Changing the Conversation Around Plastic, Consumption and Sustainability – In Conversation with Sarah Rhodes

Sarah Rhodes in front of the No Vacancy board. Photograph provided by S. Rhodes, July 2926

Sustainability is about more than reducing waste or changing habits. At its core, it is about leadership, connection, and rethinking the systems that shape how we live, work, and consume.

​We had the privilege of speaking with Climate Reality Leader, founder of Plastic Free SEAA and podcaster, Sarah Rhodes about her journey from tourism marketing to tackling plastic pollution across Southeast Asia, and how one conversation during Plastic Free July sparked more than a decade of impact.

Reflecting on the role of communication, collaboration, and community in driving meaningful change, she shared why plastic reduction is an important starting point, but not the end goal. Instead, she encourages us to see sustainability as something that can be woven into every profession, every workplace, and every day, reminding us that lasting change begins when we invite others to be part of the journey.

​What first inspired you to work in sustainability, and why did you decide to focus specifically on plastic pollution in Southeast Asia?

My work in sustainability was first inspired from my tourism management studies at university. There were a number of subjects that really highlighted to me how tourism was not considering the whole ecosystem of travel, and I felt like it could be done better. Travel has such potential to be a connecting, cultural learning experience, however a lot of travel isn't set up that way and local destinations try to do what they think visitors want rather than delivering something that's authentic and beneficial for the local community as well as the tourist. 

In 2012 when I was looking at how I could pivot my tourism marketing career into something more impactful I found there were not very many opportunities in Australia and so I cast my net wider and began looking around Southeast Asia. I was introduced to an NGO that was focused on connecting communities, environment and responsible tourism and that seemed to me like a great place to start. While I was there, I was looking for ways to do my 'acts of leadership' as part of the Climate Reality Leadership program and I'd also previously learnt about Plastic Free July. 

For the first six months or so, while I was living in Siem Reap, I was really curious and I met a lot of people. 

Sarah Rhodes. Photograph provided by S. Rhodes, July 2026

I was really determined to see where I could add value, then the opportunity came up to speak at an Earth Day event in 2015. I shared that I would be holding an event for Plastic Free July on 1 July. This is what really started the focus on engaging teams in tourism and hospitality on plastic pollution in Southeast Asia, the start of a journey that's now eleven years on.

Why did you decide to join the Climate Reality Leadership Training, and how has that experience influenced your professional and personal life?

I believe it was through an email invitation from the Australian Conservation Foundation that drew my attention to the Climate Reality Leadership training and so I submitted my application and felt like this was going to be such a great platform to learn about climate communication. That experience has dramatically influenced my professional life.

​Personally, I was quite aware already of the issues around our environment and how my behaviour could play a part in that, the program’s acts of leadership commitment was what really drove me to step up and speak about these concerns more publicly and what led me down the path of starting the sustainability leadership business that I have today.

In your experience, what are the biggest challenges businesses and communities face when trying to reduce/deal with plastic waste?

Treeline team training. Photograph provided by S. Rhodes, July 2026

In my experience some of the biggest challenges that businesses and communities face when trying to reduce plastic waste are that it's not easy to see the cost that it's having on the business and it's not easy to see the impact it's having on the environment. The biggest challenge is having the conversation, whether that's in a business or in a community, consultation is often kept in boardrooms or directed as demands. What actually shifts this, is proper consultation that involves all areas of the business and all sectors of the community.  

I don't mean in slow, bureaucratic ways. I mean creating real opportunities to hear people, because often the people who are not at these tables have some of the best solutions or greatest ideas. Aside from that, when people contribute ideas, they're also more invested in the outcomes.

For people wanting to build a career in sustainability or climate action, what advice or recommendations would you give them? 

I'd recommend that they start having conversations and figure out what niche they want to be involved in. We learn most from engagement and that's certainly been the case for me. When we engage, we refine our ideas. When we test things and perhaps when things go wrong, we learn the most. So it's about not needing to have all of the answers but also knowing that you do have some answers.

​Take what you've got, engage with who you think might be your employers or audience and start to gather feedback and don't be afraid of questions. When people ask questions, this is an opportunity for you to research further and build more into your skill set and repertoire. I'd also say follow your intuition and your inspiration and be open to possibilities. There's been plenty of times where I thought I was on the wrong path only to discover that it was exactly the path I was meant to go follow. Every opportunity is an opportunity to learn and find the path that's uniquely yours.

Are there any past or upcoming projects you’re especially excited about that you can share with us?

I've recently started a podcast called Two Homes which explores our inner and outer worlds and the wider sustainability landscape through the lens of leadership.

​This isn't about spreadsheets and reporting. This is about how we bring others on the journey with us and it's really exciting! It's still new but I can see that it's going to bring a lot of value and that excites me.

Two Homes podcast. Photograph provided by S. Rhodes, July 2026

Do you think the current focus on plastic reduction is enough, or does it sometimes distract from the deeper structural drivers of consumption and waste? 

Such a great question, and one I'm exploring on the podcast during Plastic Free July. It's not enough, and it's also a fantastic place to start. This is really the message I got in the early days of this. I actually did some of the Climate Reality presentations initially when I was first in Southeast Asia, and I realised that for a lot of people, climate change is such a big topic with so many moving parts. Plastic reduction and plastic pollution are more visible, tangible ways that we can engage with the topic of environmental care without it feeling as overwhelming as climate change can. So, whilst it's not enough, I don't think it's a distraction. 

Plastic Free July event. Photograph provided by S. Rhodes, July 2026

I certainly think that it is a doorway into a greater understanding and also a way to give people a sense of empowerment in seeing the changes that they can make and the difference it makes in their lives, their outlook, the way we do business and also preventing further damage from this space. They'll be more likely to take bigger steps on wider sustainability and environmental protection activities. 

If we look at SDG 12 responsible consumption and production, I think this can cater for a huge amount of the impacts that we're seeing and I also think that consumption on a personal level is a symptom of societies that have told us we need more to be enough and so I really think there's a huge power in leveraging this aspect because all of the SDGs are connected. All of us as humans are connected and when we can think about our consumption and production in a responsible, sustainable and sufficient way then I think we can really change things dramatically for the better.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Whether you’re interested in this personally, through changing your workplace, or building a career in this space, there’s no one right path. You can make a meaningful contribution even if you’re not working directly in climate action or sustainability. We need action at every level, and the more we integrate this into our everyday lives and work, the more we can start shifting systems.

Plastic Free July event. Photograph provided by S. Rhodes, July 2026

If your passion isn’t 100% focused on climate but you care about it and want to be an engineer, marketer, or work in another field, you can still bring that lens into what you do. That collective shift is what will help us create change.
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I also think there’s a lot of guilt and resistance around change, so I’d encourage people to be brave, speak up, and have more conversations. Listen to different perspectives, because just because we see the urgency doesn’t mean everyone else does yet. We need to bring people along by showing what’s possible through our own actions.

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