A Story of How To Make Change Eric Lombardi Executive Director Eco-Cycle International Boulder, CO. USA www.EcocycleInternational.org Eco-Cycle International-2014
And it was FULL of great new ideas Eco-Cycle International-2014
A Story of Change
“Zero Waste Community Planning”
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“ZW Planning”
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Let’s Do It !
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Let’s Do It !
Huh ?
A Story of Change
So the ball starts rolling…
The City Council Staff
The “Stakeholders” Table Eco-Cycle International-2014
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The “Stakeholders” Table “Stakeholders” are the major players impacted by the idea … Mission
people … love change, low risk to them
Profit people … love status quo, hate risk to them Government people … usually stuck “mediating”
RESULT: Paralysis and Protectionism
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The Problem Statement “Stakeholders” have different goals and needs, and bringing them together to achieve a common plan of action results in a “lowest common denominator” approach that is usually not satisfying to anyone and is a weak response to a major social problem.
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It’s true … we do need the Stakeholders Table …
But - we go to it too quickly and with the wrong agenda First we need
“The Community Table” To establish the
A strong vision, not a watered-down one, of what the community benefit and goals should be. Eco-Cycle International-2014
A Story of Change
The Community-Benefit Table • What is The Vision? • What is the Goal? What is the end-game?” • Only Government and Mission folks at the table because the “profit-motive” is too powerful to be transparent. “No Waste - No Bury, No Burn of Resources” “”
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The Community-Benefit Table The Vision and Goal is now Clear “Zero Waste”
The Stakeholders Table Message: “The greenest companies will win the profits in the future.” The “Private-Benefit” Table is a better name. Profit folks Mission groups/people with a self-interest Eco-Cycle International-2014
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Challenge #1 “Who runs the Community Table ?� Answer:
An outside expert Example: City of Boulder Municipalization of Local Electric Utility Heather Bailey 30 years of experience in the utility industry as a regulator, utility executive, and consultant.
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Challenge #2 “How to implement and enforce community change?” Answer:
“Rates and Dates Benchmarks” Example: British Columbia, Canada “Take-Back” Regulations on Hazardous Products
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The Key to Success: Strong Government Leadership
The “power” to make change is with elected officials The “end-game” is to stop talking and make change happen!
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Challenge #3 But how does one get “Strong Government Leadership?”
There are actually two kinds of power that make change happen: The “inside” power and The “outside” power Eco-Cycle International-2014
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It is Strategic Planning for Community Benefit Eco-Cycle International-2014
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The “Inside – Outside” Change Model
The “inside” power = the Government and
The “outside” power = the Community Advocates for Change
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When the “Inside – Outside” players agree on the Goal this approach Works! • Think of how Big Business lobbies our
elected officials for their private gain;
• Think of this as a Citizen Lobby for our
collective gain (once called community organizing)
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Examples: 1)LBJ and MLK weekly phone calls 2)City of Lafayette, CO wants curbside for all 3)Boulder, CO wants greener electricity
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The secret = the “Inside” actually needs the “Outside”
Why? Politicians attack each others ideas But they don’t attack the Ideas from the public And Change is about implementing new ideas! Eco-Cycle International-2014
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New Idea
“Zero Waste Planning for Community Benefit� ChangeMakers
City Council The inside-outside citizen lobby
The Community-Benefit Table
The Stakeholders Table
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It is Strategic Planning for Community Benefit Eco-Cycle International-2014
A Story of Change