A New Breakfast of Champions

Some of you may remember the old Wheaties cereal tagline that it was the “breakfast of champions.” The marketing people made sure to have endorsements by professional sports figures and Olympic medalists. I guess the thinking was that if YOU ate Wheaties, you also could be a champion of such distinction.

I’m here to ask you to consider being an even more important champion, one who will be an advocate for Goal 2 of the SWANA Strategic Plan that reflects our role in climate change. I know that with all that is going on in the world today, it can be hard to think of the potential environmental catastrophes faced here on earth over the next decade. But what scientists, engineers, and researchers have said certainly appear to be coming true.

Protection of people’s health and the environment are core principles of SWANA. So much so that in the current strategic plan, Forward, Together, there is an outcome that envisions resource management as a “critical national infrastructure.” We are called upon to address the effects of extreme weather and consumer items that can cause damage to facilities and workers. Further, SWANA commits to creating an organics management emphasis through working with partners and in the development of training materials.

There are a number of strategies that SWANA includes in how to become a climate champion. When you look at what we are facing, it can seem like a challenge with unimaginable goals. But we need to remember that “the longest journey begins with the first step.”

Think about where you are in your career, your responsibilities, your authority, your ability to participate in making change. All these things, along with your commitment to effect change, is what I think your “Wheaties” are in becoming a climate champion.

I urge you to get involved with your SWANA colleagues as we look at developing a technical policy and position on Extended Producer Responsibility, find ways to support resource management through SWANA training and certification courses, and how we will partner with organizations who share our vision to implement programs to recover organics as valuable resources.

You can do this. We can all do this. But we need to work together, to coordinate, to advocate, and to realize that with each small step we take at our job site, in our communities, and perhaps even with our elected representatives, we can truly become climate champions.

Please let me know of your suggestions and thoughts. I can be reached via email at ryep@swana.org.

Be well.