We’re kicking off Season 2 with a challenge: Could you fit a week’s worth of trash into a single jar? Every September, people around the world take part in Zero Waste Week, a grassroots campaign started in 2008 by Rachelle Strauss after she witnessed devastating floods in England. Her experience sparked a movement that now spans over 85 countries, encouraging people to rethink what they throw “away.”

In this episode, we dive into the story behind Zero Waste Week, why it matters, and some eye-opening stats about waste today—like the fact that the average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash a day, and the U.S. could run out of landfill space by 2036. We’ll also explore how small changes—refusing freebies, reusing jars, shopping secondhand, composting—can add up to a big impact.

And for our Next Green Thing, we’re challenging you to go big (or small!) during Zero Waste Week: try fitting all your trash into one small container for the week. Could you make it work with just a mason jar?

Join us as we learn, laugh, and test our own limits on the road to less waste.