What is urban mining?
Mining is dirty, destructive, and environmentally damaging, but has long been the only way to extract the metals and minerals we consume daily. These materials are used in everything from smartphones to drywall, and as global populations grow, their use grows in tandem. Our continued reliance on non-renewable resources has been a hot button issue…Read More…
Spotlight: Rethink
When diverting food from landfill, most think about the option to compost, but in reality, perfectly edible food is ending up in landfill. Federal legislation, such as the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, encourages businesses to donate food to nonprofit organizations by minimizing liability. We sat down with Rethink’s CEO, Matt Jozwik, to discuss…Read More…
The Complete Glass Recycling Process
Glass has been in use for thousands of years as a versatile material with endless applications. Thankfully, unlike other common materials, clean, clear glass can also be recycled endlessly with no loss in quality, making it a seemingly great option for products in a 21st century circular economy. Glass that is most commonly part of…Read More…
12 States with food waste legislation
Food waste is one of the most significant issues facing the world today, with the United States alone discarding more than 40 million tons of food every year. It takes up more space in US landfills than any other material and produces greenhouse gases equal to 37 million cars as well as dead-zone-inducing nitrogen as…Read More…
PLA vs Plastic: What’s the difference?
In 2018, the United States generated more than 35.7 million tons of plastic, with a recycling rate of just 8.7%. In the years since then, we have seen a boom in plastic-based items such as food packaging and personal protective equipment (PPE) which has only exacerbated the problem. Conventional plastics use petrochemicals as a raw material, meaning every water…Read More…
Freeganism and food donation
Despite increasing awareness around the topic, food waste is not typically the first thing that jumps into people’s minds when climate change is discussed. However, the scale of the problem is shocking, with around 30-40 percent of the US food supply going to waste, equaling 219 pounds of waste per person per year. There are…Read More…
Spotlight: Q&A with Shannon Bergstrom, Sustainability Brand Manager at RTS
Organizations are focusing more than ever on the environmental impact of their business. RTS Sustainability Brand Manager is familiar with this as she has worked with many of RTS’s clients in helping them implementing programs to reduce their waste. We sat down with her to learn more about her role and steps she thinks anyone…Read More…
NYC Organics Update: Law expanded to cover more businesses
UPDATE: As of January 1, 2022, NYC’s Commercial Organics Law is set to be joined by a wider set of regulations and legislation encompassing the entire state, and while this does not include New York City itself, its impact will be felt by businesses operating across the wider NYS area. At its core, the NYS Food…Read More…
Spotlight: @_YaFavTrashman
Shortly after accepting the position as a laborer for the Philadelphia Sanitation Department, Terrill Haigler became an essential worker. To bridge the gap between residents and sanitation workers he created the Instagram profile @_yafavtrashman to give residents an inside look as to what sanitation workers experience during the pandemic. Terrill noticed that his co-workers didn’t…Read More…
The State of the Food Waste Problem in the US Today (2021)
Recently, RTS released the Food Waste in America Guide for 2021, taking a deep dive into the 80 billion pounds of food waste discarded every year and the estimated 50 million people experiencing food insecurity within the US. What is clear is that the scale of our food waste is a massive issue, one that…Read More…