#WasteLessWednesday is a nonprofit organization that encourages consumers to try one new way to reduce waste and recycle more every week.

You’ve heard about that giant swath of plastic debris floating around the Pacific Ocean, right? Its official name is the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” and it is said to be twice the size of Texas.

Between this well-publicized mass of marine detritus, and familiar images of sea turtles with drinking straws lodged through their noses, people are getting more worried about water pollution.  Activists are calling on restaurants, hotels, airlines, and other hospitality businesses to phase out straws and reduce packaging, and many big corporate names are beginning to step up.

But we all can do more. Join the #WasteLessWednesday movement to learn simple things you can do to lighten your environmental footprint–no matter where you live, work, shop, dine and play. All you have to do is watch for our colorful new EnviroGifs every Wednesday, and try implementing these simple tips whenever you can.

Established as a nonprofit organization in 2021, #WasteLessWednesday is inviting consumers, recycling coordinators, retailers, product manufacturers, lifestyle brands and other partners to become part of this movement.

Founding Directors

WasteLessWednesday is not your everyday nonprofit public service campaign. #WLW was created by advertising professionals who have a long track record of producing memorable, fun, and effective campaigns that protect the environment.

Valerie Salinas-Davis

Favorite #WLW Gif: Not a creature was stirring

Valerie teaches Environmental Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, and is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. She is a cofounder of America Recycles Day, and led the agency EnviroMedia as CEO for 22 years. Valerie is 2021 Board Chair of the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and a former board member of Austin Habitat for Humanity. She received a Bachelor of Journalism in Public Relations from UT Austin, and is a winner of the American Advertising Federation-Austin Silver Medal Award for outstanding contributions to advertising and furthering the industry's standards, creative excellence, and responsibility in areas of social concern. Valerie is author of the upcoming book, Green-ish: How To Protect the Environment Without Hugging A Tree, which she’s writing entirely outdoors to emphasize the point that the more time you spend outside the more likely you are to protect the environment. After four years as mama to Sancha–a blue-eyed lab-husky mix rescue–Valerie has a new theory: after you get a pet you become more empathetic to protecting all wildlife, including snakes, scorpions and other creepy-crawly things.

Patti Englebert

Favorite #WLW Gif: Seas the day

Patti started her advertising career in New York as an Executive Producer working for many years at top agencies for Fortune 500 clients and winning awards including Addys, One Show Pencils and Clios.  Patti met Valerie and Millie while working at EnviroMedia. As Creative Services Director, Patti served as Executive Producer and Studio Manager for a wide variety of campaigns that protect the environment and public health.  On the 20th anniversary of America Recycles Day in 2017, Patti helped create the #WasteLessWednesday campaign as a social media project for EnviroMedia. When Valerie and Millie invited Patti to help turn #WLW into its own nonprofit organization she said “Yes!” and was eager to return to leveraging her creative skills to protect the environment. Spending time with family is Patti’s favorite thing to do–especially on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Millie Salinas-Davis

Favorite #WLW Gif: Deja brew

Millie has more than 30 years of experience in marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales. As principal at EnviroMedia, she managed Spanish-language and Hispanic-focused campaigns for clients in the environmental and public health arenas. She’s also served as an outreach coordinator for the insure-a-kid children’s health insurance campaign of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, activity manager for seniors at Metz Recreation Center in Austin, and managed the Austin and Seattle offices of ProtectionOne (formerly Westinghouse Security). Millie has a bachelor’s degree in criminology and corrections from Sam Houston State University, where she played tennis on scholarship.  In 2005, Millie built the “enviro-hacienda” where she, Valerie and Sancha live in the Texas Hill Country south of Austin.