Trying to connect my passions with development practice

Act one

Growing up in an environmentally conscious family I feel confident saying that environmental sustainability has always been a focus of interest for me. My behaviours have always been somehow influenced by the consciousness that some harmful practices for the planet can be easily avoided or reduced at a personal level. Recycling had a key role in shaping my conduct and I was convinced it was a sufficient practice to reduce our environmental footprint. I thought I was living green, I thought I was doing my part, and I was satisfied with my effort.

Act two

When Chinese government announced that from January 2018 the import of recyclable plastic would be prohibited, the truth about how serious environmental issues are was finally being brought to the public attention.

After feeling a little overwhelmed at first by the continuously negative news floating around me about how human practices were harming the planet at a significantly fast rate, I decided to put more effort into looking for alternative practices. This was when I stumbled upon the zero-waste philosophy and movement. Once again I thought I had found some peace.

Act three

I would like this project to have some positive results for the business and the community. For myself, I hope that this experience will give me an opportunity to learn about the dynamics of the private sector and understand its specificity in a development context. Hopefully I am aware that my academic perspective might sometime clash with practical experience of the private sector. However, I believe that the best learning comes from challenges. Fingers crossed.

As I make my way through the International Development program, I have been working part time as a kitchen hand in a Carlton Patisserie. Unfortunately I experience everyday the difficulties that the business has in the management of their waste, but at the same time I can see the positive impact they have on the community. I agreed with the owners to work together to come up with a plan. I think that developing a sustainability framework is a great opportunity to harness and increase their potential in terms of positive impact. I decided to work from a Triple Bottom Line Perspective, looking at the environmental, social and economical aspects of the business.