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Norway recycles 97% of its plastic bottles: a blueprint for the rest of the world?

Peter Yeung

February 26, 2019 |

Positive.News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Norway

Infinitum, a Norwegian company, aims to create a never-ending loop of plastic reuse and their deposit hub recycles 97 percent of the country’s plastic drink bottles. While critics question the focus on continuing to produce plastic since it relies on fossil fuels, similar collection schemes in other countries could reduce plastic waste.

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Robots decommission 700,000 munitions for recycling

David Szondy

February 24, 2019 |

New Atlas |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Anniston, Alabama

At a US Army facility in Alabama, nine robots, created by Sandia National Laboratories, was able to decommission and recycle army munitions. What has historically been a dangerous job for humans, these robots are able to safely recycle these parts that have typically been discarded in ways that aren’t exactly environmentally friendly.

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Vanuatu Has One Of The World's Strictest Plastic Bans. It's About To Get Tougher.

Nick Visser

February 23, 2019 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Vanuatu, Port Vila

What started as a Facebook campaign to ban plastic bags has become legislation in the island country of Vanuatu. The country has banned many single-use plastics, including bags, drinking straws, and containers, and hopes to ban more plastics in the future. Citing a cultural respect for the environment, such legislation has been welcomed by residents.

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Perth's first ocean rubbish bin is sucking plenty of plastic out of the sea

Gian De Poloni

February 16, 2019 |

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Australia, Perth

Two surfers, appalled by debris they found off of Australia’s coast, crowdsourced a way to build Seabin, a floating trash collector. They are tracking and analyzing the debris collected. Though not yet a widespread solution, the Seabin is helping keep the local marina clean.

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In a world drowning in trash, these cities have slashed waste by 80 percent

Terrence McCoy

February 13, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

What started as a far-out concept in Berkeley, California, the goal of becoming zero-waste has spread to cities across the world. The idea makes individuals, communities, and governments think differently about what they do with their garbage and take responsibility for their environments. In places like Shikoku, an island in Japan, they’ve implemented waste categorization, creating 34 different categories to help residents more effectively recycle and reuse their waste.

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St. Petersburg roaster Black Crow is first zero-waste coffee shop in Florida

Meaghan Habuda

February 07, 2019 |

Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Petersburg, Florida

Black Crow Coffee Co. is the first certified zero-waste business in the state of Florida, meaning that 90% of their waste does not go into the landfill. They achieved this after 6 months of dedication to the mission, including composting 15,000 lbs and recycling 1,820 lbs of organic waste, reusing rags, and phasing out single-use plastic cleaning products.

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Oregon Bottle Deposit System Hits 90 Percent Redemption Rate

Cassandra Profita

February 04, 2019 |

NPR |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Oregon

Despite the overall downturn in recycling markets, Oregon recycled 90 percent of the beverage containers covered by its bottle deposit system, representing a huge jump from 64 percent the year before. Officials credit an expansion of the program to include more types of beverage containers and a doubling of the bottle deposit from 5 to 10 cents.

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Buffalo Exchange collects furs to give back to animals

Donny Morrison

February 03, 2019 |

Daily Emerald |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

Second-hand clothing store Buffalo Exchange receives donations of difficult to sell fur coats and sends them to Coats for Cubs, which repurposes the coats into bedding for recovering wild animals. The real fur bedding soothes and comforts the animals as they recover.

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You Flushed the Toilet. They Made Some Bricks.

JoAnna Klein

January 31, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Australia, Melbourne, Australian Capital Territory

A civil engineer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in Australia is converting biosolids, or disinfected leftovers from the water treatment process, into bricks for building. He claims they look, smell, and work the same as conventional fired clay bricks, but with an added benefit of saving land and energy and reducing carbon emissions.

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The shopping mall where everything is recycled

Dougal Shaw

January 29, 2019 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV Programs |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: Sweden, Eskilstuna

In Eskilstuna, Sweden, there is a different kind of shopping mall – one that sells used and upcycled goods. In an effort to combat consumerism and bolster sustainability, the mall, called ReTuna, is nicely curated and organized, making second-hand shopping mainstream. The mall sees 700 people each day, on average, and has sold nearly $3.5 million worth of items.

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