Waste
A Terrorist Attack Led Japan to Remove All Its Trash Cans. Now They're Making a Comeback.
Public waste bins were largely removed from Japanese cities following the 1995 sarin gas attacks, leading residents to adapt to some particularly stringent waste disposal practices.
Viewfinder: The Philippines Returns Imported Plastic Waste to Canada
A transport vessel is berthed to load waste materials at the port in Subic Bay, north of Manila, Philippines, on May 30th, 2019.
How to Get People to Recycle: Show Them the Results
Giving consumers an idea of what a can or glass might be transformed into makes them far more likely to recycle it.
America's Most Polluting Incinerators Disproportionately Affect Low-Income Neighborhoods and Communities of Color
For decades, the federal government has attempted to better prioritize equity in environmental initiatives. A new report highlights one area in which those efforts have fallen short.
Can a Hashtag Inspire People to Keep Their Communities Clean?
The #trashtag challenge inspired people to clean up beaches, parks, rivers, or just random trash strewn on the street.
What Does America Do With Recycled Plastic?
India just banned imported scraps of plastic, leaving countries like the U.S. with limited overseas options for where to send their plastic waste.
Why the Simplest, Most Effective Climate Action You Can Take Is in the Kitchen
American climate action might be stymied at the federal level, but there's one place you can still make a major difference: on your plate.
Hurricane Florence Has Already Flooded Pits of Toxic Waste in North Carolina
State agencies and environmental groups have recorded several breached or overflowing hog-waste pits and coal ash ponds—and the floodwaters are still rising.
North Carolina's Hog Waste Problem Has a Long History. Why Wasn't It Solved in Time for Hurricane Florence?
The hog industry is changing, but, as Hurricane Florence hits, history may be doomed to repeat itself.
Our Plastic Waste Is Destroying the World's Coral Reefs
New research shows the extent to which our dependence on plastic is infecting, damaging, and killing coral reefs from Thailand to Australia.
Waste Not, Want Not ... Wait?
Re-assessing how much food we throw out.
How the Chinese Could Disrupt Global Recycling Markets
Most Western nations send their unwanted scrap materials to China for reuse, but what happens if China stops accepting the waste?
Can a Team of Architects and Planners Fix New York City's Trash Problem?
The Zero Waste Guidelines are aimed at helping the city reach its goal of sending no garbage to landfills by 2030.
The Growing Threat of Global Electronic Waste
To understand—and combat—the impact of e-waste, it first helps to understand its scope.
Want to Reduce Food Waste? Hug Your Local Freegan
No group has better mapped and internalized the geography of waste—or been bolder about wading into the cesspools where trash accumulates.
By Fetishizing Freshness, We’re Wasting a Lot of Edible Food
On our farms, in our stores, and at our dining tables, aesthetics and efficiency are at war. Everybody loses.
Making Denali Feces-Free
Rangers at North America’s tallest mountain tackle a major mess.
Stop Hoarding All of That Hazardous Waste
Nail polish, batteries, hand sanitizer: You may not think of these regular household items as toxic, but they are, and they’re poisoning our water and food supplies.
Is the Dog Poo Problem Solvable?
It's really complicated, researchers say. So probably not.
Reduce Food Waste by Removing Plastic Trays From Cafeterias
The best way to reduce food waste in cafeterias? Take away diners’ plastic trays.
Feds Appear Clueless About Their Own E-Waste
Despite a decade of good intentions, the U.S. government has a poor understanding of how best to dispose of its used electronics.
U.S. Pledges to Reform Electronics Recycling
The U.S. announced a new plan for electronics stewardship, with the goal of less waste, voluntary cooperation by industry and less hazardous materials in landfills both here and in developing countries.
You Can’t Paper Over the Plastic
The new documentary ‘Bag It’ reaches from the plastic sacks stuffed under your sink to the malign role disposable plastics play in global life.
Product Stewardship Bills Shift Recycling Cost To Manufacturers
Recycling is leveling off, trash is piling up and cities are broke. In a throwaway society, who should pay for waste disposal?