San Francisco's Quest to Make Landfills Obsolete

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.

Finding ways to reuse brewery waste can save water treatment plants money. In Havre, Montana, Triple Dog Brewing has entered into a partnership with the town’s wastewater treatment plant, supplying discarded barley to feed the plant’s microbes. The barley replaces commercial bacteria feed, which would have cost the plant thousands of dollars. The town was also able to avoid having to do costly upgrades to its water treatment plant. Other towns are looking to this process for inspiration.

Upcycling spent barley helps to ease wastewater treatment. In Havre, Montana, the town’s wastewater treatment plant uses barley from a local brewery, Triple Dog Brewing, to feed bacteria. The nutrients from the barley give the bacteria a boost, helping to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the water. The collaboration means that Havre can save on expensive solutions and upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant.

Discarded plastic can serve as construction material for major infrastructure and public works projects. In the Philippines, private companies like San Miguel are stepping in to participate in the government’s infrastructure projects. Companies are increasingly looking at closed-loop systems as a way to address plastic waste and drive construction projects. Nestlé and Unilver are among the other companies working to recover discarded plastics. Some of the programs offer incentives like cash for returned plastic waste.

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.

Throughout India, wastepickers – people who scour landfills for garbage they can sell to recyclers – live at the bottom of society. But the city of Pune did something radical: with the help of a collective, they did away with expensive garbage trucks, and now all household garbage is collected by wastepickers with pushcarts. Pune saves millions of dollars each year and recycles more – and the wastepickers have decent wages and social standing. The concept is now spreading globally.

Finding ways to implement circular systems reduces the environmental impact of festivals. The London-based nonprofit, a Greener Festival, works with festival planners across Europe to make events more sustainable. In addition to recycling and moving toward plant-based food options, a Greener Festival also leverages its partnerships to collect and reuse catered food through its EighthPlate initiative.

Biocouture is gaining ground in the Netherlands as farmers in Eindhoven partner with a fashion designer to turn cow waste into clothing. Although met with some initial skepticism, the practice is already receiving accolades for innovation.

Flirting with a corporation can end badly. In exchange for city-wide wireless broadband, Kansas City gave Google near-free rein including fast permitting, free office space, low fees, and taxpayer funds. A few years later, Google restructured to become Alphabet and started cancelling hundreds of hook-ups.

New York City’s Sanitation Commissions is cleaning up city streets with new practices and regulations curbing its trash problem. For example, she has started using data to track trash conditions across the city, she’s enforcing infractions, and she changed put-out and pick-up times.