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The library of things: could borrowing everything from drills to disco balls cut waste and save money?

Leo Benedictus

April 24, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: England, Oxford

From London to Vancouver, across the globe libraries of things are popping up to rent out common, but rare-to-use, household objects. Items include telescopes, lawn mowers, ice cream makers, power drills, you name it. These volunteer-led shops take reservations online and lease the items at no or low-cost to the user, all while strengthening the sharing economy and reducing waste.

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From Fatal Shots to Farm Plots: These Guns Are Given New Meaning

Monica Humphries

April 23, 2019 |

NationSwell |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

For people wanting to dispose of their firearms, RAWtools offers a unique opportunity. Understanding that the process can be challenging and emotional, they recycle weapons into gardening tools through their Swords to Plowshares initiative. By offering this, the faith-based organization seeks to shift the narrative around gun ownership and find new ways to address conflict.

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Can rice husk briquettes stem the tide of mangrove deforestation in Myanmar?

Wudan Yan

April 23, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Myanmar, Kyaiklat

Recycled waste from rice mills offers an alternative to mangrove forests as a fuel source. In the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar, rice mills are beginning to use their byproducts to create rice-husk briquettes. The logs, made from byproducts previously discarded by rice mills, provide a fuel source for individuals and other businesses that traditionally rely on charcoal. Using recycled rice husks reduces waste and offers a way to alleviate the exploitation of mangrove forests, which act as a vital natural barrier against cyclones.

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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 zero-waste revolution: how a new wave of shops could end excess packaging

Stephen Moss

April 21, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Crickhowell

All across the UK, zero-waste shops are gaining traction, with over 100 stores popping up in the last two years. They encourage shoppers to buy in bulk, minimize plastic waste, and ponder the power they have as consumers in where they shop. It’s part of a broader trend of reuse and repair that is making it easier to shop and live in an environmentally friendly way.

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Meet Mr. Trash Wheel: Baltimore Harbor's Googly Eyed Garbage Gobbler

Peter O'Dowd

April 16, 2019 |

WBUR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

A trash interceptor floats along a tributary of the Baltimore Harbor removing trash from the water before it can reach the ocean. Known to the community as Mr. Trash Wheel, the machine is powered by the river’s current and collects floating debris that moves along a conveyor belt and ends up in a dumpster. While it doesn’t solve the problem of how trash gets into the water in the first place, it has collected 1,100 tons of trash and one million Styrofoam containers since it started 2014.

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Upcycling Guns

Jessica Press

April 16, 2019 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: El Salvador

Giving guns a nonviolent afterlife can also increase economic opportunity for struggling communities. In El Salvador, IM Swedish Development Partner, a nongovernmental organization, is addressing the issue of guns and violence by creating new partnerships and opportunities. Through the Humanium Metal program, confiscated guns are recycled into raw material and then sold to companies that produce finished products like watches, jewelry—and even toys. The funds from the project go back into funding efforts to further reduce violence in El Salvador’s communities.

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Cardboard Bombay cafe by Nudes is made entirely from cardboard

India Block

April 13, 2019 |

Dezeen |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

A new cafe in Mumbai is made entirely of cardboard to showcase the material's structural stability and dynamism, as well as its environmental sustainability. Everything from walls to chairs, and tables to lampshades, has been crafted from cardboard. The architecture firm is just one of many around the world experimenting with cardboard.

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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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The New Wave of Ethical and Sustainable Fashion

Julia Migné

April 08, 2019 |

Inkline |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Making fashion sustainable requires a shift in the culture of the industry. Several brands and organizations are already working to change the unethical and unsustainable practices in fashion. From mobilizing hashtags to pressure brands into increasing transparency, to inventing new fibers that are less water intensive, these ethical approaches to fashion promote alternatives to the wasteful norms of the prevailing consumer culture.

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