Talking Trash

Heard the phrase, “keeping up with the Jones”? Maybe we want a new car like the neighbors, or better landscaping like the neighbors. Turns out we want to keep with the neighbors with our recycling habits, too! According to a presentation by Kristin Kinder, vice...

Total Garbage: How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World by Edward Humes is an eye-opening examination of a pervasive problem that plagues modern society: waste. Humes vividly illustrates the destructive consequences of our pursuit of convenience and excess, from...

As the back-to-school season approaches, it’s time to gear up for another academic year. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll have to break the bank. With proper planning and smart choices, you can navigate back-to-school shopping while saving money and reducing waste....

Plastic bags are a significant source of contamination in the recycling stream. When plastic bags are mixed with other recyclables, they get tangled in equipment in sorting facilities, causing frequent stops to remove them and sometimes damaging the equipment. Plus,...

In a world where consumerism often reigns supreme, the question of what to do with our possessions when they’re no longer used arises frequently. The knee-jerk reaction for many is to toss them away, relegating them to the fate of a landfill. However, a more...

Most of us thought of fireworks and picnics as we turned the calendar this week, but July is not just for celebrating the Fourth. It is also the start of Plastic Free July! For the past 13 years, the Plastic Free Foundation has promoted a global focus on reducing...

“Growing affluence across the developing world means that more and more consumers are opting for new stuff,” writes Adam Minter in his book Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale (Bloomsbury USA, 320 pages). A diverse, multi-billion-dollar industry is...

Each year during June, there is a national celebration of our Waste and Recycling Workers, the men and women who keep our local neighborhoods safe and clean. These essential workers are hardworking people who often fly below the radar, quietly and...

Ever wonder what it takes to write a book encouraging a "green" lifestyle? Read on! Last week, we reviewed Christine Liu's book, Sustainable Home: Practical Projects, Tips and Advice for Maintaining a More Eco-Friendly Household (White Lion Publishing, 160 pages)....