Confetti’s Zero Waste Workshop — Meet Anne Therese Gennari

 Our virtual Zero Waste Workshop aims to teach people more sustainable ways of living, both in their personal and professional lives. It’s the perfect opportunity to help teams engage with a company’s sustainability initiatives!

And, rumor has it, the Zero Waste Workshop is led by some passionate eco-educators. One of those incredible eco-icons is Anne Therese Gennari — aka, the Climate Optimist.

Say hello! ✌

We wanted to take a moment to spotlight Anne Therese because, frankly, she’s pretty dang amazing. 

Here are a few quick facts about her:

• Swedish native, but currently in NYC 🌃
• Born an eco-warrior 💪
• Discovered her path as a climate optimist after struggling with intense anxiety over climate change 🌱
• Loves exploring the psychology behind adopting long-term zero waste habits in her classes 🧠

“I'm just so passionate about sharing what I've learned over the years and getting people excited and inspired to take action — no matter how big or small — to co-create a better world.”

If you’d like to learn more about Anne Therese & her incredible class, read our interview with her below!
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🎙 Confetti’s interview with Anne Therese

1. What does sustainability mean to you? 🌱

Sustainability to me means to care. You care for yourself, other people, the things that you own, and our precious planet. 

It can be confusing to know what is actually sustainable, but from an individual approach, it means that you love and care for all that you have. You recognize that the world can only be truly sustainable if it is so for everyone. 
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As soon as you start caring, sustainability will simply follow. 

2. How did you first become passionate about helping the Earth? 🌍

I spent a big part of my youth being anxious about climate change and the fact no one else was doing anything about it. Over the course of 15 years, that anxiety grew and I felt more and more powerless about what I could do.
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And then I had this turning point in my early twenties where I was like, okay, this is not working anymore. You're going to lose friends, no one will hang out with you anymore, and this is not a way to live life. 
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I got a message through this meditative experience that I was supposed to be a climate optimist. 
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I spent years trying to figure out what climate optimism meant and learned from my own mistakes that you can't just choose to be optimistic. 
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If you really wanna stay optimistic, you have to create that for yourself, be the change, and actively participate in the world that you wanna see. That led me to where I am today.

3. What made you want to educate others about living a more sustainable lifestyle? 📚

I think it’s so fun to live sustainably and with intention and I want as many as possible to experience that life alongside me. I find it necessary that we shift the narrative on our “heroic actions” from one of responsibility to one of opportunity, growth, and positive change. 
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We all hold the opportunity to co-create a better world and isn’t that a wonderful realization to wake up to? That is what I wish to plant in people in my classes!

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4. What’s your favorite part about the class you teach? 💖

My favorite part is the focus on psychology and how we shift our mindset around zero-waste actions. 
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Anyone can google how to live more sustainably at home, but if we haven’t learned how to address those tasks mentally and integrate activism as a natural part of our everyday lives, most “actions” will be short-lived and soon fade.

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5. What do you hope people can learn from you? 🤓

I hope people can learn that each and every one of us holds this incredible power to shift norms and write the script for a more beautiful tomorrow. 
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It is not too late to act and we happen to live in an incredibly exciting time to be alive – we all get to be part of making history as we transition into the new world.

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6. What’s a small step someone can take to help their company become more eco-friendly? 🐾

Action-inspired and uplifting notes and guides around the office. Showcase (and teach) how easy it is to recycle, compost, say no to unnecessary single-use plastics, and find ways to celebrate both joint and individual efforts. 
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Make it a company culture to care and that climate optimism will follow after office hours into people’s families and homes.

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7. Anything else you’d like to share? 💬

I’ll share a quote that I love, by the renowned American architect William McDonough: 
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We are there right now, at the bridge of a new era, and all of us get to write the script of what’s next to come! So don’t think for a second that your actions don’t matter.

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Want to learn more from Anne Therese and other eco-warriors like Monica Richards? 💪

Our exclusive Zero Waste Workshop covers everything you need to know to get started on living waste-free, including:
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• Waste culture and recycling
• Environmental and personal benefits
• No waste living without sacrificing convenience
• Everyday reusable essentials

Followed by a Q&A, where you can ask the instructor any questions about zero waste. Book our Zero Waste Workshop today!