single step helping.
And I'm not really sure this is a good one.
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I will say one more because it is really the peak of consumerism, but I am feeling a little
proud that I am consolidating my Amazon deliveries to Fridays to minimize the packaging waste
and give up the instant gratification of packages arriving at my door two hours after ordering.
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Again, not the fantastic thing.
One may say, why are you on Amazon so much to begin with?
But if you put that aside, there's something that may be helpful a little bit because that
packaging is pretty intense as well.
I like that.
Yeah.
And that's an easy thing any of us can do.
So that's great.
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And recycle those boxes.
I keep them, right?
A few, always, just to sort of buying another box, reuse the Amazon boxes and send them
back out.
And then I think we should make dresses out of them.
That would help solve our fashion problem is we sip water from our Yeti cup sitting
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in our recyclable paper dress that I am sure our Met Gala producers can help with.
We could achieve, I think, multiple things at one time.
There is a woman and I have to send you her Instagram.
Her name's Peaches and she actually looks at the runway fashions and then she recreates
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them.
And she's done things like cardboard fashion.
And it's insane.
It's insane.
I mean, none could be surprised.
She's doing the Kanye West Wife outfits right now.
I mean, those are really crazy, too, if you've seen any of those.
Yeah.
All we need is a tipping point of what is fashion.
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And then it will take off.
I mean, how about a contest on reusing and remaking stuff from the existing fashion,
right?
Recycling.
We just need to look at it maybe with a different perspective.
Absolutely.
So as we wrap up, we covered a lot of sustainability tips and I'm sure there is more that is personal
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and in line with how we live our lives.
So I'm sure there's more out there.
Any other items, Christine, to wrap up our episode here of fast fashion, surplus food?
Yeah.
I think in our notes will include the sustainability tips and like you offered and like I volunteer
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to do is maybe everyone just picks one and tries it out, right?
And see how much progress you can make.
If everyone does their little part, it makes the world a better place.
And for me personally, the fast fashion challenge is something that it's just good to be more
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aware of.
It's a really good short documentary.
It's not even a documentary.
It's more like a video.
I think it's 15 minutes of John Oliver does that is really educational and also humorous.
I think sometimes when you need to get across important topics, humor is a way to make them
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memorable and he does a great job.
So we will include that also in our show notes.
That's awesome.
I think you hit a really important point, Christine.
It is education awareness and I think being curious about it because the more we are educated
like we talked about the microplastics and the scale of impact, I think the more we will
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be compelled to change an aspect of our behavior.
We can change everything all at once.
But we can all make progress towards that.
And the other thing I'll say is I am seeing a lot more people, young people going into
disciplines like environmental engineering.
So I think those kinds of careers and disciplines can also help create the future that we can
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be proud of and again make this planet a place that is inhabitable for many generations.
So okay, we are wrapping up.
Thank you to all of our listeners and thank you, Christine, for doing this podcast with
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me and looking forward to our next episode.
Yeah, I so appreciate you bringing this topic.
I can see why you're so passionate about it because it does make a difference and, wow,
I mean, Microsoft is so lucky to have you in this capacity.
So thank you.
Well, thank you.
It's looking forward to the intersection of passion, skill and need.
(35:33):
And stay at that intersection.
Yep.
All right.
Well, everyone, until next time.
Welcome to ReFirement Life, the podcast for anyone navigating life transitions or planning
to make life transitions to ensure your next years are your best years.
Listen in for insightful, generous, and sometimes humorous conversation.
(35:56):
It's time to get fired up with Christine Zamuda and Mu Gae Wood, your hosts for this latest
episode of ReFirement Life.
Thank you for listening.
(00:03):
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(00:26):
of your choice.
Please remember, you are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.
Thanks again for joining us on this episode.
Until next time.
Okay, hello everyone.
I am very excited today to bring you the episode of thriving with sustainability with my awesome
(00:47):
co-host Christine Zamuda.
Sustainability is near and dear to my heart.
It is a personal passion to really deeply understand how we can help the environment and make
our planet a place where multiple generations can thrive.
Humans, animals, plants, all of that included.
(01:08):
And it's also part of my job at Microsoft.
So as we travel and as we think through all the consumption that we do to really be able
to live.
It just makes me think the impact and what we can do to mitigate that impact.
It's also a topic where it has talked about a lot.
(01:29):
It is complex.
The whole lifecycle analysis can be interesting of a particular action to see what impact
it does.
But it's also one that we cannot leave unattended.
So we are going to cover multiple dimensions.
I'm looking forward to it.
I think you will enjoy it that goes beyond the traditional considerations for sustainability.
(01:51):
Before we do that, let's catch up what has happened since our last episode.
So Christine, how have you been?
I've been great, Mugey.
The last couple weeks, I guess two things kind of come to mind.
I guess one on the professional side.
As you know, I've got a big passion for ensuring people can do their best work in the workplace.
(02:17):
And that entails making sure leaders are capable with a skill set around compassionate leadership,
creativity, all those things that are important to driving innovation.
We were introduced to Mark Congdon of the Ideal Life in episode 19.
I've been working with his team off and on since then, but more consistently, I think
(02:41):
in the last three months.
And we have kind of successfully taken his ideal framework, which was ideally for individuals
into a team experience and starting to see companies have really, really great results
with that.
I guess just a little bit of a public service announcement, we're now starting to onboard
(03:06):
coaches with business experience.
I know a lot of our listeners have a lot to offer in that area.
So if there are people who are interested in expanding their either their coaching practice
or trying something new, it would be great to be connected there.
And then on the personal side, you and I share a love of tennis, and that's been a great
(03:31):
source of fun and learning in my personal life.
But we are now in our we completed our fourth week of tennis matches and still undefeated,
which is exciting.
And I've just learned so much more about the game this year in terms of the strategy assessing
(03:55):
your opponent, thinking less about, to be honest, your own game and how you show up,
but just more thinking about that next point, thinking about reacting a little bit more
quickly.
And it's really paying off.
And I'm just having such a such a blast on the tennis court.
Wow, that's awesome.
I love it.
(04:16):
And Christine, you're an inspiration on and off the court.
So that's great to hear.
Great to hear the takeoff of the coaching business with ideal life and great call out
for any of our listeners who may be interested, especially our listeners in Ireland.
I think I think that could be a real thing to pay attention to.
(04:41):
So you know, we definitely shared a level of tennis.
I participated in the 80s themed tennis mixer at my club.
And as always, I am more worried about what I am going to wear than the game itself.
So with the 80s theme, I did not spend too much time on it.
It was just wristbands and headbands.
(05:02):
But then you go to the club and then you see people with the wigs and the neon outfits.
And I'm like, OK, I need to put more effort next time.
Regardless, it's very uplifting and fun.
That really puts the fun in the game for those of us who play fun tennis versus competitive.
So so it's like, you know, you don't have to wait for Halloween.
(05:25):
You can have a costume party anytime.
Also up your game in that regard.
And did they have to ask, did they play the music like the 80s music the whole time you
guys were playing?
They didn't put it the whole time, but it was part of the social.
OK, gotcha.
The social that follows the game, which is also I am looking at my watch.
When are we going to get to the social?
(05:47):
So I can just imagine like people rocking out to Leopard Boy, working for the weekend,
Madonna.
Yes, so many possibilities.
That's exactly right.
That's exactly right.
All right, so let's dive into our topic of sustainability.
(06:08):
And it might work.
I do work with companies to help them track and analyze their environmental footprint
so that it guides their decisions to optimize their operations.
And when it comes to CO2, water, waste management, how that can be monitored and optimized on
(06:31):
an ongoing basis.
So as part of that, I went to a customer roundtable in Mexico City, this inspired this episode.
At this event, I met an amazing organization called Global Food Bank Network.
Global Food Bank Network operates in multiple countries.
(06:51):
It is not actually a food bank, but it is an organization that arranges logistics from
food surplus to the food banks so that it can be directed to communities in need.
And when we look at the challenging issue of hunger, we have some astounding statistics
(07:12):
around how almost a third of world's population is facing food insecurity.
And we have this food surplus in some places and how can it be directed to communities
in need.
And also, when food goes to waste in very large amounts, it does result in methane emissions
(07:37):
as well.
So this particular organization operates globally.
They have five food bank networks in Mexico City.
And what stood out for me is not only do they look to direct the food to where it needs
to go through their network of volunteers, but they also run small operations on site.
(08:00):
They may take a stale bread and turn it into tortilla.
They can take fruits that may be about to expire and turn it into jam.
So they are really working very hard to minimize the waste and get it to where it needs to
go.
And the volunteers actually come also take the food surplus and can redistribute it to
(08:24):
their communities.
So it's a fascinating operation.
And after that, I looked up some of their reach and impact to this organization, Global
Food Bank Network.
And actually 32 million people benefited from their service.
32 million is a pretty big number.
(08:47):
And this was a statistic from a couple of years ago.
They partner with more than 50,000 community organizations that are members to benefit
from the logistics and support.
And the net result of this is from an environmental perspective, 1.5 billion kilograms of CO2
(09:07):
were prevented as a result of using food surplus wisely.
So we are looking to help the communities in need, but also help mitigate the environmental
impact.
And that's the kind of action I think is very inspiring.
I don't know, Christine, if you came across or volunteered at a food bank, but it's just
(09:31):
an incredible operation.
And the other thing I should add is they are not only working with processed or packaged
foods.
They are also transporting the fresh produce as well.
And they are partnering with Costco, Walmart, key restaurants to get the food to where it
(09:54):
needs to go to provide the nutrition that communities need.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
And I guess the other benefit that just comes to mind is just by having this organization
and then embracing volunteers, they're spreading education and awareness.
Because if you are doing some of these things, you're more likely to just be aware of how
(10:17):
all of this impacts your everyday, right?
And you could be sharing with family and friends.
Did you think about either contributing to this organization?
Did you think about buying fewer items?
Did you think about recycling differently?
That's fantastic.
It is.
It just really makes you think deeply on what we can do and just the sheer tenacity that
(10:44):
is needed to manage the challenge.
So the other thing that really bothers me and makes me think is hydration and single
use plastics bottles.
And they may be convenient and they may even have hygiene minus all the microplastics we
(11:08):
think can be inherent in the bottles.
But I think it speaks to the complex lifecycle analysis.
So I think reusable water bottles are great.
I think it's good to have the hydration stations we can refill.
We minimize the single use plastics water bottle.
But then I am seeing a little bit the other end of it where like this Stanley Cup craze
(11:35):
where I think it got to the point where people started accumulating Stanley Cups to have
a color that matches your outfit.
And I even got into it.
And I said, okay, I'm just going to buy myself a Stanley Cup because what am I missing in
this?
Like everybody has this.
(11:55):
Target shelves are empty.
So I bought myself a Stanley Cup and I actually didn't love it.
It was kind of this really tough, heavy thing.
It's difficult to carry.
So I personally didn't love it.
But besides that, just accumulating bottles, reusable cups to match your outfit, it's a
(12:19):
little bit other end of it to see, okay, what's the positive impact of this when we are trying
to use reusable?
But then we have 20 of these.
How good is this?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Stanley Cup, they have done some incredible marketing because they're getting to all generations.
I was first exposed to their product through my 10-year-old niece.
(12:43):
And she showed me her cup and she was really proud of it.
And she was telling me about this color and she had three more at home.
I was like, wow, what's so magical about this cup?
She's like, I don't know.
She didn't say, I don't know.
She was like, I'm getting the blue one next.
That was her next thing.
I was like, okay.
And I said, how much did they cost?
I was thinking, as an aunt, maybe I'll get her the blue one.
(13:04):
And she says, $50.
And I was like, what?
And I was starting to just pull her aside.
I was like, how about stock?
Let me talk to you a little bit about stock and where we could put your next 50 bucks.
But it is a craze.
It's, I guess on one side, if people just, like you bought one or even two, that's something.
(13:29):
But when you're buying 10, 12, and you had mentioned this in the notes, so I looked up
just a little bit more and there's this woman who was quoted, she has a collection of 47
cups.
And her quote, she's one of those influencers on Instagram.
So my guess is she's probably getting a cut right directly from Stanley Cup as well.
(13:50):
But she said, on the days that I do have extra time, I search for the specific color that
matches my shirt.
I wouldn't even say Stan Lee's or something I use.
They're actually part of my personality.
If I don't have it, if I don't choose the right color, my day kind of just doesn't go
how I planned it.
Right.
(14:11):
Right.
That pretty much explains it.
I got introduced to it for the first time with one of the ladies I play tennis with,
and she was really stressed out.
I'm like, what's going on?
She says, you know, my daughter is 10 years old and she really needs that Stanley Cup
because all her friends have it and she doesn't have it.
(14:33):
But it needs to be the one with the brand because if it is a cup that looks like Stanley
Cup, but it's not it, it's just not going to work out.
So she's like, I hate this kind of stuff, but I had to cave in, get her one so she can
fit in with the rest of her friends at school.
So a few weeks passed and she's like, you know, it's still not good enough.
(14:54):
Now my daughter is asking for accessories to go with the Stanley Cup.
So it is just amazing, the marketing, the group peer pressure, especially with maybe
the younger generation.
And it is a thing.
And I think it seems to be dying down a little bit.
(15:15):
I'm sure the next thing will come up.
The moral of the story, though, I think is Stanley Cup or otherwise, you know, how many
reusable water bottles do we really need?
Just, you know, have one or two.
So you are pretty active, Christine.
You play tennis, you travel.
Do you have any tips for hydration on the go?
(15:37):
I do.
I'm just a regular, I think it's a, not to put out, not to like plug another name, but
it's just a Yeti cup that's like normal size.
And I always fill it with like three-fourths water and ice, and then I'll put a little simply
lemonade or simply watermelon at the top, just for like a little bit of something, you
(15:59):
know, to have a little bit of flavor.
But then when I get there, I fill it up, but, you know, after probably, you know, halfway
through the match, it is gone.
So maybe Stanley, Stanley has something there with the bigger cups, but then I, you know,
just fill it up with water with what's at the tennis court.
Yeah, that's a good one.
(16:19):
I think maybe the motto is find your cup, whatever that is.
It could be Yeti, it could be Stanley.
My younger son introduced me to these Ovala bottles.
It comes with the built-in straw.
It's super easy to use, stainless steel, clean, and it is taking off on college campuses.
(16:43):
So I see them a lot in at least the Texas schools.
And I'm like, okay, it's easy to carry.
It has a little handle thing.
So find your cup, stick with it, resist the temptation to get a color to match your outfit.
Maybe do something else for the uplifting experience that you need in the day.
(17:07):
So shifting gears, in terms of environmental impact, you know, we just had the Met Gala.
I am always captivated by the outfits and the creativity.
I truly think fashion can be an expression of artistic and creative intuition, and it
may be very uplifting.
(17:28):
So I love fashion.
It is very interesting.
So I actually stayed up late last night studying the outfits to see the different ways the theme
was sleeping beauty, awakening fashion.
I'm like, oh, interesting, how will this go?
(17:48):
But the part that really makes me think is the surplus, the fast fashion.
Fashion by design is an industry is about coming up with new ideas every few months.
So and whatever you have is outdated.
So you keep buying new stuff.
And then what happens to the stuff that you have?
(18:09):
And then you look at this and again, the statistics behind this is astounding as well, where I
read one that says, if you stop producing anything, the clothing that is available today
can be sufficient for the next six generations of the world's population to address them.
(18:29):
So that's the kind of surplus we are talking about.
And then what do you do with it?
What do you do with the surplus?
So I think, you know, I used to think you donated the goodwill.
We are doing some good, maybe get it to where communities of need may benefit.
But then it also turns out a lot of the surplus simply get transported to another part of
(18:52):
the world and it's dumped in these landfills where they sit for many, many years.
So they are actually not going to where the community is needed.
They are simply getting moved from one location to another.
So and I think there are ways by which we can probably connect with a multitude of organizations
(19:14):
to get it in the hands of people who really need it instead of an intermediary.
But also what can be done to minimize and optimize the surplus of fashion produce.
And there are a lot of, you know, thought and process steps that people recommend, like,
(19:35):
you know, making it to order and coming with a state of art fabric cutting techniques that
minimize the surplus.
And you know, it's a combination of things.
But at the heart of it, it seems like maybe we need to settle down a little bit instead
of pursuing the very latest fashion that is probably a reincarnation of what we had five
(20:02):
years ago.
Yeah, yeah.
And I remember when I was at Microsoft, the company Ecolabs, and you've probably come
across them in your sustainability work.
But they did a great job of just educating customers, people at large on the amount of
clean water that's used to make and produce clothing as an example.
(20:27):
And they physically held up at an event, hey, this white cotton shirt, you know, just guess
how many gallons of water is needed to make through the whole production process, through
growing, you know, growing the cotton to producing it.
And it was 30 gallons of water.
And you just look at your closet and go, oh my God, like, you know, and there's just
(20:51):
this crazy water shortage that we still are, you know, in danger of.
And so, you know, it just all adds up.
So I've had that in my head, you know, and since that they also talked about Starbucks
coffee was like five gallons of water to make just one cup and just the, you know, thinking
(21:14):
about that mentally, you look at this, you know, six ounce, eight ounce cup of coffee
and so much more goes into that when you're producing the cup, the beans and everything.
So being more conscious is super helpful.
And I have to admit, I am a, the fashion part's hard for me because I do like to buy,
(21:36):
you know, things on trend, but I have been a little bit more cautious if like six things
come in, you know, how can you carefully recycle six things coming out so you're not just overly
consuming, right?
Too much.
Yep, that's right.
That's right.
(21:57):
And I think being mindful and maybe putting some intent in instead of just pure acquisition
may help and then I haven't quite perfected this, but I think taking clothes directly
to people who may need it as opposed to going through an intermediary who may simply aggregate
and dump it somewhere, it takes more work.
(22:20):
But I think there are women's shelters, there are places where there may be benefit for
people wanting to get clothing for interviews to meet their needs.
And I mean, those kinds of things I think are very rewarding, but there's not, it's
not an easy thing to do.
They are not just everywhere, you know, goodwill is everywhere and that's a good organization,
(22:44):
but they also get so much stuff.
So it's just something to think about.
So speaking of things to think about, my last bit of a concern and I would say pet peeve
is single use plastic.
So it's not maybe the biggest offender necessarily on the environment, but it's a significant
(23:10):
one when millions and millions of plastic just simply choke the oceans, rivers, the
wildlife and it just does not go away.
And it isn't everything.
It is not just in plastic bottles.
It is in our clothing.
It is just part of modern life.
(23:31):
So that's why I am really captivated by material signs to continue to invest into discovery
of new materials that can be more biodegradable, more environmentally friendly.
But looking at the extent of the plastics challenge, as we call it, and I was looking
(23:52):
this up, I mean, it's just astounding.
I said since plastic was introduced in 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic was produced.
I mean, that's an astounding amount, which is incredibly convenient.
We all love the Tupperware and microwaveable containers and all of that, but it just doesn't
(24:16):
go away.
And the case in point, almost 80% of plastic that has ever been made continues to be still
in our environment.
So it may shift location, but it's not going away and it is impacting the environment.
And then speaking of reusable water bottles, et cetera, this statistics is another one.
(24:41):
Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year.
This is the single use water bottles that we just use and discard.
And that is about 13 bottles per month for every person in the US.
And if we were to use a reusable water bottle, whether that be Stanley, Yeti, Oala, whatever
(25:05):
your favorite brand is, we could save an average of almost 160 plastic bottles annually.
So I know it's not convenient to log around your water bottle looking for the place to
fill, but I think to the extent we can, this is the kind of thing where every bit makes
(25:26):
a difference.
It is not a single action that solves and addresses the challenge, but each and every
one of these micro steps, when it adds up cumulatively at scale, can make a great difference.
And that's the part that gives me the optimism and passion to really study this and consider
(25:48):
the actions that we could be taking to make the difference we want to see in the environment
that we live in.
And you know, let's face it, we can try to colonize Mars and I hope we are successful
at that, but that's, we know ways away.
So we really have a responsibility to protect the planet that we live on that is both beautiful
(26:10):
and fragile all at the same time.
So I'll give you one more stat too that actually I think is eye-opening for our listeners.
I heard this about six months ago that if you consistently drink out of plastic water
bottles, there's trace elements of plastic that you are ingesting.
(26:35):
And they said if you're doing that consistently over the course of a month, you're ingesting
about a credit card's worth of plastic.
Wow.
And, and it does not go away.
Yeah.
It stays in your system permanently.
How scary is that?
Right.
So that actually got me drinking out of this yeti a little bit more, not a little bit more,
(26:57):
a lot more.
So, yeah, I mean, we have to protect our planet, we have to protect ourselves and these are
all, you know, very eye-opening stats, new guys.
So thank you for sharing these.
So I think embrace your yeti, right?
Yes.
And you're so right.
It brings that perspective and it's a mind shift.
(27:18):
Now when you see plastic bottle, okay, we are ingesting plastic.
Do you, would you swallow it if someone gave it to you and put some sugar on it?
No.
So, right, think about that.
So as we, as we come close to the end of this episode and there's so much to talk about
here, thinking about the everyday things that we could be doing to be part of the solution.
(27:44):
So and I think we don't have to do each and every single thing that is ever out there,
but do a couple things that are in line with our lifestyle.
So meaning if you're able to drive less, walk, bike or use public transportation, that's
a great way to contribute to the environment.
(28:07):
Bring the reusable shopping bags to pour your grocery shopping.
And you know, I love that because I've got the ones with nice decorations and flowers
and up-up-up-up colors.
I always forget to bring them though.
I own them, which is worse, right?
Because I own them and don't use them.
That is very bad, Christine.
You need to change that habit.
That's very bad.
(28:27):
I'm going to try.
This is, that's the one I'm picking from the list because that's an easy thing to do.
Yeah, well, it is very hard.
It's like your sunglasses.
It's like your umbrella.
It is always, they are always where you don't need them.
So I struggle with it as well because you have to have it in your car, then you have
to use it.
But then once you bring it home and empty it, you have to put it back in your car and
(28:49):
you may also take it through the wash.
So, so I mean, it is certainly effort.
And I think the convenience of alternatives, things that we can easily discard is tough
to give up.
But then, you know, talking about the extra effort and intention and, you know, it doesn't
have to be perfect.
(29:10):
If we do that one out of three times, it's still very good.
Yeah.
Well, here in Maryland, they charge you if it's a 5 cent bag tax for these little plastic
bags and does that dissuade me?
No, I'm like, yeah, I got like 12, 12 or so every time.
But it's just, yeah, that's an easy one though.
(29:30):
I am signing up for it.
I will report on progress.
Okay, sounds good.
Any other thoughts on what else we could be doing, Christine?
So one thing that I've been doing lately, which I really like to boast both for convenience
and I think it is better for the environment is buying these larger plastic shampoo containers
(29:55):
with the pump.
Okay.
All right.
Because you can refill them.
They're just convenient to have in your shower instead of just like using more shampoo bottles.
It seems to be working and I kind of like that it's just, I don't know, it just seems
to, it just seems to be cleaner and easier.
(30:15):
I like that idea a lot.
That is one that I am not doing at all.
So thank you for sharing that.
I think that's also another phenomenal way to help speaking of every single step helping.
And I'm not really sure this is a good one.
(30:35):
I will say one more because it is really the peak of consumerism, but I am feeling a little
proud that I am consolidating my Amazon deliveries to Fridays to minimize the packaging waste
and give up the instant gratification of packages arriving at my door two hours after ordering.
(30:58):
Again, not the fantastic thing.
One may say, why are you on Amazon so much to begin with?
But if you put that aside, there's something that may be helpful a little bit because that
packaging is pretty intense as well.
I like that.
Yeah.
And that's an easy thing any of us can do.
So that's great.
(31:19):
And recycle those boxes.
I keep them, right?
A few, always, just to sort of buying another box, reuse the Amazon boxes and send them
back out.
And then I think we should make dresses out of them.
That would help solve our fashion problem is we sip water from our Yeti cup sitting
(31:40):
in our recyclable paper dress that I am sure our Met Gala producers can help with.
We could achieve, I think, multiple things at one time.
There is a woman and I have to send you her Instagram.
Her name's Peaches and she actually looks at the runway fashions and then she recreates
(32:04):
them.
And she's done things like cardboard fashion.
And it's insane.
It's insane.
I mean, none could be surprised.
She's doing the Kanye West Wife outfits right now.
I mean, those are really crazy, too, if you've seen any of those.
Yeah.
All we need is a tipping point of what is fashion.
(32:28):
And then it will take off.
I mean, how about a contest on reusing and remaking stuff from the existing fashion,
right?
Recycling.
We just need to look at it maybe with a different perspective.
Absolutely.
So as we wrap up, we covered a lot of sustainability tips and I'm sure there is more that is personal
(32:54):
and in line with how we live our lives.
So I'm sure there's more out there.
Any other items, Christine, to wrap up our episode here of fast fashion, surplus food?
Yeah.
I think in our notes will include the sustainability tips and like you offered and like I volunteer
(33:18):
to do is maybe everyone just picks one and tries it out, right?
And see how much progress you can make.
If everyone does their little part, it makes the world a better place.
And for me personally, the fast fashion challenge is something that it's just good to be more
(33:38):
aware of.
It's a really good short documentary.
It's not even a documentary.
It's more like a video.
I think it's 15 minutes of John Oliver does that is really educational and also humorous.
I think sometimes when you need to get across important topics, humor is a way to make them
(33:58):
memorable and he does a great job.
So we will include that also in our show notes.
That's awesome.
I think you hit a really important point, Christine.
It is education awareness and I think being curious about it because the more we are educated
like we talked about the microplastics and the scale of impact, I think the more we will
(34:22):
be compelled to change an aspect of our behavior.
We can change everything all at once.
But we can all make progress towards that.
And the other thing I'll say is I am seeing a lot more people, young people going into
disciplines like environmental engineering.
So I think those kinds of careers and disciplines can also help create the future that we can
(34:49):
be proud of and again make this planet a place that is inhabitable for many generations.
So okay, we are wrapping up.
Thank you to all of our listeners and thank you, Christine, for doing this podcast with
(35:09):
me and looking forward to our next episode.
Yeah, I so appreciate you bringing this topic.
I can see why you're so passionate about it because it does make a difference and, wow,
I mean, Microsoft is so lucky to have you in this capacity.
So thank you.
Well, thank you.
It's looking forward to the intersection of passion, skill and need.
(35:33):
And stay at that intersection.
Yep.
All right.
Well, everyone, until next time.
Welcome to ReFirement Life, the podcast for anyone navigating life transitions or planning
to make life transitions to ensure your next years are your best years.
Listen in for insightful, generous, and sometimes humorous conversation.
(35:56):
It's time to get fired up with Christine Zamuda and Mu Gae Wood, your hosts for this latest
episode of ReFirement Life.
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