From Tent Worms to Zero Waste: A Journey in Environmental Stewardship

By Liz Crawford, Founder of Low Waste Collective

Liz Crowther specializes in zero-waste implementation and project management

When I was little, I’d ride my bike around the neighborhood looking for tent worms on the sidewalk in summertime. They were easy to find, and I’d pick them up and move them to the grass to make sure no one could step on them. I’ve always cared for the environment, which made it an easy focus for my career– bringing together early experiences with insights into how local and federal governments impact our lives.

Early Roots Caring for the Natural World

I was born and grew up in Panama, where nature was a loud and relevant part of everyday life.

Some terrain can be mountainous and tricky to navigate, especially for residents living in rural areas where established waste systems often lack the operational consistency needed to keep areas litter-free. While waste haulers do make their way to more rural, mountainous neighborhoods like the one where I grew up, and where my family now lives, when I visit, I still see litter piling up on street sides and witness trash burning as a frequent, viable option for our neighbors.

Academic Foundation

I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a double major in Spanish and environmental studies, to celebrate and better understand environmental movement work, social justice, and ethics on a global level. My senior capstone project focused on composting operations among food providers in urban settings.

I then earned my masters in Community Development and Planning, working with youth on urban farms and transforming discarded urban plots into green spaces for community use. Affecting change on the local level brought visible, tangible changes to those nearby, which at the time felt like the most relevant impact on the planet.

Starting in Local Government 

After graduate school, I joined the City of Falls Church, Virginia, as their environmental services specialist, supporting all operations within the Department of Public Works (DPW). I led the update for outreach materials for the recycling coordinator, conducted transportation weather safety outreach, and supported the stormwater manager to maintain Clean Water Act inspections for best management practices (BMPs). 

Learning in Appalachia

I then spent a few months in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, leading trail work with diverse youth through the organization MobilizeGreen. Working alongside National Forest Service staff in remote Appalachia reinforced how important it is for the government to use taxpayers’ dollars properly to best represent rural needs. 

Growing Expertise in Arlington

While on a bus ride in the mountains, I had my final interview call with Arlington County Government, leading to a start date right after I returned from West Virginia. I worked as a recycling outreach specialist with the Department of Environmental Services, Solid Waste Bureau, creating bilingual outreach programming for more than 4,000 businesses.

I earned certifications as a LEED Green Associate and TRUE Zero Waste Advisor and completed the then Energy Masters Program (now EcoAmbassadors), helping weatherize and optimize energy usage in affordable housing units between Arlington County and Alexandria. For DMV-based residents with some evenings and weekends available, I recommend working with EcoAction Arlington to impact change and connect with other sustainability-focused professionals. 

The Pandemic Shift

Halfway through my time at Arlington County, the pandemic hit. My colleague and I fielded hundreds of phone calls and emails from home-bound residents and businesses during lockdown. Families were purging their homes and had more questions than answers: Are CDs recyclable? What do I do with 30 cans of paint that’s been in the garage for a decade? As a recycling expert, I quickly realized how intricately connected we are to our possessions, what we throw out, and how useful it is to connect residents with programs, services, and resources to lower waste at home and work. 

Liz with the Low Waste Collective, conducting a waste audit with Ana Marie King in collaboration with Femme Fatale DC

Launching Low Waste Collective

I started the Low Waste Collective to highlight local low-waste initiatives, and I am hopeful that it will expand to have a global impact. As a business, we conduct formal waste characterization studies for enterprises, residences, and large-scale office buildings. Typically required by code or mandate for new builds or renovations, a waste audit is a physical sort of trash and recycling to determine the composition of discarded materials. This data gives insight into what is being wasted, what can be recycled, reused, and reduced. Waste is a key indicator of inefficiency, which in the business world means money down the drain. Waste audits help increase recycling with a commitment to protect the environment.

The Pentagon Chapter

While creating content for the Low Waste Collective– and still at Arlington County– I was offered a position to oversee waste operations as a contracted project manager at the Pentagon. This role was meant to be: I met someone who worked in the basement of the Pentagon conducting environmental compliance work, and my gut instinct told me I wanted to be in the same place (almost every office feels like the basement there). 

Working on-site with dozens of stakeholders, managing 20+ staff and managing over a dozen other contracts in the area was deeply fulfilling. Zero Waste Solutions has an amazing portfolio across the nation, with staff working around the clock to deliver the best customer service in waste management. If you’re looking for a waste hauler for an individual/long-term project or looking to switch contractors, please reach out to me, and I can connect you with their team.

My 8+ years serving local and federal government waste management systems marries the pace and rhythm of local and federal government work with how sustainability affects everyone on- and off-site, not just those interested in advancing alternative, “green” policy. From analyzing waste hauler contracts to showing friends and family that composting is easy at home, I created the Low Waste Collective to encourage agency and action, along with corporate responsibility, to help lower waste in our world. I interview various entities that conduct low-waste initiatives and occasionally organize events that support businesses and residents in lowering their waste.

Looking Ahead

Moving forward, I’m taking my career toward larger portfolio project management work and continuing in zero-waste and sustainability operations. Please stay in touch: I love virtual coffees, informational interviews, and any excuse to try a new restaurant in the District! To schedule a spotlight conversation on a low-waste initiative (work, business, project), contact Liz here: elizabeth.a.crowther@gmail.com / lowwastecollective.hq@gmail.com. LinkedIn: Liz Crowther | LinkedIn. Check out my website here: https://www.lowwastecollective.com/