493. Lottie Dalziel and ‘BRAD’ - Saving millions of plastic items from landfill and inspiring you to join the movement!

If you oscillate between pushing yourself and your community to do more to reduce your plastic consumption while also being frustrated that governments aren't doing more to regulate plastic production and make more plastics recyclable on a big scale, today is the show for you. Meet our guest, Lottie Dalziel.

Lottie Dalziel started Banish in 2018 with a simple idea: give people a place to bring the things their kerbside bin couldn't take - hard-to-recycle items like old pens, bottle caps, soft plastics and coffee pods that would otherwise end up in landfill. In 2023, Banish opened its sustainability hub in Sydney's Haymarket.

That idea grew into one of Australia's most recognised sustainability stores and the home of BRAD, the Banish Recycling and Diversion Program. In 2024 alone, BRAD diverted over one million pieces of plastic waste from landfill.

Lottie is on a mission: No time for doom and guilt. Just practical information and specific things people can actually do.

She has been recognised as NSW Young Australian of the Year, named in Forbes' 30 Under 30, and has spoken at TEDx, corporates, schools and community events across Australia. Her book, 365 Ways to Save The Planet & Your Money At The Same Time, continues that same approach.

I hope you enjoy the show.

Alexx Stuart, your host.

Fancy a few more podcasts we’ve done over the years, related to this one?

Show #139: Plastic Free South East Asia with Sarah RhodesShow #93: Plastic pollution and the Plastic Free July story with founder Rebecca Prince RuizShow #489. Kal Glanznig: Plastic burdens biology – ours and our planets’: It’s time to lock in POLICY to lift the burden.Show #94: A conversation on WASTE and powerful, gentle activism with Rob Greenfield

Want to learn more about this week’s guest?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lottiedl https://www.instagram.com/banish.au

Thank you to this month’s show partners for joining us to help you make your low tox swaps!