A Powerful Conversation with Disney Petit and Anna Sacks: Rethinking Retail Waste

A Community-Driven Evening for Change

Held as an engaging evening event, the conversation delved into how businesses and consumers alike can make impactful changes to address the hidden costs of retail returns and unsustainable shopping habits. The event combined education, inspiration, and action with a fireside chat between Disney and Anna, a lively clothing swap, and an invitation to explore the eye-opening documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy. While we weren’t able to screen the film, attendees were encouraged to watch it at home and share their reflections on social media, tagging both Anna (@thetrashwalker) and LiquiDonate (@liquidonate) to keep the conversation alive.

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Watch the Full Video

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Key Moments from the Fireside Chat

1. Revealing the Shopping Conspiracy

Disney and Anna opened with hard-hitting truths about the waste generated by retail returns. Disney shed light on the systemic issues that make it cheaper for retailers to discard items than restock or donate them, while Anna spoke about her real-world discoveries of brand-new products being trashed by companies prioritizing profit over sustainability.

2. Solutions Rooted in Collaboration

Disney discussed how LiquiDonate is bridging the gap between businesses with excess inventory and nonprofits in need, creating a model that minimizes waste while giving back to communities. Anna emphasized how consumers can push for change by demanding accountability from brands and making sustainable choices whenever possible.

3. A Call to Action

Both speakers empowered attendees to rethink their own roles in the consumption cycle. From extending the life of products through reuse and donation to amplifying messages of sustainability online, the room was buzzing with practical ideas and a shared sense of responsibility.

The Clothing Swap

The event wasn’t all talk—guests brought gently used clothing to swap with one another, proving that sustainable practices can be fun, engaging, and community-focused. By giving these items a second life, attendees embodied the values of reuse and circularity in a tangible way.

Watch Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy

While we couldn’t screen Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy during the event, guests were encouraged to watch the documentary at their leisure. The film unpacks the devastating environmental and societal costs of unchecked consumerism, highlighting the urgency of rethinking our shopping habits.

We invited everyone to share their thoughts and reactions on social media, tagging @thetrashwalker and @liquidonate to help spread awareness and spark more dialogue about these critical issues.

Moving Forward Together

As the evening wrapped up, one thing was clear: tackling retail waste requires collaboration, innovation, and collective action. Disney and Anna reminded us that real change is possible when businesses, nonprofits, and consumers unite around a shared mission.

At LiquiDonate, we remain committed to transforming retail waste into opportunities for impact. Whether it’s through our platform, events like last night’s, or ongoing conversations online, we’re excited to work alongside advocates like Anna Sacks and communities like yours to drive progress.

Let’s keep the momentum going! Watch Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, share your thoughts, and tag us—we want to hear from you. Together, we can create a world where waste becomes a thing of the past.

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Read the Transcript

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Disney Petit: Hi, everybody. My name is Disney Petit. I'm the founder and CEO of LiquiDonate. And this is?

Anna Sacks: Hi, I’m Anna Sacks, also known as @thetrashwalker on social media. I’m involved in New York City and global waste advocacy. Thanks so much for coming to this event today.

Disney: Thank you! I’ll talk a little louder since we don’t have amplification today, so let me know if you can hear me. For this event, I know a lot of folks arrived at 4 PM. We had pizza, cocktails, and a clothing swap in the conference room. Now, Anna and I are going to have a chat about the work we do, ask each other questions, and then open it up for Q&A. Sound good?

Anna: Sounds great. Quick question: are we showing an excerpt from the Netflix documentary today?

Disney: The goal was to show the trailer for the documentary Anna is in, but unfortunately, the tech didn’t work out. We’ll jump into talking about it instead. Ready to get started?

Anna: Absolutely.

Disney: Awesome. To start, tell us a little about the documentary, your experience being part of it, and anything you’d like to share.

Anna: Sure. I’m featured in By Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, which just premiered on Netflix yesterday. It’s been a multi-year process—from the initial contact to filming. I’m thrilled it’s finally out for the public. Honestly, I didn’t know the full scope of the story or the cast of characters until I watched it. It focuses on corporate waste and shifts the blame from individuals to corporations, highlighting how overproduction harms our planet, exceeds planetary boundaries, and impacts human health.

The film doesn’t explicitly mention capitalism, which I think is smart because the term can be alienating. Instead, it critiques our reliance on constant consumption as inherently unsustainable. Former executives from major corporations like Adidas and Amazon speak out, acknowledging that systemic change is needed.

Disney: Why do you care about this issue?

Anna: So many reasons. If you live on this planet, you should care—it’s about fairness to future generations and people alive today. Last year, I visited Ghana with the Orr Foundation, which is featured in the documentary. The clothing waste that washes up on their beautiful beaches is heartbreaking. Instead of seaweed, their shores are littered with discarded textiles.

Seeing the upstream and downstream effects of fast fashion opened my eyes. After watching The True Cost documentary years ago, I decided to stop buying fast fashion. Once you understand the harm—from environmental degradation to poor working conditions for garment workers—you can’t unsee it. My hope is that the film will inspire others to imagine new systems.

Disney: I watched the film last night. What struck me most were the executives’ admissions. Executives from Adidas, Amazon, and Apple said they didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem while they were creating it. That was shocking. How could they not foresee that producing tens of thousands of items annually would have catastrophic consequences?

Anna: It’s frustrating. The film also shows that trying to change the system from within is almost impossible because corporations are beholden to shareholders and quarterly profits. The system’s measurements of success—endless growth and profit—are fundamentally unsustainable. That’s why we need systemic shifts, like extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.

Disney: Agreed. I’ve wrestled with similar issues in my career. I was the 15th employee at Postmates, working there for a decade until its acquisition by Uber. Early on, I saw tech’s impact on marginalized communities and tried to change things from the inside. Eventually, I left to work in nonprofits, only to realize the nonprofit sector had its own systemic issues. That experience inspired me to return to Postmates to build their social impact program, which focused on food security, disaster relief, and volunteering.

Anna: That’s amazing. Your ability to align your work with your values is inspiring. How does LiquiDonate address flaws in the retail system?

Disney: LiquiDonate is a software platform that matches excess inventory from retailers with schools and nonprofits in need. Our focus is on solving the matching problem—connecting someone who doesn’t want an item with someone who does. For example, instead of sending returns back to a warehouse where they’ll likely be discarded, we intercept them and reroute them directly to nonprofits. This reduces waste and extends the life of products.

We’ve diverted over 11 million items from landfills in the past three years. Long-term, we want to use the data we collect to influence upstream decisions, helping retailers produce less by identifying trends and inefficiencies.

Anna: That’s incredible. The film highlights end-of-life issues, but your work addresses extending the life of products. Can you share your thoughts on extended producer responsibility (EPR)?

Disney: EPR shifts the responsibility for a product’s lifecycle—from creation to disposal—back to corporations. In New York, we see this with paint and electronics take-back laws. These laws require retailers to accept and responsibly dispose of these items. For clothing, EPR could mean a fee added at the point of sale to fund end-of-life solutions like recycling or upcycling.

Anna: Exactly. EPR ensures corporations bear the cost of their overproduction instead of passing it onto consumers or municipalities. However, implementation matters. For instance, France’s EPR for clothing has issues with transparency and equitable fund distribution. We need legislation that prioritizes accountability and funding for infrastructure, especially in regions disproportionately affected by waste, like Ghana.

Disney: Agreed. The scale of the problem is massive, but technology can play a critical role. For example, in Europe, QR codes on clothing tags track an item’s lifecycle. This kind of traceability could support better outcomes for recycling and reuse.

Anna: Absolutely. We also need to address systemic overproduction and make clothing more expensive. Fast fashion’s low costs come at the expense of workers and the environment. Raising prices could reduce consumption and foster more mindful purchasing.

Disney: That’s a great point. I’d love to hear more about your thoughts on upcycling.

Anna: Upcycling is transforming an item into something new and usable—like turning old textiles into handbags. It’s a creative way to extend the life of materials. LiquiDonate’s focus on matching items with appropriate outcomes aligns with this ethos. Not every item can be upcycled, but by routing products to the right place, we can maximize their potential.

Disney: Yes, and we’re constantly working to improve outcomes. Our goal is to scale solutions that prevent waste, whether through upcycling, donation, or recycling. The challenge is immense, but every step counts.

Anna: It really does. Thanks for sharing all of this, Disney. Shall we open it up for audience questions?

Disney: Absolutely. Does anyone have questions?

Audience Q&A

Audience Member: I have more questions about upcycling, recycling, and donation. Can you expand on those?

Anna: Sure. Upcycling, in my definition, is taking something with an original intended use and transforming it into something else. For example, taking fabric from old clothes and turning it into a handbag or dress. You’re creating something new and usable from something that might otherwise be discarded. Do you agree?

Disney: Absolutely. I’d add that our software ensures items go to the appropriate disposition outcome. For instance, soiled items shouldn’t be donated to nonprofits. Instead of burdening nonprofits with disposal, we route those items to facilities equipped to handle them—though current options often default to landfills. Technology could help scale better solutions, like turning these items into new materials.

Audience Member: How does technology fit into this process?

Disney: In Europe, QR codes on clothing tags track an item’s entire lifecycle, including funding for end-of-life solutions. This could ensure money follows the product and supports recycling or upcycling infrastructure. Combining technological solutions with community-based approaches is key to addressing this issue at scale.

Audience Member: How do we ensure extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees don’t just get passed on to consumers?

Anna: That’s a tough one. Ideally, corporations should absorb these costs as a penalty for overproduction. But if costs are passed on, I believe consumers can—and should—absorb them too, especially in wealthier countries. The alternative is continuing systems that disproportionately harm marginalized communities globally. EPR legislation must ensure transparency about how fees are used.

Disney: I agree. But I’d also emphasize that we need to stop producing unnecessary items altogether. There’s enough clothing in existence to last generations. Redirecting existing resources through better matching—like with our platform—is a critical part of the solution.

Audience Member: What about addressing waste at the manufacturing level?

Anna: Manufacturers produce significant waste, like end-of-roll and deadstock materials. These are still considered raw materials and could be reused. Accountability for manufacturers must be part of the conversation, alongside addressing post-consumer waste.

Disney: Agreed. Our platform focuses on providing solutions today while collecting data to influence upstream changes. For example, we’re building tools to help retailers predict high-return items before production. This data can inform better decisions, reducing overproduction and waste.

Anna: That sounds promising. What’s next for LiquiDonate?

Disney: We’re exploring partnerships and expanding our impact. Long-term, we aim to use our data to advocate for stronger regulations and systemic change. It’s all about making incremental progress while keeping the bigger picture in mind.

Audience Member: Any book recommendations?

Anna: Definitely! Unraveled by Maxine Bédat, Consumed by Aja Barber, and All We Can Save by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson are great. For a more spiritual perspective, I recommend Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Plum Village.

Disney: I’ll add Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. It’s a classic in sustainable design. And for secondhand copies, check out AbeBooks or Bookshop.org.

Disney: Thank you, everyone, for your questions and engagement. If you have more, feel free to stay and chat or reach out later. Let’s head back to the clothing swap!

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