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BY ANNIE ROTH \u2018Our trash doesn\u2019t disappear, it goes somewhere\u2019\u2014\u2009and in a circular economy, it could be a valuable resource, says this environmentalist.<\/span><\/p>\n Banana peels<\/b> and plastic straws are little more than garbage in most of the world. To environmental educator Lillygol Sedaghat, they\u2019re precious commodities. For the past two years, the 27-year-old National Geographic explorer has traveled the globe to advocate for the untapped potential of trash. The linear economy, where resources are turned into disposable products, \u201cis no longer sustainable,\u201d Sedaghat says. She aims to promote a circular economy, in which \u201cyou maximize your resources and minimize your waste.\u201d Since 2017 Sedaghat has researched one of the world\u2019s most efficient waste management systems: Taiwan recycles nearly half its municipal waste and has reduced the amount sent to landfills to less than one percent\u2014turning plastic waste into cell phone cases and food scraps into fertilizer. To Sedaghat, it\u2019s a prime example of how a zero-waste economy can work. Her goal? For people \u201cto realize a) they are a part of a waste system, b) they could make a difference and live a more sustainable lifestyle, [and] c) that our trash doesn\u2019t disappear, it goes somewhere and affects someone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Learn more about plastic waste and take the pledge to reduce it at natgeo.com\/plasticpledge. Source: National Geographic Magazine, December 2019 issue. BY ANNIE ROTH Photograph by Rebecca Hale She sees trash as a precious commodity \u2018Our trash doesn\u2019t disappear, it goes somewhere\u2019\u2014\u2009and in a circular economy, it could be a valuable resource, says this environmentalist. Banana peels and plastic straws are little more than garbage in most of the world. To environmental educator Lillygol Sedaghat, they\u2019re precious commodities. For the past<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"two_page_speed":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pcc-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/span><\/b>Photograph by Rebecca Hale<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nShe sees trash as a precious commodity<\/b><\/h3>\n
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\nLillygol Sedaghat is an alumni of Iranian School of San Diego (ISSD).<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"