In this episode of “Do Beautiful Things,” host Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, shines a spotlight on the extraordinary impact of local action and environmental stewardship along Florida’s vibrant reef-lined coast.

Joining Jenny is Anna Bennett, founder of Reel it in for the Reefs, an annual underwater cleanup initiative inspired by her compassion for sea turtles like Bella, a hawksbill rescued from a life-threatening fishing line entanglement. Anna shares how a single act of care ignited South Florida’s largest reef cleanup in history, rallying divers, charter boats, and volunteers to remove hundreds of pounds of fishing line, plastic, and marine debris from vital habitats.

Together, Jenny and Anna discuss the preventable dangers marine life face, the power of community-driven change, and how every individual—whether a fisher, diver, or coastal resident—can make a meaningful difference for our oceans and wildlife. As part of the Greatest American Cleanup, Reel it in for the Reefs exemplifies what can happen when people come together to protect the places and creatures they love.

Tune in to this inspiring episode to hear Anna’s journey from local diver to community leader, discover tips for responsible fishing and underwater stewardship, and find out how you can support reef cleanups in your area.

Episode Links:

• Keep America Beautiful: https://kab.org/
• Greatest American Cleanup: https://kab.org/greatest-american-cleanup/
• Reel it in for the Reefs: https://reelitinforthereefs.org/
• National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation: https://savetheseaturtle.org/

Show Notes:

• 00:00 Reel it in for Reefs
• 04:24 Turtles Endangered by Fishing Line
• 07:46 Underwater Reef Cleanup Initiative
• 12:57 Protecting Reefs and Sea Turtles
• 14:00 Responsible Fishing: Reel in Your Line
• 17:14 "Americans Unite for a Greener Future"

In this episode of Do Beautiful Things, Jenny Lawson talks with Missy Marshall, the Executive Director of Keep Tennessee Beautiful, a Keep America Beautiful state affiliate, to explore the impactful efforts happening across Tennessee in the fight against litter. They discuss the Greatest American Cleanup™️ campaign, innovative programs like Trashercize, and the power of education and community engagement in fostering a cleaner, more sustainable future. Tune in to hear how Tennesseans are uniting to make a real difference, one small action at a time.

Show Links

Greatest American Cleanup: https://kab.org/greatest-american-cleanup/

Keep America Beautiful: https://kab.org/

Keep Tennessee Beautiful: https://www.keeptnbeautiful.org/

Trashercise: https://www.keeptnbeautiful.org/trashercise

Show Notes:

00:00 Unifying Tennessee Through Environmental Stewardship

04:33 Tennessee River Flood Debris Impact

07:29 History of Keep Tennessee Beautiful

11:43 Inspiring Future Leaders Through Education

14:50 Youth Innovation in Environmental Action

18:10 "Keep Tennessee Beautiful Campaign Launch"

22:24 "Leadership Through Active Participation"

25:07 Celebrating to Change Behavior

28:33 "Do Beautiful Things: Inspired Action"

In this thrilling episode of "Do Beautiful Things," hosts Jenny Lawson and Jennifer Edmunson take listeners on a journey beyond our planet, exploring the innovative LunaRecycle Challenge spearheaded by NASA. This groundbreaking competition is set to revolutionize recycling by challenging inventors to design systems that maximize resource utilization during space missions—transforming waste into valuable assets for future exploration.

Jenny Lawson, the President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, sits down with Jennifer Edmunson, Acting Program Manager for NASA Centennial Challenges, who brings her expertise in Earth and Planetary Sciences to the table. Together, they delve into the intricacies of sustaining human life on the lunar surface through recycling innovations, tackling unique challenges such as extreme vacuums and thermal swings on the Moon.

From the digital designs to hardware prototypes, discover how these lunar projects could inspire and enhance our recycling efforts here on Earth. Could the solutions forged in the vacuum of space lead to more sustainable communities and potentially revolutionize waste management on our own planet? Listen to this podcast episode to find out!

Stay tuned for insights into the future of recycling, both in space and in our backyards. To dive even deeper into how innovation is shaping a more sustainable future, visit lunarecyclechallenge.ua.edu. Join us on our mission to keep our planet and beyond, clean and vibrant.

Show Notes:

00:00 "Lunar Recycling Challenge"

04:44 Lunar Recycling Challenge

07:08 Innovative Food Packaging Recycling Solutions

10:36 "Break the Ice Lunar Challenge"

15:21 Sustainable Off-Planet Living Costs

19:18 NASA's Moon to Mars Strategy

21:24 "Inspiring Space and Earth Cleanup"

In this episode of the “Do Beautiful Things podcast,” Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful speaks with Wendy Salomon from The Harris Poll about their latest research on litter—commissioned by Keep America Beautiful. They explore key insights, including why people avoid picking up litter (hint: the ‘gross factor’ tops the list), what motivates people to join cleanup events, and surprising findings on how litter compares to other unpleasant tasks—like cleaning the bathroom. Tune in to discover what drives people to take action and what could encourage even more participation in keeping our communities clean and beautiful.

Show Notes:

00:00 "Exploring Litter Responsibility"

03:54 "Strategic Insights for Effective Action"

06:24 Picking Up Litter Mostly Tolerable

10:15 Litter Clean-Up Divide

16:24 Engaging Gen Z in Community

18:12 "Litter Cleanup: A Unifying Act"

22:44 "Motivation Through Community for Gen Z"

26:39 "Preventing and Addressing Littering"

27:21 Litter Responsibility Debate

31:05 Join the Greatest American Cleanup

Show Links:

• The Harris Poll: www.theharrispoll.com
• Keep America Beautiful: kab.org
• Greatest American Cleanup: kab.org/greatest

In this episode of “Do Beautiful Things,” host Jenny Lawson sits down with Maury Wolfe, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Social Impact at Cox Enterprises, to discuss their award-winning initiatives in corporate volunteerism and environmental sustainability.

Together, they discuss Cox Enterprises' impressive achievements, including the award-winning initiatives that have driven over 200,000 volunteer hours through their Cox Impact platform and the ambitious goals of their 34 by 34 initiative.

Maury shares fascinating insights into how Cox has become a zero waste-to-landfill company, the importance of employee engagement, and their ongoing collaborations with environmental organizations like Keep America Beautiful.

Stay tuned to learn how you can get involved in transformative initiatives to help create cleaner, greener spaces in your own community.

Show Links:

COX Enterprises: www.coxenterprises.com

34 by 34 Initiative: www.coxenterprises.com/our-impact/social-goal-34-by-34

Keep America Beautiful: kab.org

Greatest American Cleanup: kab.org/greatest

Show Notes:

00:00 Cox Enterprises: Promoting volunteerism for environmental impact.

03:43 Selling sustainability's ROI changed environmental perspectives.

09:00 Cox legacy: prioritize employees, community, and environment.

11:47 Training employees and circular economy efforts innovate.

13:54 Employee-driven innovation through purpose and community connection.

18:09 Earth Month 2024: Impactful local and national efforts.

20:42 Empower 34 million people by 2034 goal.

24:30 Keep Oklahoma Beautiful: effective disaster recovery efforts.

27:15 Join America's cleanup for a beautiful future.

In this episode of Do Beautiful Things, host Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, dives into an often-overlooked aspect of recycling: mattress recycling.

Joining us is Mike O'Donnell, Chief Operating Officer of the Mattress Recycling Council, who brings over 30 years of expertise in managing solid and hazardous waste collection programs. Mike gives a compelling look into the world of mattress recycling, highlighting the innovative programs in states like California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island that recycle nearly 2 million mattresses a year. We’ll also explore the significant environmental impact of these efforts, from reducing illegal dumping to rescuing half a billion pounds of materials from landfills.

You'll gain insights into the Bye Bye Mattress program, learn about the components of a mattress and where they go after recycling, and discover the future of mattress recycling as it seeks to expand into new states and develop new markets for recycled materials. Whether you’re a homeowner wondering what to do with your old mattress, or a sustainability advocate interested in the broader challenges and solutions in recycling, this episode offers valuable information and practical tips.

Join us in transforming recycling anxiety into action and help make a sustainable future possible.

Show Links:

Bye Bye Mattress: byebyemattress.com

Mattress Recycling Council: mattressrecyclingcouncil.org

Keep America Beautiful: kab.org

Greatest American Cleanup: kab.org/greatest

Show Notes:

00:00 Mattress recycling mandated by laws in 2013.

04:25 Return old mattress to retailer for recycling.

09:21 Mattress recycling involves manual and automated methods.

10:00 Material: 20% carpet padding, 50% steel recycling.

13:13 Understanding resource impact, smarter reuse, developing recycling markets.

18:59 Learn how and where to recycle mattresses.

20:08 Visit kab.org for more information.

In this episode of "Do Beautiful Things," host Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, dives into the critical role of recycling in sustainable living and explores the intricacies of the recycling process.

Our special guest, Jeff Snyder, Senior Vice President of Recycling and Sustainability at Rumpke Waste and Recycling, brings over 30 years of industry expertise to the table. Together, they delve into the exceptional capabilities of Rumpke's state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Columbus, Ohio, highlighting the sophisticated technologies and methods used to sort and recycle materials efficiently.

Jeff sheds light on the common challenges faced in the recycling industry and emphasizes the importance of clean and well-sorted materials to create new products. With a focus on improving recycling rates and debunking myths, the conversation provides essential insights into the future of recycling, including the promising role of AI technology.

Listeners will learn about industry demands for recycled resin from major companies, and the need for transparency to build trust in recycling processes. Tune in to discover how your participation and mindful recycling habits can make a significant impact.

Join us in our mission to make our communities cleaner, greener, and more beautiful.

Show Notes:

00:00 Exploring recycling process at Rumpke's Columbus MRF.

06:05 Only 30% consumer plastics are actually recycled.

08:28 Lack of trust, care, and high costs deter.

12:40 Adopt ABCs for recycling: simple and effective.

15:29 Demand for post-consumer resin packaging increasing.

18:17 Initial step: Size material, remove glass.

20:50 Ballistic separators sort paper and containers.

25:48 Promoting recycling transparency builds trust and participation.

28:56 Recycling leads to a healthier, sustainable future.

In this episode of Do Beautiful Things, Jenny Lawson is joined by Kathleen Gibi of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful and Michael McCall from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Together, they discuss the power of collaboration in building sustainable, healthy communities, the importance of preserving America’s river systems, and their commitment to the Greatest American Cleanup—the largest cleanup and beautification effort in history. Tune in to learn how collaboration and volunteer engagement are making a meaningful impact on our environment and communities.

QUOTES:

• Creating Sustainable Impact through Partnerships: "We should be following a model where we can engage others and partner with others to do this, because I think that is the only real way that you can actually get sustainable impact is if you get other people involved through partnerships to get out and do action." - Michael McCall, VP of Environment and Sustainability, and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Tennessee Valley Authority
• The Importance of River Cleanup: "80% of the plastic in our oceans is said to come from rivers. Cleaning up the ocean in a lot of ways without cleaning up the rivers is much like...cleaning up blood on the floor without stopping the bleeding on the patient on the table. So that's why the work we get to do with our partners and volunteers is so crucial." - Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful

Show Notes:

00:00 Greatest American Cleanup beautifying 25,000 communities.

06:13 TVA: Unique regional energy-water economic integration.

08:52 TVA supports Tennessee River cleanup since 2018.

13:02 Engage others through partnerships for sustainable impact.

13:56 Campaign fosters pride, action, and shared values.

19:44 Consistent focus needed to preserve Tennessee River.

22:31 TVA concerned about storm, river system effective.

24:07 Clearing red tape for quicker community recovery.

27:38 Local affiliates tirelessly support community environmental efforts.

30:53 Get involved with kab.org and support.

Show Links:

• Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful: https://www.keeptnriverbeautiful.org/
• Tennessee Valley Authority: https://www.tva.com/
• Keep America Beautiful: https://kab.org/
• Greatest America Cleanup: https://kab.org/greatest-american-cleanup/