The Garbologist Has Your Waste Prescription - Bel Chellingworth is Pursuing Circularity

Today’s guest is a really fun one - Bel Chellingworth - none other than the Garbologist - joins to chat all things waste, packaging, circularity, business models, structural change and individual agency.

Bel's career to date spans government, corporate and is now Director and Principal Consultant of BC Consulting, continuing to help business and community reduce waste and make circular economy real. Previously she's led the circular economy portfolio for the London School of Economics, The GPT Group, Australia Post, and ALDI Stores AU - always advocating for prevention, reuse and repair to be the first responders to waste issues.

Waste is a topic that daunts me. My first few years out of uni were working in and around waste - from compliance driven packaging reporting to staff education on bins to municipal scale biowaste renewable energy projects. It left me pretty scarred, and to be honest it’s a problem I am familiar with but not overly involved with or participating in. When I heard the story of Bel and the remarkable feat she has achieved in reducing her own personal waste footprint to essentially zero I was spurred to go and listen to her and the stats and trajectory of basically every product and their waste was overwhelming. I knew I had to get over my own anxieties and avoidance and get Bel on the show.

And she doesn’t disappoint. I took an absolute tonne from this chat - from the invisible forces of industry power to convoluted regulatory and legislative frameworks that don’t serve environmental outcomes, to the ways new types of business are embedding actual circularity into their business models from the get-go as opposed to trying to retrofit existing broken systems and paradigms, and then her own journey and experiences in shifting her own practices.

She also appears regularly in the Australian media as an expert 'Garbologist' and has a residency on ABC Radio Nightlife, the program aptly named 'Waste Not, Want Not' fortnightly broadcasting all around the country, demystifying circularity, and making actions for waste prevention clear and accessible for everyone. 

Bel is an example of personal change and the power of attraction over promotion. How by being the example as a lighthouse she helps inspire and allow others to realise what their potential is and how they can make a valuable contribution to environmental protection and sustainability. I had such a blast chatting to Bel, and she’s helped reform me on my own waste system anxieties and avoidance. 

Events are live and more are coming - follow on Humanitix.

Follow on LinkedIn, Substack and Instagram. 

Today's show is delivered with Altiorem. Use the code FindingNature25 to get your first month free on their gold and platinum plans. 

Today's show is delivered with Gilay Estate. Add Finding Nature to your booking reservation for free food bundles.

Today's show is delivered with Econome. Check them out and add your application for their next Climate Stream starting March 17. 

Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram