Terrill Haigler became an essential worker less than three months after accepting the position as a laborer for the Philadelphia Sanitation Department. To bridge the gap between residents and sanitation workers he created the Instagram page @_yafavtrashman to give residents an insider look of what sanitation workers experienced during the pandemic. When Terrill noticed that his co-workers didn’t have the proper PPE to execute their jobs safely, he decided to stand in the gap and start a Custom Ink t-shirt fundraiser to purchase PPE, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, catapulting him to Philly’s latest viral sensation!

Sara and Oakley explore the health and environmental impacts of makeup. Dive in for some dirty secrets on the beauty industry. 

Note: We refer to "women" a lot in the episode but this information applies to anyone who wears makeup. 

Lots of resources mentioned in this episode! Here they are:

Trash Magic! is made with love (and self-funded). Consider supporting us by following on ⁠Instagram⁠, rating on your favorite podcast platform or ⁠Buy Us a Coffee⁠. Thank you Dumpster Divas!

Derek Ruckman is the CEO of WasteXperts. WasteXperts does onsite waste sorting and training and save their customers money while improving recycling/environmental performance. Derek has over a decade of experience in the waste and recycling industry and he is dedicated to keeping waste out of the landfills and creating a circular economy.

Today we learn about the power of proper residential recycling, the economics of recycling, and much more! Advice from Derek when you do not know which bin something goes in: When in doubt, FIND OUT!

Learn more about WasteXperts: Website, Vimeo

Trash Magic! is made with love (and self-funded). Consider supporting us by following on ⁠Instagram⁠, rating on your favorite podcast platform or ⁠Buy Us a Coffee⁠. Thank you Dumpster Divas!

Being a sustainability professional or climate change activist can be draining. Burnout is high when we are all trying to save the world. That's why Chance Thompson (aka The Designer) created VIRIDESCENT! He helps change makers create their Sustainability Alter Egos - the superhero version of ourselves we can lean on when our work becomes too much. VIRIDESCENT adds fun and creativity to sustainability - because solving these problems needs a new perspective! We hope you enjoy our interview with Chance! You can find our more about Viridescent below and the workshop coming up on March 2nd!!

Lena Ziegler gives us practical tips and tricks to creating a sustainable wardrobe! Join us for this special episode where we explore what we can do as individuals to be more conscious of our impact and look good doing it!

Sources Lena mentions in Episode:

Good on You

Fashion Revolution

Redress

Lena Ziegler on LinkedIn

Have you ever wondered what happens to that old band t-shirt when you donate it? Or who sewed your jeans together? Where did this sweater really come from?

"You mess with nature it will kick your butt!" - Carl, a farmer from Unraveled

For the majority of people, waste management is a mystifying force with operations that vary widely from state to state and even differ across county lines. In this episode Oakley and Sara interview a variety of thought leaders in the waste and recycling space. Trash Magic is excited to feature our friends and colleagues from the National Waste and Recycling Associations (NWRA) Women's Council!

Featuring: 

Samantha Podgorny, the Product Manager of the Electric Refuse Trucks at Heil Environmental

Peggy Macenas, the Vice President of the Midwest Region at National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA)

Katie Evans, Government Affairs at Best Way Disposal and President of th Women's Council at NWRA

We are returning with Season 3 of WTH do I do with this January 2022!!

It will be so worth the wait with exciting content coming your way on clothing recycling, sustainability of makeup and cosmetics, features of artists using recycled materials, and the economics of a circular economy. We have a super exciting season ahead!! Say tuned!!

Stay Trashy,

Oakley and Sara

Is plastic itself the problem or just how we are handling it? We answer that question and so much more with a good friend and plastic expert: Dr. Kat Knauer! She is a PhD in polymer science and dedicated her career to research and implement the latest in plastic recycling technologies! We talk about the technologies which will change the future of plastic recycling, her volunteer efforts with Ocean Plastics Recovery and about her new book coming in 2022 about chemical recycling for plastics! As a nerd, Oakley is super excited for this book. Thanks for the amazing interview Kat!

Learn more: NREL BOTTLE Consortium, Ocean Plastics Recovery Project

This episode is dedicated to Morgan Ruth Vickers who sadly passed due to complications from her chronic illnesses on December 2023. She will live on in our memories. Think of her when you wear something you love and feel good about yourself in. She would want nothing else!

In this episode we explore the many layers to fashion - and I don't just mean the layered tanks we wore in the early 2000's. Today we are joined by Angelica Maulucci - founder of Glow Up Glow Together where she helps youth discover that fashion can open the door to connection, self-discovery, and transformation and Morgan Ruth Vickers - founder of Morgan Ruth Style where she uses fashion to help women with chronic illness and survivors of domestic violence to discover and rediscover their inner beauty. 

We cover so many amazing topics today including how to use fashion as a source of self expression, how to decide which clothes to get rid of (from our fashion experts), and how to decide where to sell or to donate (so it doesn't just feel like throwing it on another Goodwill). 

How to connect with Angelica Maulucci: Website ; Instagram