Laura Anthony

Laura Anthony is the founder and executive director of Zero Waste San Diego, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming how communities think about waste and resource management. Her pioneering work in sustainability has earned her recognition as the 2025 City of Chula Vista Sustainability Champion and California Senator Catherine Blakespear’s April Community Champion of the Month for Senatorial District 38.

Together with her father Richard Anthony, Laura launched Zero Waste San Diego in 2008 after attending the California Resource Recovery Association conference, where they were inspired to bring zero waste principles to their hometown of San Diego. Her leadership has driven significant environmental impact in the region, including successfully advocating for the City of San Diego’s Recycling Ordinance.

Laura founded the San Diego Fixit Clinic, establishing a network of community repair events that have diverted over 40,000 pounds of waste from landfills since 2016. With a 70% repair success rate, these clinics empower residents to fix electronics, appliances, textiles, and household items rather than discard them.

In September 2025, Laura opened the Reuse & Repair Collective, Zero Waste San Diego’s first brick-and-mortar location in downtown San Diego. This innovative community hub serves as a tool library and makerspace, offering hands-on workshops, repair stations for bicycles and textiles, and collaborative workspace—all furnished almost entirely through donations and repurposed materials. The collective embodies Laura’s philosophy that repair skills should be accessible to everyone, empowering people to become more self-reliant and environmentally conscious consumers.

Laura holds a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from San José State University and previously worked in the San Diego County library system. She organizes the annual Zero Waste Symposium and serves on the board of the Zero Waste International Alliance.