Moving from San Diego to Miami gave Yadira Diaz a wake-up call.
"I saw a huge difference between San Diego and the way Miami was running businesses … it was very unsustainable," she told Refresh Miami. "Once I learned about our landfill crisis, I knew we weren't doing things the right way."
If you weren't aware, Miami-Dade County is in the midst of a big problem with its landfills. According to WUSF, the county's largest trash incinerator burned down in 2023, making landfills pile up with more and more waste, with no feasible solution in sight.
Diaz knew she had to do something. So she founded Gradible.
Gradible helps Miami businesses find more sustainable ways to operate, with a focus on waste management. Her startup also helps people find the most cost-effective and profitable methods, searching for rebates and tax cuts on behalf of businesses.
As far as its sustainable solutions go, it really depends on the business. For example, the company partnered with the Miami Downtown Development Authority in 2024 to help local restaurants develop sustainable practices.
Diaz told Refresh Miami, "Doing things like composting … recycling, adopting local organic produce, donating leftover meals, or selling these meals at a discounted price to generate revenue … are some of the solutions we will be offering."
Food waste is a huge issue. According to RTS, the U.S. discards the largest amount of food waste in the world. In a country where an estimated 35 million people suffer from food insecurity, organizations like Gradible are needed to stop leftovers from going into the trash and put otherwise good food on people's plates.
Gradible hasn't stopped there. Diaz is in the process of launching Gradible 2.0, the aptly named second step for her company. The website describes it as an online portal for Gradible clients to view all the resources and financial incentives out there for their newly adopted sustainability policies. This aims to streamline the process and make it easier than ever for businesses to go green and track the financial gains associated with doing so.
|
What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Saving money 💰 Empowering sustainable businesses is one of Diaz's main goals. In a write-up for Florida International University, she revealed that her initial vision for Gradible was to evaluate businesses' environmental impacts. However, she realized that helping them find solutions, rather than merely identifying the problem, was the right way to go.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
Waste management is key to a greener world. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, solid waste landfills — like the ones in Miami — are the third-largest source of manmade pollution in the nation. They release methane into the atmosphere, polluting the air and dangerously warming the planet.
Individuals can support a healthier future by getting involved in cleanup efforts and taking steps to minimize waste, and thanks to Diaz, more and more businesses are getting on board, too.
"By aligning business practices with environmental sustainability," Diaz told Canvas Rebel, "we have shown that what's good for business is also good for the environment."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
