Jeremy Drake is a Zero Waste consultant with over 10 years of experience in community planning, program planning and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and education. Jeremy was the lead author of the Missoula ZERO by FIFTY Zero Waste Plan and facilitated a Zero Waste planning process with Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS), culminating in a strategic action plan and the launch of Montana’s first school-wide Zero Waste pilot program. He is now assisting with expanding Zero Waste programs across MCPS schools and operational sites.
Jeremy was a member of Montana’s 2018 Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) Task Force where he worked with Montana DEQ to define goals, develop recommendations, and review preliminary drafts of the document. He has convened and facilitated multiple community dialogues (organics, C&D, renewable energy) and has spearheaded several community education initiatives including an award-winning elementary school Zero Waste Ambassadors Program (ZWAP!), Missoula’s ZERO by FIFTY Community Series, and Missoula’s Fixit Clinics. Educational resources Jeremy has developed include the City of Missoula Deconstruction ReSource Guide, the community resource website zerobyfiftymissoula.com, the ZERO by FIFTY Events Toolkit, and a Zero Waste Classroom Guide for teachers.
Beyond Montana, Jeremy has conducted Zero Waste planning for Broomfield, CO and the communities of South Orange and Maplewood, New Jersey. He has conducted diversion data collection for San Francisco Environment’s Commercial Zero Waste program and is currently facilitating the development of a Zero Waste Fact Sheet for the global #breakfreefromplastic movement. Jeremy is a Certified Zero Waste Associate and instructor with Zero Waste USA as well as Speaker Coordinator for the 2021 National Zero Waste Conference presented by Zero Waste USA and the National Recycling Coalition.