Robert Reed explains how diverting waste from landfill and instead composting it is our biggest opportunity to improve the way society handles waste. It positively impacts climate while helping farmers improve their crop yields. Robert Reed is an environmental advocate who serves as a spokesman for Recology, a leader in sustainable waste management and a pioneer in recycling and curbside composting programs.Before joining Recology, Robert spent a decade working as a journalist for daily newspapers, earning a California Newspaper Publishers Association Award for his reporting on environmental issues.Since 1993, Robert has been leading Recology’s outreach and education initiatives, playing a key role in helping San Francisco become the first major city in North America to implement curbside food scrap collection for composting, a program that has the potential to change the way the world does garbage.Robert has welcomed delegations from more than 135 countries, including government officials, business leaders, and environmental experts, all eager to see San Francisco’s industry-leading recycling and composting programs firsthand.As part of his community service, Robert has volunteered with Zero Waste France and delivered composting presentations in 35 cities across France. He assisted national officials in developing plans to launch food scrap composting in Paris and hosted the French Senate’s environmental committee in San Francisco. His efforts contributed to France passing a national law requiring every municipality, serving 68 million citizens, to make composting accessible and convenient for residents and businesses.Robert has been invited to speak at major international events, including the first Zero Waste Conferences in Paris and Montreal, and has appeared in five documentary films, notably Tomorrow, which screened in French theaters for 42 weeks and has been viewed by audiences around the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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