Products without packaging: How refill stores can help solve the plastics crisis
A world without single-use plastics might seem a long way off – but the rise of zero waste retail provides a glimpse of what that world could look like.
Recycling & compost
The Latest on Recycling & compost
The recycling symbol doesn’t belong on things that aren’t recyclable
America’s waste system needs an overhaul
Too much of a good thing? The environmental downside of the “Stanley cup” craze.
A look back at what our unique network accomplished in 2023
Buying less stuff is good for the planet. It’s also good for us.
More Resources
Trash in America
Break the Waste Cycle
Reducing food waste and improving supply chain resilience: What we learned from the pandemic
From boxes to gloves: Three ways the waste stream changed during COVID-19
Did You Know?
Every year, Americans throw out nearly 1,800 pounds of waste per person -- most of which goes to landfills.
The Latest
Composting on Campus: The View from Boston University
Reflecting on the ways sustainability has been integrated into daily life on campus, and about the ways in which large-scale sustainability could, and should, be implemented on college campuses and in cities across the country.
Four Reasons Why Every Town and City Should Compost
The U.S. landfills and incinerates enough organic material each year to fill a line of 18-wheelers stretching from New York City to Los Angeles – ten times. Imagine if every community treated that material as a resource, instead of as waste. Here are four reasons why every town and city should compost.
Questioning What We Consider Trash
A Swedish power plant has a surprising source of energy: discarded clothing. The mental double-take we do at the idea of burning clothing for electricity creates the opportunity to reconsider other items we regularly throw in the trash.
Solid Waste in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria
On September 20, Category 4 Hurricane Maria whipped Puerto Rico with winds traveling at 155 miles per hour, just two miles per hour short of a Category 5 storm. Over the next three days, catastrophic flash flooding, storm surges and rainfall – up to 35 inches in some places – inundated the island. According to Puerto Rico’s governor, damage from Hurricane Maria is estimated at $95 billion, or 1.5 times the territory’s annual gross national product. Puerto Rico is home to 3.4 million Americans, who now face water and food shortages, massive clean-up efforts, and the need to rebuild their electrical system.