Alizee Buysschaert is one of the most passionate people I’ve met when it comes to living a more sustainable life. Her passion is waste… that is helping companies and individuals work toward a zero-waste lifestyle. I first met Alizee when she came to speak at a community forum organized by a multinational fashion brand. Her enthusiasm and uncompromising approach in sharing the message that there is another way we can consume knew no bounds. From making her own natural make up (using coco and beetroot) to running composting workshops, this was a woman on a mission. To share the message that each purchase we make has a consequence (sadly in most of cases it’s a negative environmental one) and we must all take responsibility for being part of the solution. I left the forum feeling inspired and curious-could I make changes which could really make a difference?
Initially skeptical over the next week I noticed my behavior change, becoming very aware of all the unnecessary packaging, waste and ‘stuff’ that surrounded my daily life. I began to feel anxious about all the unnecessary ‘stuff’ crowding my apartment and started to challenge myself when I got the urge to buy more, on a subconscious level her message had very much resonated with me and with little effort I began to refuse what I didn’t need and reuse those forgotten but loved objects and place more value on what I already owned. It was the passion with which she delivers her message which really turns words into actions for the many people who meet her and her team. It’s evident by the community which has built up around her –her Zero waste wechat has over 400 followers, her website zerowasteshanghai.com is a destination for information and she is regularly contacted by companies wanting her expertise on how they can make changes.
As much as success has come quickly she remains very modest, insisting that the community exists in spite of her, she sees herself as a global citizen and that wherever we are in the world we need to be more conscious of how we consume. With the scale of influence she can have on China, it would be easy to categorize this a China story but she sees her business very much on a global scale, for her this is not a project based here in Shanghai but something which is her very purpose, her legacy.
Like many new startups the beginning phases have their challenges but what has been evident is that people are drawn to her not because of the success of her company but because they are motivated by purpose. They see her work as contributing to real change and many volunteer their time to help her build a company that can make a difference. She is very clear though, that she will only take on a new hire if she can afford them and if she can pay them a real salary, working with a free enterprise approach she allows her team to really drive their own success and have the autonomy to be able to take decisions and create opportunity, in return all she asks in communication. By giving her team the freedom they need to thrive it allows her business to grow in a sustainable way, each individual sees their results and is compensated accordingly-it has allowed her to continue to move forward without having to rely on a strict company hierarchy or end to the needs of investors.
On a practical level, she embodies the zero waste 5 R mantra Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot. Firmly believing the current focus on recycling is not the full answer, it’s about a holistic lifestyle change incorporating all the 5Rs that will make the difference. Her reality is to refuse a plastic bottle of water she doesn’t need, work with companies to reduce the amount of packaging they use, reuse a piece of cloth or paper if she must wrap a gift (yes, she even asks for the cloth back afterwards if the person isn’t going to use it) recycle what can’t be reused, and run compositing workshops to show us that even on a balcony in Shanghai the 5th R is still possible.
Like every businessperson she strives to achieve the balance between the many different parts in her life, managing partner, advisor, pioneer, entrepreneur, friend, girlfriend, gym bunny. She uses exercise to help her gain that perspective, aswell surrounding herself with a strong network of positive supportive people who help to keep her grounded. Juggling a startup especially one with as much growth potential as this takes a strong person, bags of determination, hard work and a passion for change, all of which she thrives on and makes her one of our most inspiring #changemakers.
To learn more //www.zerowasteshanghai.com/