Polly Barks

I started leading a full zero-waste lifestyle in 2015 after experiencing life in an Indianapolis community where affluent trash gets left behind. Living in a food desert and lack of infrastructure meant many of my neighbors rarely even saw fresh produce.

Since going zero waste, I’ve combined my education background with my passion for sustainability to become a zero waste educator. I try to make that education as open and equitable as possible – because I’ve lived first-hand knowing how hard it is to think about climate change when you’re worrying about paying rent.

Since 2017 I’ve spread that message everywhere from food banks to local libraries to nationally-recognized universities. (And online, too, of course!)