About No Waste Plant Based
Who am I?
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.
NWPB's Origins
I became vegan after visiting a dairy farm in Germany (suffice it to say that the cows were not living the blissful lives I had expected). I hadn’t cooked much before then, but the combination of going vegan and starting college gave me reason and opportunity for more practice, and after getting some vegan cookbooks, I had a great time trying out new recipes.
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.
Recent Developments
In July and August 2023, I ran NWPB out of the Rose Hill Farm Stop. The owners then decided that they could no longer rent the kitchen to small businesses, so I had to put official NWPB operations on hold.
I currently offer food on a donation-only basis from home. I make dinners for pickup every Thursday and fill orders for catalogue items. I also offer cooking workshops for anyone interested in developing their culinary skills and learning about nutrition and meal planning.
In June 2024, I started grad school at Indiana University in the Master of Environmental Sustainability program. I am exploring ways to make a difference in various areas of sustainability and gaining skills that I can use to develop NWPB further.