Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Seattle Public Utilities' waste-pumping program has cut sewage spills from homeless people's RVs in half

    November 28, 2020 |

    The Seattle Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

    To help those experiencing homelessness, Seattle Public Utilities workers travel around the city knocking on RV doors and asking occupants if they need their sewage tank pumped. Some RVs are broken down and occupants can’t get to a public dump site to dispose of their waste, so wastewater spills have increased over the years. However, since the pilot program was introduced in 2020, the spills from RVs have been cut in half.

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  • Gold star for you: New Zealand council puts stickers on bins of best recyclers

    November 16, 2020 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: New Zealand, Christchurch

    Officials in Christchurch use a public reward and shaming system to motivate proper recycling sorting after only 48% of recycling was able to be accepted. Residents who correctly sort contents receive a large gold star on their bin while those who do not are given a warning. After three warnings, bins are confiscated and residents must sign an agreement to recycle properly to get their bin back. 155,000 bins have been spot checked, with 26% receiving gold stars, 61% receiving warnings, and 246 bins have been removed. The percentage of recycling content that can be accepted has increased to almost 80%.

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  • Should you recycle your disposable mask?

    October 29, 2020 |

    High Country News |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New Jersey

    A company known as TerraCycle recycles "items other companies won’t accept" – including the many masks, gowns, and gloves that have been used during the coronavirus pandemic. While the service is free for those who can access one of their ZeroWaste box locations, individuals must request and pay for a box if they wish to participate. Environmentalists say that there is still debate about "whether it’s more environmentally friendly to throw away masks or recycle them," the service itself helps "remind consumers and companies that trash doesn’t disappear after it’s thrown out."

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  • How a #Litterati army on Instagram sparked a global fight against litter

    October 12, 2020 |

    Hothouse Solutions |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

    What started as a small group of people taking pictures of waste in their communities and tagging it on Instagram with the hashtag #Litterati, turned into a global effort, and even an app, to map and dispose of trash. Users can upload to the app an image of trash and machine-learning algorithm can tag it location, material, and company who made it. The city of San Francisco asked the makers of the app for help documenting cigarette butts and tobacco products on its streets and ended up winning a legal victory over the tobacco industry to increase the taxes on their products.

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  • Bug Breeders Are Cultivating Waste-Guzzling Flies to Gobble Up America's Trash

    October 05, 2020 |

    Future Human |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Camas, Washington

    A growing number of bug breeders in the United States are raising black soldier flies to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and food waste. The larvae can convert waste into fertilizer for crops, while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In one experiment at Louisiana State University, about two tons of cafeteria food waste is processed by the fly larvae. Creating a similiar system on a larger scale for municipalities can be expensive, but the flies could be a multifaceted solution to the country’s trash problem.

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  • Kenyan engineers recycling plastics for bricks

    September 28, 2020 |

    Citizen TV Kenya |

    Video |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: Kenya

    Gjenge Makers Ltd is an alternative building product manufacturing company that creates products – such as pavers and blocks – out of recycled plastics. Founded by four Kenyan engineers, the team began by studying the manufacturing process and researching what products would do well on the market. They then built all of the machinery themselves, which break down the plastics, and then mix them with other building material products to ultimately create customizable plastic bricks that can withstand larger weight and are less expensive than concrete. They are popular in rural and lower-income areas.

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  • Soap on tap? A startup arrives in NYC with a plan to take the plastic out of cleaning products.

    September 21, 2020 |

    Grist |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    To make food and cleaning products more accessible to those experiencing economic hardship, the startup Algramo has installed more than 2,500 automated bulk-dispensing systems throughout Chile where people can purchase an item and come back to refill it using the same container. Instead of competing against other consumer good companies, Algramo works with them to help change their packaging practices to reduce their plastic waste. Algramo is scaling the service to New York City and Indonesia to help cash-strapped and eco-friendly shoppers.

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  • Jersey City's Composting Program Expands During a Pandemic

    September 16, 2020 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

    Since the Jersey City composting program, over 50,000 pounds of disposable waste has been used to fertilize home gardens, parks, and community gardens, instead of going into landfills. While scaling the program is a challenge due to the lack of infrastructure for integrating composting as part of the city’s waste removal, residents were eager to participate.

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  • ‘Tons and tons of fishing equipment': B.C. tour operators clean up ocean debris during coronavirus pandemic

    September 15, 2020 |

    The Narwhal |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Canada, Vancouver Island

    Expeditions to clean up debris from the coastline are underway along the B.C. coast after an ecotourism company was forced to stop tours during the pandemic. The project is largely funded by the B.C. government’s Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund, and involves five different companies. In just one expedition, 61 tonnes of garbage was collected and removed via volunteers, a helicopter, and a barge.

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  • Smartphones saving the rainforest

    September 15, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Radio |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Brazil

    Rainforest Connection makes a smartphone app that is part of a system using solar-powered phones in the rainforests of Brazil, Sumatra, Costa Rica, and Peru to stream audio of suspected illegal logging. This system, using recycled phones, enables the capture and shutting down of logging operations. In Brazil, about 100 loggers have been arrested and a large share of the rainforest has been protected, though many loggers there and in other countries still evade detection. This app is one example of innovations in use around the world to extend the lives of smartphones to benefit environmental conservation.

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