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As an environmental economist, Elizabeth Schuster helps conservation organizations solve complex challenges at the intersection of nature and communities. In this episode, Elizabeth describes how her firm, Sustainable Economies, applies systems-level thinking to messy, long-horizon environmental problems to turn them into clear, shared action. Her clients include watershed districts, non-profits, park districts, and various local and national environmental organizations.

Hear how her strategies apply to any organization seeking to incorporate a sustainability and a community mindset into their work with examples from projects with The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and Summit County Metroparks. Elizabeth's advice? Set a clear North Star, listen across sectors, code what you hear, and write goals in language anyone can repeat. This process, which starts with stakeholder engagement, helps align conservation goals with community needs, often with surprising results.

Clarity of purpose and effective internal and external communication are at the heart of any successful organization and are vitally important for organizations with social and environmental missions. Whatever your purpose, this episode provides tips on how to surface blind spots early and how to align staff so everyone rows in the same direction.

Learn More:

• Elizabeth Schuster, Partner and Environmental Economist, Sustainable Economies
• Projects and Clients

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Are you living with too much stuff? Help is on the way! In this first episode of 2026, we help you clear the clutter with Devon Fegen-Herdman, owner of Declutter with Devon. Devon is a professional home organizer, former social worker, and a founding member of Upcycle Parts Shop, our favorite arts reuse center in Cleveland.

Most people agree they have too much stuff, and they struggle with managing it all. Choosing to live differently and more gently on the planet requires rethinking our relationship with our material things. Living with less can bring us more joy, but how to get there? Join us as Devon provides tips for getting our homes under control and buying with more intention to keep future clutter at bay.

Donation, Recycling, and Disposal Suggestions:

Upcycle Parts Shop and Boys & Girls Clubs (arts supplies); Friends of the Library CCPL and Cleveland Children's Book Bank (books); Cleveland Furniture Bank, Chair-ity, and Humble Design Cleveland (furniture); Elyria APL and other animal shelters (linens); Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District and Lorain County Solid Waste District (holiday lights); Habitat Re-Store (tools); RET3 Job Corp and Best Buy (computers and e-waste); Good Neighbor Thrift Store and Thriftique (housewares and clothes); Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District and Lorain County Solid Waste District (special wastes, paint, pesticides and other household hazardous wastes); police stations and pharmacies (RX drug drop-off)

Learn More:

Declutter with Devon

Buy Now, The Shopping Conspiracy (Netflix Documentary)

Becoming Minimalist

The Story of Stuff

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Our region's water isn’t just running through our taps; it is shaping our region and our future. Cleveland is a waterfront city, and in this episode, you will hear how technology, entrepreneurship, destination development, maritime trade, and recreation are blossoming under our culture of freshwater stewardship.

This recording is from Eco Meet CLE, a gathering of local sustainability leaders held on November 18th at Great Lakes Brewing Company. Some have called us a beer-drinking group with a sustainability problem. It works. Eco Meet events are a fun way for people to connect and learn about impactful work in a fun and casual setting.

The topic for the night was our Blue Economy, and we brought together several speakers who reflected on their role in Cleveland's water economy and how this shared asset, which must be protected, makes our waterfront such a vibrant and engaging space for residents, visitors, business, and career development. Our panelists included:

1. Emily Bacha, Director of the Cuyahoga County Fresh Water Institute
2. Samantha Martin, Director of Communications and Engagement, Cleveland Water Alliance
3. Kierra Cotton, Marketing and Communications Manager, the Port of Cleveland
4. Captain Drew Ferguson, Founder and CEO of Argonaut
5. Kate Wells, Manager of Environmental Stewardship and Quality, Interlake Steamship Company
6. Max Pennington, Co-Founder of CLEANR

If you care about clean water, good jobs, and resilient cities, this story is yours. Follow, share with a friend who loves Lake Erie, and leave a quick review to help more people discover how Northeast Ohio turns stewardship into strength.

A clarification for listeners: Cleveland's Irishtown Bend Park is expected to be completed in 2028 or 2029, following the Port of Cleveland's stabilization of the hillside in 2026.

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Cities don’t forget—their land remembers. In this episode, we speak with Isaac Robb, Chief Urban Program Officer at Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and explore how his organization works to turn Cleveland's vacant and underutilized land into living assets, including neighborhood parks, memorial gardens, and reforestation programs that cool, calm, and reconnect neighborhoods. Hear what Isaac loves most about Cleveland and what surprised him most when first coming here in 2105.

The Western Reserve Land Conservancy is a land trust known for farmland preservation, but also built a robust urban program from the tragedy of the foreclosure crisis. Programs to reforest the city, create community parks and green spaces, and reconnect residents with the land in their own backyard are improving health and quality of life.

The Conservancy's urban projects honor community memories and experiences and offer healing and reconnection by planning guided by environmental justice, public health, and the power of place. Join us to hear about the people who founded this work and those who shepherd it today, and the many ways to be a part of this transformative work.

Learn More:

• About the Conservancy
• Conservancy Projects
• Getting Involved

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Brodie Longo is a young organizer and director of the Northeast Ohio chapter of Beyond Plastics. This grassroots organization works to combat plastic pollution and the use of single-use plastics through education and activism. In this episode, Brodie speaks about what it's been like starting a local Beyond Plastics chapter and how, at just 23 years old, he found himself leading in ways he did not expect. Together with his steering committee and volunteers, Brodie is building momentum against single-use plastic, from hosting nurdle patrols and beach cleanups to venue recycling and advocating for policy and legislative change. Hear Brodie's tips for reducing your exposure to microplastic pollution and how to join meetings, find resources, and get involved with this newly formed organization.

Our Guest:

Brodie Longo - Director, NEO Chapter of Beyond Plastics brodielongo@yahoo.com

Resources:

Beyond Plastics National Organization

The Problem with Plastic by Judith Enck

Follow Beyond Plastics on Facebook

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Anthony Iovine is the sales manager for Gateway Products Recycling, a family-owned paper recycling company, in business for over 30 years in Ohio and Pennsylvania. When asked why he loves his job, he says it's "waking up every day to save the planet - one bale of cardboard at a time."

Paper recycling has been around since about 1031 AD, and is one of recycling’s success stories. The U.S. recycles around 46 million tons of fiber annually, according to the American Forest and Paper Association. In this episode, Anthony busts a few recycling myths. He gives us an insider's look at the paper recycling industry, the role of intermediate processors like himself who collect, grade, and bale paper before shipping it to domestic mills to be made into new products. Tony also shares how the industry has changed over the years, the impact of China's National Sword policy, and the importance of paper recycling in a world of growing consumption and dwindling resources.

Gateway collects source-separated paper, cardboard, plastic, and metals from commercial customers - ranging from food manufacturers and grocery stores to stadiums and distribution centers. This sorted material yields cleaner, more valuable recyclables, enabling Gateway to move between 15,000 and 18,000 tons of materials through its plants each month, with the final stop being mills that make recycled boxes, gypsum board, cellulose insulation, and tissue products. All these efforts help keep forests standing, while protecting ecosystems, water and energy. Listen and hear how Gateway can turn your workplace waste back into resources.

Learn More:

About Gateway Recycling

American Forest and Paper Association

Plastic China Documentary

China's National Sword Policy

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Did you know that laundry is the #1 source of microplastic pollution? With every load of laundry, millions of tiny plastic particles come off our synthetic clothes, down the drain, and into our waterways. In this episode, we speak with Max Pennington, Co-Founder and CEO of CLEANR. Max and his partners may have the solution to plastic pollution we've been looking for. His Cleveland-based company recently launched a patented filter that captures up to 90% of all microplastics from your washing machine before they enter the drain. Max developed this breakthrough technology with fellow engineering students Chip Miller and David Dillman within the Sears think[box], an innovation lab at Case Western Reserve University.

Their VORTX filter design was inspired by the gills of fish, specifically by the way manta rays and basking sharks filter feed. This biomimicry-based design creates a vortex that keeps the filter from clogging while effectively capturing harmful microplastics. These young entrepreneurs recently launched their company CLEANR, with a filter that easily attaches to any washing machine.

Hear how Max and his partners plan to bring this technology to market. Their CLEANR filter is currently available as an external washing machine attachment for $299. The ultimate goal is to integrate it directly into washing machines, making microplastic filtration as standard as lint traps in dryers. The company is also exploring applications beyond laundry, including whole-home water filtration to protect against microplastics entering our bodies through drinking water.

Capturing microplastics before they enter our waterways could be a real game-changer, especially if supported by legislators and policymakers. Would they go for it? Max thinks so. Already, five U.S. states have introduced legislation requiring microplastic filters on washing machines, with similar momentum building in Europe.

With synthetic fibers from our clothing accounting for 35% of all plastic pollution in our water systems, the implications extend far beyond environmental protection. Recent studies have found alarming connections between microplastics in the human body and increased risk of heart disease and other health conditions. These plastic particles have been discovered in human blood, brains, and even the placentas of newborn babies. With an estimated 22 million pounds of microplastic particles entering the Great Lakes annually, the Cleaner team aims to make Cleveland "ground zero in the fight against microplastic pollution," tackling it one laundry load at a time.

Learn More:

About our Guest, Max Pennington, Co-Founder and CEO of CLEANR

About CLEANR

About buying a CLEANR Filter

About Sears think[box]

About microplastics and laundry

About Microplastics and the Great Lakes

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Inlet Dance Theatre is a modern dance company in Cleveland, founded in 2001 by our guest, Bill Wade, a renowned dancer and choreographer who uses the power of dance to further people and explore human, societal, and environmental issues through movement. Located within the Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression on West 25th Street in Cleveland, Inlet's Dance Studio is called The Estuary, reflecting the company's nature-based and sustainability themes.

Inlet's mission aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, which promote health and well-being, quality education, equality, and sustainable cities. Deeply rooted in Cleveland, Inlet is helping nurture and grow the next generation of artists by offering free dance classes in public schools and other community programs. Bill explains that talent is everywhere, but access to developing that talent is not. He started Inlet to expose urban youth to the power of the arts and provide opportunities, mentorship, and creative expression to individuals who might otherwise lack access.

The connection between dance and sustainability may seem unexpected, but the arts are universally relatable and offer a unique opportunity to promote environmental awareness. "Don't put on stage what is. Put on stage what could be," Wade says, capturing how art contributes to sustainability by envisioning possibilities rather than dwelling on problems. In a world facing climate change and social inequities, Inlet Dance Theater reminds us that sustainability isn't just technical solutions – it requires creative spaces where we can collectively imagine and embody more hopeful futures.

Enjoy this episode of Eco Speaks CLE as Bill describes his work, his creative process, some of the pieces in his repertoire, his love of Cleveland and its youth, and upcoming appearances for his company.

Guest:

Bill Wade, Founder and Executive/Artistic Director of Inlet Dance Theatre

Resources:

About Inlet Dance Theatre and Upcoming Performances

Education and Community Programs

Cain Park Annual Performance and Calendar of Events

Aim2Flourish and The Lavender Project

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