About No Waste Plant Based

My name is Mara Flynn and I'm a lifelong Bloomingtonian and vegetarian-turned-vegan. I hate disposable plastic, and I love cooking and sharing vegan food. I am currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Sustainability degree at IU's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

The year after that, in my public speaking class, I gave a speech arguing for a ban on single-use plastic. I was already aware of the basics of plastic pollution, but what I learned while researching for the speech shocked me, and I stopped buying products that came in disposable plastic packaging. In doing so, I noticed how many of the foods I often bought, like sandwich bread and nondairy milk, were impossible to find in stores without packaging.

Over the next couple years, I cooked more and more and started making foods myself that I used to buy, including nut milk and peanut butter. I had ideas about selling meals and food staples to other college students as an alternative to packaging-heavy restaurant carryout and regular grocery store products, but I was too busy with school to develop these plans.

After graduation, I got serious about the project, gave it a name, and launched No Waste Plant Based at the beginning of 2021. I expanded the catalogue and in 2022, introduced weekly dinners for pickup.