In the Wild: Israel Ademola Okeyinka with the California Product Stewardship Council
My name is Israel Ademola Okeyinka, and I am a second-year student in the Environmental Policy and Management program at UC Davis. My area of interest is in waste management policies and the circular economy. I hold a BSc in Environmental Science and Resource Management from the National Open University of Nigeria, with 4 years of professional experience in environmental education, solid waste management, recycling and upcycling, circular economy, sustainability, and community-based projects. After graduation, I aim to shift my career towards developing Extended Producer Responsibility policy solutions to emerging waste streams and implementing recovery programs for waste products.
The most exciting part of my practicum with the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) was witnessing how sustainability ideas can transition from planning to tangible impact.
I joined CPSC during the summer when they started the CalRecycle HD 43 Solar Panel Reuse and Recycling Project in partnership with StopWaste of Alameda County. The project aims to identify reuse and recycling opportunities for decommissioned solar panels, build a network of local recyclers, re-users and installers, and develop a model for statewide collection and education events. Project management quickly became the heart of my work. I designed a multi-tab Google Tracker to map every solar panel recycler, installer, and reuse business in Alameda County. What began as a spreadsheet will become a decision-making tool that CPSC and county partners can use to plan future collection events and identify reuse opportunities.
Midway through the summer, I helped CPSC lead a statewide Textile webinar, “Textile Regulations: Healthcare and Hospitality Sector,” from ideation to completion, advancing CPSC’s educational advocacy for SB 707 (Newman) - The Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, the state’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law for textiles.The bill that requires producers of textiles to fund programs that reuse, repair, and recycle unwanted textiles in California. By 2030, residents will have free, convenient drop-off locations, with funding to support thrifts, collectors and repair businesses, keeping textiles out of landfills to build a circular textile future. I watched over a hundred industry professionals join to learn about the compliance and funding opportunities of SB 707 (Newman).
I supported CPSC’s policy work by helping draft public comments for bills and programs shaping California’s circular economy landscape, from public comments on SB 707 (Newman) regulatory process, to DTSC’s microplastics rulemaking, Mattress Stewardship, Carpet Stewardship, DTSC Household Hazardous Waste Management Plan, and SB 54 (Allen) Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. Every letter reflects how research and public engagement converge to influence actionable policies and sustainable environmental outcomes.
One of the most memorable outreach experiences I participated in was the Refuel Your Fun (RFYF) Propane events at a street fair in Oakland. I assisted with staffing the CPSC’s Refuel Your Fun (RFYF) booth, in partnership with Alameda County and Flame King, to educate residents about the benefits of switching from single-use propane cylinders to reusable ones. This reminded me that community education fosters behavioral and attitudinal change towards the environment.
The second memorable outdoor event was my visit to a farm in Vacaville with my supervisor for the Solano Solar Pilot. We met with a local reuse business owner who has creatively repurposed solar panels to power water pumps for a cattle farm, an inspiring example of how reuse can create practical and local solutions.
Outside the office, I networked with CPSC’s stakeholders. I attended the CalRecycle and Elk Grove Household Hazardous Waste Informational Exchange event in Elk Grove, CalRecycle’s SB 707 informational workshop, and organized stakeholder lunch and coffee meetups. Additionally, I joined the Statewide Textile Recovery Act Taskforce (STRAT), where stakeholders and industry professionals discussed how to advance the textile circular economy in California.
As summer comes to a close, I developed a Solar Panel Recovery Educator Toolkit webpage, which is now live on the CPSC website. This ready-to-use digital solar end-of-life curriculum is designed for educators and students to enhance their knowledge about solar end-of-life and promote the development of a solar circular economy.
Perhaps one of the most fulfilling outcomes of my practicum as a UC Davis graduate student is contributing to a peer-reviewed research article titled “Global Impacts from Local California Communities Leading on Solar Panel Reuse and Repair.” Collaborating with the CPSC Director of Advocacy, Joanne Brasch, and staff, Livia Keene, Senior Planner, Zero Waste Marin, Katherine Rico, a life-cycle assessment expert, Dr. Ramesh Srinivasan, and a visiting research faculty member at UC Davis, Thomas Hendrickson showed me how scientific research, local community pilots can influence global conversations on renewable energy, waste management and the circular economy.