Start a movement with me!

For over 12 years, I have worked to start a recycling business "on the side." Hindered by high capital costs for equipment and space, I struggled to bring my innovation to the market.

During that time, the recycling industry shifted to a single-stream trash model that crushed almost all other consumer recycling methods, including the one I was working on. There was no way to compete with trash collectors shipping tons of trash to China for pennies.

People were excited; recycling couldn't be easier! Simply throw it into a different bin beside your trash. A trash island was growing in the ocean, no resources were available for innovations like mine, and trash collectors were king.

No one had to change and the "waste" concern was going overseas, that is until 2018.

In 2018, China instituted its "National Sword" policy, stopping imports of plastics and other materials destined for its recycling processors. The US was instantly facing a greater, more distorted version of the old problem, what to do with 7 million tons of material that were being shipped annually overseas.

In 2019, consumer recycling stopped in many places as trash companies increased prices to handle it, and waste companies backed off the recycling business. This was also the year I actively "restarted" my side hustle and re-imaged processes to address the extreme capital investment, i.e. like 2-3 million dollars. And then a pandemic hit.

Like many, the pandemic made me evaluate my life and my goals. What I wanted to do, and how I wanted to impact the world. I watched nature's restorative power flourish because people were forced to stop our damaging activities.

As I emerged from the pandemic, happy to be alive after experiencing long COVID, corporate striving that used to feel exciting and impactful felt like dead-end pressure instead. I struggled to restore my health, I struggled to find my new stride within all the changes, and I struggled with the loss of impact and passion in my job.

This year, after a catalyst and galvanizing encounter at work, I realized I had to act. I had to acknowledge that change was needed and risk those changes to recapture my health, stride, passion, and impact.

I am writing a new story for myself and making my side hustle my main hustle. I am betting on myself, stepping out on faith that my business will find the capital needed, will be disruptive, and will have the impact I know it can on every person and community in the US.

I am asking you to start a movement with me. I am passionate about people and the planet. Let me know how I can support the story you are writing for yourself.

If you want to hear more about participating in this movement as a crowdfunding investor, a local champion, a supporter/evangelist, an angel investor, or a fly on the wall. Sign-up on my support page here.