I’m not a vegan, I drive a V8 and I don’t hug trees, but I do care deeply about the future of our planet. I became interested in waste when I realised there was no magical hole in the ground where all of our rubbish disappeared. Like most people, I had never really stopped to think about what happened after the bin left the kerb. Once I started asking questions about where our stuff actually goes, I got worried, and then I got educated.

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Almost two decades later, I’m still asking questions.

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Over the years I’ve been called The Nappy Lady, New Zealand’s own waste free warrior, a should-be stand-up comedian and, increasingly, The Recycling Lady. These days I mostly just go by Wasted Kate. I’m a waste educator, keynote speaker, presenter and consultant, working with businesses, councils, schools, communities and organisations to make waste, recycling, consumption and sustainability easier to understand. I deliver up to 200 events each year, both in person and online, and have spent years travelling around New Zealand talking rubbish, quite literally.

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The world of waste can be incredibly confusing. Recycling rules change, products are marketed as compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, natural or sustainable, and there are so many myths and mixed messages that it’s easy for people to become overwhelmed and switch off altogether. My job is to cut through that noise.

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Whether I’m delivering a keynote to hundreds of people, working with a business on its waste and sustainability challenges, presenting a community workshop or creating an online course, I draw heavily on my own experience as a very normal modern-day consumer. I use real stories, humour, practical examples and what I’ve learned from years of following waste through the system to help people better understand the impact of the choices we make.

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I don’t believe sustainability education should be about guilt or expecting everyone to live perfectly. I believe it should give people the information they need to make better choices, ask better questions and recognise where meaningful change is possible.

Because if we all decide the problem is too big, that our individual choices don’t matter, or that someone else will eventually sort it out, nothing changes.

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And ultimately, we have to ask ourselves what kind of legacy we want to leave for the generations coming after us.