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Why aren't we mining landfills for valuable materials like metals and soil?

Ucilia Wang

October 16, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cantonment, Florida

Across the country, projects that mine landfills for reusable metals and soils are underway. Can such mining prove profitable enough to spur similar efforts on a grand scale? So far, some projects have seen profits while others have not. But as society increasingly values pollution and greenhouse gas reduction, incentives for refuse mining can only grow.

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Why do we demolish buildings instead of deconstructing them for re-use?

Nate Berg

October 09, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Each year, roughly 500 million tons of waste from the tearing down of buildings goes into landfills in the United States. Deconstruction, the idea of dismantling old buildings instead of the traditional method of tearing them down, diverts some of the waste, provides jobs, and makes affordable building materials more accessible. Though deconstruction does not work in all scenarios, it is a growing alternative with many benefits.

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Mending Our Disposable Culture

Nick Holland

October 02, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Netherlands, Bussum

When something breaks, most people go to the store to replace it. In Amsterdam, the UK, and elsewhere, people take their broken goods to repair cafes. Led by volunteers who want to preserve the art of repairs while also reducing waste, these organizations can make a big difference. There are now at least 1600 repair cafes around the world.

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Pot luck: the paint recyclers who put leftover litres to good use

Helen Pidd

October 01, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Home improvement projects often start with paint, but what happens when all of the purchased paint doesn't get used? Typically, it sits in someone's basement or storage closet with no plan for further use in sight. Community Repaint in the United Kingdom is committed to promoting the recycling of this paint, however, and has implemented 74 projects that work to re-sell or re-color unused paint, thus reducing the amount that's sent to landfills after it molds.

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Why this father-son team is "trash fishing" in the Detroit River

Anthony Lanzilote

October 01, 2018 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

On an annual basis, tens of thousands of tons of plastic ends up in the Great Lakes. One man and his son are inspiring change and action amongst others in Detroit, Michigan by regularly fishing the trash out of the Detroit River.

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Wastewater and public health in the rural South

Melissa Brown

September 24, 2018 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hayneville, Alabama

A wastewater infrastructure crisis in the southern United States is much like those found in far less-developed countries. Now researchers and nonprofits are looking to successes in Africa, in an effort to eradicate obscure diseases and improve quality of life.

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320,000 High Schoolers to Get Free Water Bottles. The Goal? 54 Million Fewer Single-Use Drinks

James Barron

September 23, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

S’Well, the namesake of trendy water bottles, was founded on the environmental principle of reducing single-use plastic bottles throughout the world. As part of their mission, the company is donating a water bottle to every New York City high school student in order to promote this environmental awareness.

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In Sweden, Trash Heats Homes, Powers Buses and Fuels Taxi Fleets

Amy Yee

September 21, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sweden, Linköping

In Sweden, waste is not just waste, or so the country explains with a total of 34 waste-to-energy power plants that turn garbage into electricity. With an already staggering low percentage of waste ending up in landfills, 50 percent of the portion that does is transformed into energy through an incineration process that plays a large part in heating many homes throughout the winter.

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How to get people to behave better? Use carrots, not sticks

Mattha Busby

September 21, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Incentivizing good behavior is a tried and true tactic often used in child development. However, as the need for better behavior around issues such as recycling and public discord rises, some are finding that going back to a system of incentivizing the preferred behavior is the most successful pathway to creating habits that are crucial for the betterment of society and the environment.

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Rwanda Eyes Biogas to Help Curb Deforestation

Amy Yee

September 21, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Rwanda, Kigali

Moving from an ineffective approach of using pit toilets, communities in Rwanda are finding success through the implementation of a biogas system. This effort, part of a government-led initiative to reduce deforestation, has spread to much of the country including school and prisons.

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