From scraps to facts. How does a kid who grew up working in his family’s scrap yard become an award-winning journalist and author of two best-selling, critically acclaimed books about recycling?

“They always say, write what you know about. It turned out I knew something about scrap!”

Adam Minter’s career trajectory is undoubtably a fascinating story in and of itself, but his reporting on global recycling is equally as intriguing. Both “Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade” and “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale” flipped the script on the discussion around recycling as Adam travels the world to uncover facts about modern day recycling.

In the first installment of our two-part episode, Adam shines a light on the complicated factors that inform our perceptions about recycling and explores the way this influences our beliefs surrounding waste and recycling. Join us on Sustainably Speaking to hear Adam discuss his global adventures in recycling and his personal mission to get the facts out. This journalist’s journey might completely change the way you think about trash.

Adam Minter, Author & Bloomberg Opinion Columnist

Adam Minter is a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and the author of two best-selling, critically acclaimed books, Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade, and Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale. He is an expert and popular speaker on global sustainability, waste, and recycling.  In recent years he has extended his reporting and writing interests to the global business of sport.

Minter spent two decades living and writing in China and Malaysia. He continues to spend part of the year in Southeast Asia and the remainder in the American Midwest.

Mia Quinn, Senior Director, Public Affairs at American Chemistry Council  

Mia Quinn leads efforts to communicate the plastics industry’s major sustainability initiatives. She works to bring together experts to share insights in key areas of sustainability, including public policy, product design, recycling, and infrastructure.  

She is passionate about collaboration, clear communication, and engaging audiences to learn more about innovation and modern solutions for our communities and our country.  Mia has a degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis. She grew up in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado and is a lifelong Denver Broncos fan. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband