#10 | Eric Lombardi: From Zero Waste Pioneer to Social Enterprise Champion
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In Episode 10 of the How We Change the World podcast, pioneering environmentalist Eric Lombardi discusses the importance of using Social Enterprise to usher in a Zero Waste world.
As the Executive Director of Eco-Cycle from 1989 to 2014, Eric transformed the fledgling, Boulder, Colorado non-profit into the world’s largest Zero Waste Social Enterprise. Along the way, he discovered that while recycling is an absolute necessity to protect the planet, it was only the first step in our long journey to reuse, recycle, remake, and compost literally everything we use on the planet, or “darn near.”
In his 24 years directing an organization focused on creating a social good, Eric discovered that pure capitalism has become a hindrance to achieving our goals of reversing global warming and regenerating the planet. After leaving Ecocycle, he chose to focus his energy on growing the global Social Enterprise Movement.
Social enterprises are public or private businesses that address social and environmental issues, yet still have access to investor capital. While still finding lukewarm acceptance in the US, the Social Enterprise Movement is growing quickly elsewhere, helping foster green economies across the globe.
Now, as President of Buy Social USA, Eric encourages government to “increase opportunities for US social enterprises, fair trade organizations, impact networks, and other initiatives that prioritize people and planet over profit maximization."
Eric also has passion for mentoring youth. He encourages young people choose public office or business as powerful ways to create positive social and environmental change. Eric quotes environmental leader Paul Hawken, who wrote in his book, The Ecology of Commerce, "It isn't the earth that needs saving, it is business, because business is killing the earth."
Eric believes local governments around the world are frozen in place, unable to make the changes necessary to create Zero Waste/Zero Carbon Communities. Thus, he advocates for double bottom-line business hybrids to partner with government and become the implementers of change.
Links to sites mentioned in this episode:
Buy Social USA: https://www.buysocialusa.org
Eco-Cycle: https://ecocycle.org
Eric’s interview on the Remake Podcast: remakepod.org/episode/032-a-world-without-waste
Groundbreaking report on Zero Waste and the Circular Economy, “Stop Trashing the Planet”: ilsr.org/stop-trashing-the-climate
