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San Francisco's Quest to Make Landfills Obsolete

Erick Trickey

November 21, 2019 |

Politico |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Reducing landfill waste takes a comprehensive approach. By implementing city-wide composting alongside trash collection and utilizing the sorting technology of Recology, the city’s municipal waste recovery company, San Francisco has significantly reduced the amount of waste residents send to landfills. Although it missed the ambitious target of achieving zero waste by 2020, the city aims to cut what it sends to landfills in half by 2030.

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Green party: how are festivals upping their environmental credentials?

Lucy Douglas Laura Mahler

November 19, 2019 |

Positive.News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Finding ways to implement circular systems reduces the environmental impact of festivals. The London-based nonprofit, a Greener Festival, works with festival planners across Europe to make events more sustainable. In addition to recycling and moving toward plant-based food options, a Greener Festival also leverages its partnerships to collect and reuse catered food through its EighthPlate initiative.

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Revolutionary recycling? A new technology turns everyday trash into plastic treasure.

Jim Morrison Shoshana Kordova

November 18, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Israel, Tze'elim

A company in Israel is setting its sights on reducing plastic waste by converting garbage into pellets that can then be used in manufacturing plastic to create "everyday items like trays and packing crates." Although the approach has been met with some skepticism, the company has already shown promise due to the creation of "a radical technology that transforms garbage into the raw materials for plastics manufacturers and earns them a profit in the end."

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Reusable Bag Share

Brianna Baker

November 18, 2019 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Collingswood, New Jersey

When the town of Collingswood started deliberating a bag ban, a leader from Friends of the Farmers’ Market stepped up, creating the Collingswood Bag Share. Community members were worried about the economic impact of fewer sales at the market if consumers did not have bags, and they can now purchase or borrow reusable bags in a sustainable way.

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Could 'invisible barcodes' revolutionise recycling?

Dougal Shaw

November 14, 2019 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV Programs |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Germany, Andernach

A pilot recycling sorting method hosted in Germany has created an easier way for recyclable and non-recyclable products to be separated. Designers printed invisible digital codes - much like invisible barcodes that can be picked up by a grocery store scanner - onto a myriad of products for a sensor machine to be able to sort products by material; the sorting machine saw over 90% success in correct allocation. Now, some of the largest food companies in the world are working together to use this technology on a wider scale.

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These shops will sell you shampoo, but it's BYOB — bring your own bottle

Cara Giaimo

November 04, 2019 |

Grist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Eschewing packaging reduces waste. Cleenland, a store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, encourages low-waste shopping by selling household items like soap, cleaner, and detergent in bulk. Customers bring their own containers and purchase the products by weight. The store is among the first in the country to offer package-free shopping.

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Green burials: Everything you need to know about the growing trend

Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin

October 29, 2019 |

CBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada

Green burials—the practice of burying a body in the earth with the intention of it decomposing naturally—are becoming more popular across Canada as people become aware of the high prices and environmental damage that come with traditional burials. The idea also lends itself to a communal enjoyment of the land: plots are reused and the spot remains unmarked. This practice is low-impact and offers other creative ways for people to bury their loved ones.

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US Supermarkets Are Doing Bulk Food All Wrong

Karine Vann

October 28, 2019 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Many supermarkets throughout the U.S. have made bulk food shopping available but have failed to take into account the packaging of these foods, which are oftentimes plastic. While some stores have committed to cutting down their plastic waste, zero-waste bulk shopping is still a possibility as evident in countries in Europe.

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Curing Our Plastic Problem

Tom Gibson Vicky Feng Leila Hussain

September 30, 2019 |

Bloomberg |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Thailand

A company in Thailand called Universal Bio Pack created biodegradable packaging made out of cassava starch and natural fiber that could reduce the amount of single use plastic that people consume. Another company in Spain called Plastic Energy takes mixed plastics that can’t be recycled and converts it into usable oils that make fuel. Both are different solutions that could be used simultaneously to tackle the world’s plastic pollution crisis.

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Handmade in Brazil: Rede Asta's transformation of artisans into entrepreneurs

Maria Eduarda Lannes

September 26, 2019 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

A collective for Brazilian women artisans named Rede Asta provides training, production networks, links to consumers, and an online market to empower them to make a livable income. The group is also environmentally-conscious, focusing on creative waste reuse solutions that result in upcycled products. There are challenges as the collective grows, but they have supported more than 1,500 artisan women since opening.

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