Sea Change 2019

Ruben Anderson

Ruben Anderson consults on behaviour change, sustainability and regenerative systems. Trained as a product designer, he brings the perspective of someone who has worked in the belly of the global mass-manufacturing system.

While working in the City of Vancouver’s Sustainability Group and with the Planning Department, Ruben advised on future-proofed, locally resilient systems and supervised a Zero Waste proposal for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He has also consulted for BC Housing, Industry Canada, private sector and NGO clients. He taught Sustainable Design at the Emily Carr University, and won an award for Cradle-to-Cradle product design from the Cascadia Green Building Council.

While researching pro-environmental behaviour change for Metro Vancouver, one of his pilot projects saw a 250% increase in garbage diverted to recycling and composting. Other pilots tested the effects of communication and signage, changes to infrastructure, and the impact of new collection systems.

He now works for Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group, a social enterprise in Victoria, BC.

He has blogged for TreeHugger.com and theTyee.ca, and presents about behaviour change and how Compassionate Systems can increase the effectiveness of our work. His recent writing and presentations can be found at www.SmallAndDeliciousLife.com

In earlier parts of his life, he owned and operated a restaurant, forged a knife with a Japanese swordmaker and practiced the swinging trapeze. He currently is applying Jane Jacobs’ idea of import substitution to the home economy. Why buy what you can make?

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