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New city program tackles big trash problem in Philly: clothing and electronics waste

Jessica Blatt Press

February 25, 2021 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A residential recycling program in Philadelphia is picking up electronics and clothing from homes for a fee. Retrievr has already prevented 100,000 pounds of waste from ending up in landfills. The program was implemented through the city’s Pitch & Pilot program which put out call for “solutions to reduce waste and increase waste diversion” in a bid to achieve Philadelphia’s goal of Zero Waste by 2035.

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How NYC Is Stopping Textile Waste With Low-Tech Donation Bins

Hannah Chinn

February 24, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

RefashionNYC provides bins for commercial and residential buildings with more than 10 units, though the Department of Sanitation, to recycle clothes and textiles. When full, the contents are sorted by Housing Works, who either sells donations in their thrift shops, sends them to other nonprofit second-hand stores, or exports them to overseas markets. Clothing that is too damaged to be donated is sold to companies that reprocess them as rags or seat padding. 1,300 bins have been installed and over 12,200 tons of clothing and textiles have been diverted from landfills.

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Towards a greener construction with fly ash bricks

Vaishnavi Rathore

February 19, 2021 |

Climate Tracker |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: India

Fly ash bricks help reduce construction waste by utilizing the powdery by-product of burning coal. They are a green replacement for red clay bricks, which contribute to 5-15% of India’s emissions. They also utilize waste from coal-based thermal plants, which often gets disposed of by being dumped in water bodies and on roadsides. In comparison to red clay bricks, fly ash bricks are less expensive and the production process doesn’t emit smoke or use the more fertile top soil. Their use has been mandated by some regions and about 150 small fly ash enterprises have emerged.

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The Creative Repurposing of Plywood From Boarded-up Stores

Linda Poon

February 17, 2021 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

In the months after businesses covered their storefronts with plywood as cities erupted in social-justice protests, environmental and other community groups in many cities organized recycling campaigns to reuse the plywood rather than see it end up in landfills. Twin Cities Plywood Rescue in Minnesota, the heart of the protests, collected 642 sheets of plywood and donated it to nonprofits for use in building construction. Other cities' collections have ended up as voter registration booths, outdoor-dining furniture, and animal enclosures.

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The country rejecting throwaway culture

Peter Yeung

January 28, 2021 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Paris hosts a dozen "repair cafes," which are free, monthly events where residents can fix household objects and electronics with the help and advice of volunteers. The events usually have about 25 attendees who seek to limit the vast amounts of household waste, particularly E-waste, by repairing broken electronics and appliances. France's National Assembly also introduced an index of "repairability" ratings for appliances such as washing machines, lawnmowers, televisions and smartphones, in hopes of increasing the percentage of electronics that are repaired rather than discarded.

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Children as Catalysts for Change

Danylo Herasymov

December 16, 2020 |

Рубрика (Rubryka) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Ukraine, Mykolayiv

Ukraine ranked No.9 on the list of countries with the highest amount of trash per capita. In Mykolayiv, the city partnered with a nonprofit to sort waste at public schools. “A total of 20,000 students took part last year, collecting, sorting, and recycling 119 tons of waste.” The program has proven successful, students compete for a top prize. Children are “our agents of change.” Other towns want to adopt the program in their own schools.

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Дети – агенты изменений. Как работает раздельный сбор мусора в школах Николаева

Danylo Herasymov

December 16, 2020 |

Рубрика (Rubryka) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Ukraine, Mykolayiv

Україна посідає дев'яте місце в переліку країн із найбільшим обсягом сміття на душу населення. У Миколаєві міська влада та громадська організація об'єдналися, щоб сортувати відходи у школах міста. "Загалом проєкт залучив 20,000 школярів, яким за рік вдалося зібрати, відсортувати й надіслати на переробку 119 тонн сміття". Програма довела свою успішність, школярі змагаються за першість у сортуванні. Діти таки є "нашими агентами змін". Інші міста виявляють прагнення запровадити програму для власних шкіл.

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Reusing, recycling, rethinking

Jessica Wolfrom

December 10, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Alexandria, Virginia

Mason & Greens is a zero-waste store that reduces environmental impact by selling package-free items, from shampoo bars to organic produce. Dry goods and the wines, oils, and kombucha on tap are bought with reusable containers and priced by the ounce, which reduces plastic waste and allows customers to buy only what they need. In addition to minimizing products' carbon footprints, the store has been profitable since it opened and the owners say that, while prices are initially higher for consumers, reusable products may be less expensive in the long run because they don’t have to be replaced as frequently.

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Gold star for you: New Zealand council puts stickers on bins of best recyclers

Eleanor Ainge Roy

November 16, 2020 |

The Guardian |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: New Zealand, Christchurch

Officials in Christchurch use a public reward and shaming system to motivate proper recycling sorting after only 48% of recycling was able to be accepted. Residents who correctly sort contents receive a large gold star on their bin while those who do not are given a warning. After three warnings, bins are confiscated and residents must sign an agreement to recycle properly to get their bin back. 155,000 bins have been spot checked, with 26% receiving gold stars, 61% receiving warnings, and 246 bins have been removed. The percentage of recycling content that can be accepted has increased to almost 80%.

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Should you recycle your disposable mask?

Jane C. Hu

October 29, 2020 |

High Country News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

A company known as TerraCycle recycles "items other companies won’t accept" – including the many masks, gowns, and gloves that have been used during the coronavirus pandemic. While the service is free for those who can access one of their ZeroWaste box locations, individuals must request and pay for a box if they wish to participate. Environmentalists say that there is still debate about "whether it’s more environmentally friendly to throw away masks or recycle them," the service itself helps "remind consumers and companies that trash doesn’t disappear after it’s thrown out."

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