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Parisians fight climate change with a surprising weapon

Dougal Shaw

September 27, 2019 |

BBC |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: France, Saint-Denis, Paris Region

Les Alchimistes is a social enterprise outside of Paris that turns the 900,000 tons of food waste produced every year into compost that is then sold to farmers. The group is supported by industrial composters named Tidy Planet who have managed to speed up the natural composting process from 6-12 months to less than two weeks. The Alchimistes have six composting sites across France, and they rely on city cyclists to pick up the food waste from each participating restaurant.

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What do you do with a derelict Center Parcs? Map out a waste-free world

Holly Dicker

August 14, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Abandoned buildings can become spaces for economic innovation and experimentation. An abandoned resort spa in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, now houses BlueCity, an ecosystem of sustainable enterprises. The initiative aligns with The Netherland’s 2050 circular strategy, which aims to reduce waste and implement circular design into the economic. At BlueCity, the businesses are leaders in sustainable innovations, from brewers that share byproducts with bakers to companies that recycle plastic.

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Eskilstuna: how a Swedish town became the world capital of recycling

Ammar Kalia

June 18, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Sweden, Eskilstuna

Recycling provides an economic alternative to heavy industry. In the former steel town of Eskilstuna, recovery from economic decline has meant re-platforming into a model of sustainability. From the city’s second-hand article mall to state-of-the art trash sorting technologies, innovations in closed-loop economics have created new jobs and possibilities for longtime residents and new arrivals alike.

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The Dirt on Waste: Understanding College Recycling Programs

Mary Margaret Davis Griffin Finck

June 06, 2019 |

Pepperdine University Graphic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Malibu, California

Pepperdine University is having some trouble as they try to go about achieving the goal set by the California government stating that 75% of waste must be diverted by 2050. This article covers the specifics of the conservation efforts at Pepperdine, and also looks at more successful programs going on at UCLA and Santa Clara University. Some effective tactics include a comprehensive education plan on recycling, requiring faculty and staff to dispose of landfill waste themselves by only collecting recyclable waste, and partnering with athletic teams to champion conservation.

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World in Progress: Garbage solutions and restored treasures

Chelsea Wald

May 06, 2019 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Indonesia, Surabaya

In Surabaya, Indonesia, an unusual approach to composting is helping reduce waste. BSF technology is short for “black soldier fly,” a type of maggot that devours organic waste. Once it grows, it acts as a food source for livestock. Pending government regulation, people will be able to sell maggots and profit from the waste-saving process, helping the environment in the process.

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Paying and Scraping in Pursuit of Zero Waste

James A. Anderson

April 22, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Worcester, Massachusetts

Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) is a model that charges residents of a given city for the trash they throw away, aiming to spur people to decrease the amount of waste they dispose. Acting like a utility payment, this model has been successfully implemented in a handful of cities, even decreasing trash by half in Worcester, Massachusetts. Some cities have even aimed for zero waste by adding in composting programs - though there’s still a long way to go.

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The Country Winning The Battle On Food Waste

Max S. Kim

April 08, 2019 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Korea, Seoul

In South Korea, a combination of grassroots movements and government campaigns have dramatically reduced the country's food waste by 95% (about 400 metric tons a day). Residents are required to buy special biodegradable bags, which serves as a tax that finances 60% of the city's food processing. It's a pay-as-you-waste tactic that also prompts citizens to find creative ways to recycle and compost, and special weighing machines encourage them to extract the moisture first, saving even more money on collection costs.

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Straws Made of Seaweed Could Replace Their Plastic Nemesis

Madison Dapcevich

March 14, 2019 |

EcoWatch |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

An innovative solution to the massive amount of plastic in our oceans is a new startup called Loliware. It produces 100% biodegradable straws "that look, feel, and act like plastic" but are actually made of seaweed. Not only do the straws decompose in a few weeks and are gluten-free, non-GMO, and sugar-free, but the process of creating them sequesters carbon dioxide, which further increases their positive environmental impact.

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Cove launches the first 100% biodegradable water bottle

Dawn Hammon

March 07, 2019 |

Inhabitat |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Cove is a new water bottle brand hoping to disrupt dependence on single-use plastics. Cove is made of PHA, which is compostable and biodegradable. Still in its early stages, it hopes to manufacture across the U.S. to minimize distribution costs.

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Guardian to be first national newspaper with biodegradable wrapping

Jim Waterson

January 11, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

National newspapers and mailers could do a lot to reduce plastic waste. Take a look at the UK's Guardian. In response to reader comments, the newspaper has stopped wrapping its deliveries in plastic, switching instead to a biodegradable material made from potato starch.

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