Why running for office shouldn't be considered a *leap* from working in circularity and fashion & why we need more everyday people in government
In Episode 345, Kestrel welcomes Nicole Bassett, a leader in circular economy innovation and Oregon State Senate candidate, to the show. In the past, Nicole served as the Social Responsibility Manager at Patagonia, Director of Sustainability at prAna (where she led the launch of Fair Trade certified apparel in the US), and in 2015, she co-founded The Renewal Workshop, a factory that gave unsold products a second life. Today, she runs Citrus Circular, where she helps companies rethink how they operate from the inside out — to waste less and create more value. And she’s now running for State Senate in Oregon’s 26th District.
“Definitely it took me a while to even imagine myself running for office in any way because I just thought it was like, that's a thing a person who decides that they want to do politics does. But for me, and I think for a lot of the listeners and I know you, we have been trying to do change within the apparel industry for a long time. And when you're really focused on change, you focus on like where are the levers of change that can happen to make the biggest impact.” -Nicole
THEME — POLICY AS A LEVER TO ADDRESS TEXTILE WASTE & ADVOCATE FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
This week’s guest has an extensive track record of pushing sustainability-oriented initiatives forward in the textile sector, advocating for repair and helping businesses shift their practices toward supporting a circular economy.
Recently, she took a so-called leap into the world of politics, running for State Senate in Oregon. But should this move really be considered a leap? Why do we think of her – an everyday engaged citizen – as an unexpected candidate?
As she says, “technically, politics in America is representation of the people by the people – and so, average people should be in government.” But even for her, it took her a while to come around to imagining herself running for office. But she’s doing it.
For her, policy should support local communities and healthy soil health, while reducing waste. It should be about understanding how healthy economies and healthy ecosystems are connected, and it should be about active listening.
We talk about how vulnerability has influenced her career and current next step, how a circular economy and EPR fit into her political priorities, and how amidst all of today’s challenges, she stays optimistic.
Quotes and links from our conversation:
“And then I also just reflect back, like when we first started the Renewal Workshop and I was pitching it in 2014, and companies would say to us like — we only sell new things and we would never resell our product. And that myth has been busted. We have shifted the industry to have brands who are definitely into the resale as part of their business. And you can argue it's not more and big enough, but it exists — that is a culture change.” -Nicole
“I think over time, as we were talking about vulnerability — I can sit with the uncomfortable and be like, I'm not correct here and I have an opportunity to learn from this moment and this person.” -Nicole
Bassett For Oregon, Nicole’s campaign website
Cascade Circular , Nicole’s work in circularity
