Israel Okeyinka

Israel is a zero-waste advocate and circular-economy innovator with over 5 years of professional experience in solid waste management, the circular economy, and community-based environmental sustainability projects. He earned a BSc in Environmental Science and Resources Management from the National Open University of Nigeria in 2020 and a leadership certificate in Sustainable Waste Management from Lagos Business School, Nigeria, in 2024. Israel has successfully trained over 15,000 youth in schools and local communities through NGO’s and state-led advocacy projects on how to convert plastic, tire, and textile waste into products of environmental and economic value while promoting the principles of the circular economy. He joined EPM with a research interest in developing circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility policies that address emerging waste streams, including plastics, tires, solar panels, textiles, and EV battery waste. In 2025, Israel joined the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) as an intern, where he supported stewardship initiatives for solar panels and textiles, policy advocacy for extended producer responsibility. As he concludes his EPM journey, Israel is part of the policy clinic team working with Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., assessing directives and outcomes of U.S. microplastic study bills.