Advanced filters

Search Results

You searched for:  -

There are 84 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Preserving forests while emptying trash cans? The story of a Burkinese green charcoal

    August 24, 2020 |

    Heidi.news |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou

    To preserve the millions of trees that are cut down just to produce coal in Burkina Faso, a Burkinese engineer created "green charcoal that would not only protect forests but also help fight against the proliferation of garbage." This ecological fuel is made from carbonized collected garbage and coconut husks, which in turn has reduced the amount of garbage that has to be managed by the authorities in charge of sanitation.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Could a Detroit Experiment Unleash the Power of Urban Soil?

    July 16, 2020 |

    Civil Eats |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

    A multi-year experiment in Detroit is looking at environmentally sustainable ways to build urban soil. Some urban farmers are concerned about the high alkalinity levels in their soils, which can lead to potentially contaminated produce. The project is studying how cover crops, compost, and tillage can improve a piece of land. Early results suggest that these techniques can improve soils for agriculture but also improve the soil’s capacity to absorb carbon to mitigate climate change in major cities.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Can social enterprise fix Pakistan's waste problem?

    May 26, 2020 |

    Pioneers Post |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Pakistan, Islamabad

    Two organizations in Pakistan are working to tackle the country’s waste problem. Saaf Suthra Sheher in Islamabad set up partnerships with offices and schools to process their dry waste like plastics and glass. TrashIt, a Karachi-based group, collects organic waste from vegetable sellers and restaurants and then processes and sells it as compost. Although the two organizations can only process so much of the waste produced in cities, they argue that until an effective municipal waste collection system is implemented, they can educate individuals and businesses about how to recycle properly.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • A Second Life for Flowers

    March 10, 2020 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

    Horticultural therapy – a mix of art therapy, wellness activity, and a way to reuse viable flowers – is gaining popularity amongst hospitals and nursing homes due to its nature-centric therapeutic benefits. Although medical research is limited, some studies have shown that it can have a positive impact on one's mood and participants have expressed sentiments such as, "It relaxes me. Just holding the flowers takes me away from my situation."

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Money trees: U.S. cities find new ways of valuing urban forests

    February 20, 2020 |

    Thomson Reuters Foundation |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

    Policymakers, nonprofit leaders, and corporate heads have recently undertaken efforts to increase urban forestry. Urban trees decrease energy use, protect storm drain infrastructure, decrease noise, and help boost wellbeing. City Forest Credits in Seattle assesses urban tree projects for carbon credits that companies can purchase, while Baltimore has recycled trees into park furniture, and Sacramento continues to uphold its reputation as the “City of Trees.”

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • How Is Plastic Getting Into Hawaii's Soil?

    February 10, 2020 |

    Honolulu Civil Beat |

    Multi-Media |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Hawaii

    Hawaiian farmers are increasingly concerned about the amount of plastic they’re finding in their compost, which can have long-term effects on their crop growth. Hawaii Earth Recycling, the island’s largest compost provider, turns more than 140,000 tons of yard clippings and food scraps into compost and mulch that farmers can use for plants and crops. However, changes in where people can drop off their green waste and a lack of education among residents about proper plastic waste management have resulted in microplastics ending up in the organic soil.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Valentine's Day Flowers Don't Have to Be So Bad for the Earth After All

    January 28, 2020 |

    Bloomberg |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    The supply chain for Valentine's Day flowers is incredibly toxic for the environment and produces mass amounts of waste. In response, a "floral gifting" service industry emerged in which flowers from special events can get repurposed or recycled. One such company, NYC-based Repeat Roses, has a special service that restyles the flowers into petite bouquets to donate to hospitals, nursing homes, and family shelters. Their efforts have diverted more than 98 tons of waste from landfills and delivered almost 53,000 floral arrangements to people in need.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • How Local Trash Disposal Affects Climate Change

    December 18, 2019 |

    Grady Newsource |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

    With Georgia’s Athens-Clarke county landfill nearing its fill limit, residents, organizations, and the city are taking a multi-pronged approach to reducing waste. A key part of this has been the fact that nearly half of what goes into the landfill can be recycled, and Georgia-based industries like aluminum and carpet manufacturing are willing to buy recyclables. In addition, composting supported by the state has grown in popularity, and universities have taken on recycling education and collection programs.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • Chew On This: Farmers Are Using Food Waste To Make Electricity

    November 30, 2019 |

    NPR |

    Multi-Media |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

    Food waste typically ends up on in landfills, which exacerbates climate change, but in Massachusetts, dairy farmers are converting the waste into electricity. Food waste from around the state is gathered, ground, and liquefied and then transported to an anaerobic digester on a dairy farm which is able to convert enough energy to power more than just the farm.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

  • The recycling program helping migrants cut down contamination in Melbourne's outer west

    November 24, 2019 |

    ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: Australia, Melbourne

    Cities in Australia were facing a recycling problem, but realized it was related to a large migrant population and a language barrier with the word "recycling." To help address this problem Melbourne implemented the 'Waste Watcher' program, which provides hands-on education through recycling bin audits.

    Read More


    Go to Original Story

Solutions In Focus

Discover curated content about themes that matter to you, exclusively from the Solutions Story Tracker. Explore collections, resources and more.


Go to All Solutions in Focus