Achieving Zero Waste: Moving the Circular Economy from Idea to Practical Implementation
This event, presented in partnership with The New York Climate Exchange and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, starts with the premise that waste is a design flaw—in packaging, products, and the design and operation of our buildings and communities.
Speakers from the Center for Zero Waste Design, the U.S. Green Building Council, and CET, will lead a conversation sharing concrete steps architects, builders, building owners, and operators can take to eliminate waste and implement the circular economy in the built environment.
Guests of this event are welcome to join The New York Climate Exchange for a brief tour of Governors Island and lunch at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council before the program begins.
DESIGNING FOR ZERO WASTE
Speaker: Clare Miflin, Executive Director, Center for Zero Waste Design
Using Guidelines
Speaker: Celeste McMickle, TRUE Certification, U.S. Green Building Council
Practical Help to Implement
Speaker: Lorenzo Macaluso, Chief Growth Officer, CET
Conclusion: Climate Impact & Opportunities to Scale Faster
THE PANELISTS
Clare Miflin
Executive Director of the Center for Zero Waste Design
Clare envisions a future without garbage, where urban systems are woven into ecosystems. In 2017, she led the development of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, to show how to design the built environment to help cities achieve zero waste goals. As an architect, systems thinker, and biomimicry-certified professional, Miflin’s goal is to support designers, communities, and policymakers by making zero-waste strategies accessible and actionable in order to improve buildings, neighborhoods, and cities. Based in NYC, she is the Executive Director of the Center for Zero Waste Design, a non-profit that develops circular strategies for cities, as well as Principal at ThinkWoven, a zero-waste design consultancy.
Celeste McMickle
Director of Client Solutions for TRUE Zero Waste
Celeste is the Director of Client Solutions for TRUE Zero Waste certification with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). TRUE certification aims to support facilities and businesses in achieving their zero-waste goals by providing a clear path to certification using a points-based rating system and educational tools such as the TRUE Advisor program. Celeste is trained as an architect and has a background as a sustainability consultant, LEED Green rater, and waste expert. She has previously worked with Steven Winter Associates, DSNY, and the New York City Compost Project. She is the vice-chair of the Brooklyn Solid Waste Advisory Board and is a certified Master Composter.
Lorenzo Macaluso
Chief Growth Officer at CET
Lorenzo is the Chief Growth Officer at CET, where he has played a pivotal role since 2000 in advancing cutting-edge sustainability initiatives across New England and beyond. With over two decades of experience in waste diversion, program design, and business sustainability, Lorenzo is a nationally recognized and award-winning expert in waste reduction and energy strategies. A frequent speaker at national conferences and summits, Lorenzo is known for his expertise in integrating sustainability into business operations and public policy.
About the Organizations
The New York Climate Exchange is a nonprofit that unlocks climate solutions at speed and scale by activating a broad, multi-stakeholder model. Their physical campus, coming to Governors Island in 2029, will embody their approach.
CET helps people and businesses transition to a carbon-free future. With 50 years of experience, CET delivers practical climate solutions—reducing waste, preventing food loss, supporting building electrification, and scaling decarbonization across 18 states. Last year alone, CET helped avoid 365,000 tons of CO₂ emissions and diverted 40,000 tons of waste.
TRUE Zero Waste certification program is used by facilities to define, pursue, and achieve their zero-waste goals, cutting their carbon footprint and supporting public health. The certification goes beyond diversion numbers and focuses on the upstream policies and practices that make zero waste successful in any organization and beyond.
The Center for Zero Waste Design and ThinkWoven emerged from the Zero Waste Design Guidelines, which were developed in 2018 under the auspices of the AIA New York with support from the Rockefeller Foundation. They work with designers, organizations, communities, city agencies, policymakers, and activists to transform the built environment towards a zero-waste future.
Founded as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan. They envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.