OUR STORY
Marina McCoy and Alexandra Thompson started their careers in the events industry with a focus on sustainability. Marina founded her company after realizing her own hypocrisy of studying sustainable tourism but attending music festivals with little regard to her waste consumption. Alexandra wrote her honors senior thesis on the topic and has brought her sustainability lens to the various freelance roles she’s held throughout the festival world. They met two years ago at Mempho Music Festival and have been implementing zero waste strategies together ever since.
LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY SHUTDOWN
2020 was going to be our biggest year yet, locking in clients all throughout the United States, while also getting recognized in news outlets and winning awards. Then large gatherings were cancelled to keep our communities safe. Within a matter of weeks, we lost all of our clients and $300,000 worth of proposals.
WHY IFUNDWOMEN?
With our events clients possibly being canceled up until September 2021, we are struggling to make ends meet. We have been putting our heads down to develop a more resilient plan for the future, and we are very excited about what we have been working on. Currently, we are crowdfunding through iFundWomen to make Zero Waste Kickstart happen. Having startups and small businesses purchase access to the program in advance will provide us the opportunity to build out the most engaging platform possible. We will spend the funding on developing our course materials and our online platform.
OUR PROMISE
We know that buying a program in advance is a big commitment, especially when you are a small business. We promise you this program will exceed your expectations and will be worth every penny you invest in it and us. If you aren't satisfied with your yearly membership when we launch in May, we will gladly refund your early bird pricing. We are asking for your help to bring this program to market, so that together, we can work towards a ‘Waste Free Earth.’
OUR MISSION
Waste Free Earth creates award-winning systems that empower others to incorporate zero waste behaviors. No matter your industry, we help companies achieve their sustainability goals with an emphasis on zero waste initiatives. We are on a mission to create a Waste Free Earth with companies that care.
IT'S TIME TO DO BETTER
Zero Waste Movement
The zero waste movement is more than a trend - it’s the foundation of sustainable operations.
- The zero waste movement emerged from consumers wanting more sustainable options when it comes to products and packaging. (Vox)
- With only 28% of consumers saying that brands make it easier for consumers to be environmentally friendly and ethical in their daily lives, there’s still a disconnect between brands and consumers. (Forbes)
- More than 65% of consumers say they will pay more for brands committed to positive environmental change. (1% for the Planet)
The future of business: reinventing the way we look at waste
While it's up to consumers to make sustainable choices, we recognize that the current systems in place don’t set consumers up for success. We are reinventing how businesses produce and consume waste.
It’s time for us to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to waste management. We are building a business culture that prioritizes zero waste systems over the current status quo of burying single-use items as trash in landfills.
Businesses want to do better, but...
- Money is tight
- Consultants are expensive
- Hiring new staff members is costly
- Time is precious
Zero Waste Kickstart is the training on how to build the foundation of a zero waste company, which will save you money, time, and effort in the long run as your business scales.
THE PRODUCT & SOLUTION
Zero Waste Kickstart is the first membership-based training platform for startups and small businesses to learn how to implement zero waste operations throughout their company. Our education and community platform is accessible via desktop and mobile app.
Yearly membership includes:
Why yearly memberships?
Leave the research up to us, you have a business to run!
Main topics of Zero Waste Kickstart:
Zero Waste Kickstart is designed especially for...
OUR TEAM
- Marina McCoy, a nationally recognized Zero Waste and Recycling Expert and Founder/CEO of Waste Free Earth
- Alexandra Thompson, Waste Free Earth’s Lead Project Manager and Zero Waste Expert
Together, we have over 13 years of experience within the sustainability industry and over seven years in entrepreneurship education. In addition, we call on our internal network of zero waste specialists.
THE FUTURE
The future is bright for Waste Free Earth as the push for zero waste options moves to the top of the latest trend lists for 2021. We have multiple different programs underway to fit the needs for both businesses and consumers. In 2022, we plan to launch our "Zero Waste 101" program for individuals that want to take a deeper dive into zero waste living. This will be a similar platform to our Zero Waste Kickstart but framed towards individuals/consumers, including the Waste Free Earth app for individuals wanting to make more sustainable choices while on the go. Want to be the first to test out this platform? We are offering a highly discounted rate to be a beta tester as a reward!
THANK YOU
We are excited to help you kickstart your zero waste journey! Thank you for believing in our vision to make zero waste education accessible to startups and small businesses. Please share our campaign with your network - your support is greatly appreciated!
Don't forget to follow us along on our journey and for zero waste tips @wastefreeearth!
CREDIBILITY & CLIENTS