The U.S. recycling system uses a “single-stream” model that focuses on the big blue curbside bin. Unfortunately, people throw all sorts of unrecyclable items into the bin in the hope that they will be recycled. Known as “wishful recycling,” this results in contamination that prevents some of the recyclable material from being successfully processed. Do you know what doesn’t go […]
Erica Moreti, Head of Strategy & Innovation and Physical/Connected Experience at EPAM Continuum discusses the third Consumer Unmasked report. EPAM surveyed 3,000 Americans, Britons, and Germans in late March and early April this year to understand how people are reacting to events as lockdowns end and global conflict appears to be on the rise. How are shoppers reacting, and will […]
Despite our best intentions, everything we do has some environmental impact. Even though true sustainability may be out of reach, environmentalism is about making trade-offs to minimize the harm that comes from our actions. Since our world is made up of complex systems, it isn’t always easy to figure out which choices have the best environmental outcomes. Sometimes, choice that […]
Here’s a trick question. Can #1 plastics — otherwise known as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics — go in the recycling bin? Bet you thought the answer was yes. That’s only half right. It’s a trick question because the answer’s complicated. Most curbside recycling programs accept #1 plastics for recycling, but only certain forms of it. Bottles that hold various products—shampoo, […]
A modern recycling infrastructure could reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 5%. Make a difference: Demand that your city modernize and reinvent its waste management. Data source: Eunomia, The 50 States of Recycling Print or share We Earthling posters to inspire others. Click the poster for a larger version. This poster was originally published on April 13, […]
Can you drink your daily cup of joe more sustainably? If you’re like me, you like the brand of coffee you buy, or have a favorite coffee shop you frequent, and don’t want to make big changes to your coffee habits. You’re probably a busy person and don’t need extra hassle in your life. So, how can you easily reduce […]
Pam Gil-Alabaster, Global Head of Sustainability and Social Impact at Mattel, maker of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, American Girl dolls, and more than 150 other brands of toys. She shares how Mattel works to eliminate manufacturing waste and replace virgin plastic in its packaging with recycled and recyclable plastics. The company has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% […]
The U.S. recycles only 34.6% of its waste. If recycling were an Olympic sport, we would come in 25th. Germany, the world’s leader in recycling, recycles 66.1% of their waste. Let’s go for the gold and catch them by 2030. Data source: Recycling – Who Really Leads the World?, Eunomia and the European Environmental Bureau Print or share We Earthling […]
Meet Victor Dewulf, co-founder and CEO of Recycleye, a London-based company that makes machine vision systems and robots capable of separating waste on the high-speed conveyor belts at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). Recycleye also hosts Wastenet, the largest databank of images of products and materials that can be used to train computers to sort waste, which is some of the […]
I remember my mother’s reaction when recycling became mandatory in New York City in 1989. “What!? I have to separate garbage now? Oh, what a pain!” And when my mother-in-law Lucy learned that not only did she have to separate her recyclables, she had to clean out jars and cans, too, she was very upset. “I refuse to wash garbage!” […]