by Joann Lee
On June 21st, I attended the first ever NYCxREUSE conference and expo hosted by donateNYC. donateNYC is a program run by the Department of Sanitation whose slogan is “give goods, find goods, and do good,” and this was the theme of the conference’s panel discussions. The conference brought together leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors to discuss strategies in landfill diversion, as well as the social impact and economic opportunities created by partnerships designed to redistribute resources.
One highlight of the conference was the food donation and recovery panel, moderated by Council Member Rafael Espinal. Espinal sponsored Local Law 176, which led to the creation of a web portal within donateNYC that allows for hyperlocal donations of food from businesses to organizations that redistribute food. It was a pleasant surprise that one of the panelists was Robert Lee, the former president of Two Birds One Stone (an NYU club and Green Grant recipient!). Robert is now the CEO of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine–a non-profit organization that redistributes food in 16 cities–and it was awesome to see firsthand how Robert was able to build off of his experience at NYU.
Another aspect of the conference that I really enjoyed was the focus on strategic partnerships between organizations that lead not only to landfill diversion, but also to community and economic benefits. It was refreshing to hear about instances in which corporate resources lead to benefits for the economy and underserved communities. One interesting partnership between L’Oreal and PowerMyLearning, for example, showed how routinely replaced laptops can be redistributed to low-income families through free tech-education programs. I strongly believe that these are the narratives that are necessary to motivate more people to seek creative solutions in sustainability.
After the panels, I attended the expo, which showcased vendors working in fields ranging from fashion to urban agriculture to solid waste management. It was such a great opportunity to connect with like-minded folks on issues we were all so passionate about, and I look forward to applying what I’ve learned at the expo to my work at NYU!
Joann Lee supports the Office of Sustainability in organizing events, developing student engagement initiatives, and coordinating the Green Grants program. Born and raised in New York City, she is passionate about sustainable urban dwelling through education and design. Her previous work includes green roof research and construction with NYC Parks and outreach for the DSNY organics collection program. She holds a B.F.A. in Photography and Imaging from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and enjoys rock climbing, capoeira, and trying new recipes.