We are building more sustainable communities with a small but dedicated team. In this rubric, we give each member of our team the chance to introduce themselves to you. This week, it is Charissa's turn, our Marketing Intern.
Although you can find short introductions of our team members on the “About us” page, we thought it was about time for you to get to know us a bit better. Last time, Maarten told you all about his life. This week, Charissa will take you along on her journey at Byewaste, sharing her vision on sustainability and our company.
Hi there! Who are you? Tell us something about yourself!
Hi! My name is Charissa.
I’m a 21 year old student studying International Business. I live in Maastricht, the very south of the Netherlands, where I enjoy spending my time in the parks, strolling down the beautiful streets, and rummaging through the thrift stores.
When not outside, I love reading, watching movies and tv shows, and cooking with a glass of red wine and some good music. This is one of the best habits I picked up when I lived in Paris.
What do you do at Byewaste?
As the Marketing Intern, I am here to assist and learn from the marketeers at Byewaste. I help them spread the word about the company in multiple ways. Some examples are curating the posts for social media and reaching out to others.
How did you end up at Byewaste?
As I am a second year student, it was time for me to start looking for an internship. My initial plan was to start one next academic year, but when I saw Byewaste, their missions, and their open position, I knew I had to take this chance.
Why did you want to work for the company?
I have always had an affinity for sustainability and everything that has to do with it. During my studies I began to realise that marketing can be a very powerful tool and I made a deal with myself that I would only work for a company who’s vision I support. Byewaste does that in more than one way, so it was a no-brainer!
What do you like most about your job?
I love the company culture and the way everyone treats each other. When talking about marketing specifically, I enjoy that I get the freedom to work on the projects provided to me.
I like to think creatively as often as I can, so being able to do just that while completing my task makes the job so much easier and better!
And what do you like least about it?
As I have basically just started, I have yet to find out if there are any major things I don’t like. So far, I am enjoying all aspects of the internship.
Why do you think that people should start recycling and reusing more?
Why not? There are so many different reasons as to why recycling and reusing are a better option. Not only reasons that benefit the environment, such as the fact that we are rapidly using up natural resources. But also reasons that benefit ourselves, as recycling and reusing are generally speaking so much cheaper than continuously having to buy new items.
What is the nicest item that you have ever thrifted?
As I thrift all of my clothing, I usually have a hard time finding jeans that fit me both in length and size. This one time, I was very much in need of new jeans and preferably black ones. I did not think I would find something, but I walked into the Freepstar (a second hand shop in Paris) and pulled a pair of black Armani jeans in my size from the rack.
The best part? They were only 5 euros.
When would you have especially benefited from a service like Byewaste yourself?
I used to have a really hard time getting rid of clothing and shoes that I didn’t wear or fit anymore. I always came up with excuses as to why I should keep them. However, this one time I was over it and I wanted to give those clothing items a second life.
I had two piles of clothes: away and keep. It would be so much easier and more time-efficient for me if there were a service like Byewaste to help me get rid of the “away” pile.
How are you contributing to a more sustainable future in your personal life?
As previously mentioned, I thrift all of my clothes and try to thrift other things I need as well. Even though I buy all of my clothing second hand, I still try to not over consume and only buy things I need or really want.
Besides that, I have been vegetarian for most of my life, and I try to make vegan switches where possible.
Which sustainable habit would you like to apply in your daily life?
I usually buy my produce at a grocery store, however I would like to change that and visit a farmer’s market more often. I think it’s such a pity that most of the produce in shops are packaged in unnecessary plastic. And I would love to support the local farmers as well.
There’s a farmer’s market twice a week in my city but I am usually busy those mornings or I forget about them. It would be an easy switch to just make a habit of going there and putting it in my planner!
