About us

AltaPasa Green Circle grew out of one woman’s passion for inspiring others to start a zero-waste journey.

As a Transition Pasadena core member, Michiko Lynch recognized that change starts at the community level. She started a zero-waste educational outreach table at the Altadena Farmers Market in 2016.

Since then, this grassroots effort has evolved into a collaborative venture that promotes an eco-conscious philosophy and builds community support for zero-waste practices.

Our Goal

Our main goal is to transform the Altadena Farmers Market into a zero-waste market. We hope to inspire other farmers markets to start their own zero-waste journey as well.

Get Involved

Our Approach

Make It Easy: We're building support for zero-waste practices through Plates for the People and Second-Chance Bags, making it as easy as possible for market vendors and patrons to choose reusables. We want to show that reducing single-use plastics and other waste is simple and enjoyable. Our hope is that choosing reusables over single-use products becomes second-nature.

Strong Partnerships: The only way we can achieve our zero-waste goal is through strong partnerships with market management and vendors. We're eternally grateful for the support from Altadena Farmers Market manager Stacey Whitney, whose deep commitment to sustainability is perfectly in sync with ours. We could not do this without her!

Building Community: While AltaPasa Green Circle springs from our deep concerns with climate change and plastic pollution (dark topics to say the least), we believe building strong community is the best way to address these crises. We like to have fun and aim to create an enjoyable experience for everyone involved with our zero-waste effort: market vendors, patrons, and especially our amazing volunteers.