‘Our short-term goal is to achieve zero waste for our events specifically, but it’s not exciting if it’s not something that can stay in place at the venue.’

approved,” Condrup said. “So they’re now doing this full time, and they’re very committed to it.”

HELPING HANDS On site, Sustainable Brands enlists the help of a volunteer-staffed sustain- ability team to help with the sorting of waste that will be recycled and compos- ted. This year, the organization part- nered with San Diego nonprofit The 1:1 Movement, which focuses on raising awareness of sustainability issues. The 16-person sustainability team, which worked in two six-hour shifts per day, was made up of summer interns working for The 1:1 Movement. “We need people who can be there and help to sort the waste, and we also want to open up our conference to local stu- dents or organizations,” Condrup said. Full conference registration is $3,000 — a price tag that is almost certainly pro- hibitive for most students. Volunteers worked a shift a day, helping sort waste and educate attendees about Sustain- able Brands’ efforts. “They could work a shift and then

go attend sessions and meet people.… They had time for both,” Condrup said. “They really thought it was fun to be a part of this, and especially because we achieved the zero waste — to see that that’s possible.”

. Katie Kervin is an assistant editor of Convene.

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