Overblown fears that the coronavirus could be transmitted through surfaces have created a stigma around handling nonhazardous trash, experts say. Some recyclable waste has been junked or burned.
Tag Archives: Recycling of Waste Materials
Climate Change and Climate Disaster Must Take Center Stage
Climate changes is a global problem that we must address in our own lives.
Building a More Sustainable Car, From Headlamp to Tailpipe
Vehicle makers shy away from traditional materials that are hard to recycle, like leather and plastics, and look to repurpose alternatives that still convey quality.
California Aims to Ban Recycling Symbols on Things That Aren’t Recyclable
The well-known three-arrows symbol doesn’t necessarily mean that a product is actually recyclable. A new bill would limit the products allowed to feature the mark.
Don’t Let the Fossil Fuel Industry Pivot to Toxic Plastics and Chemicals
As we confront climate change, focusing on a single metric, like greenhouse gas emissions, could leave other harmful practices unaddressed.
The Cotton Tote Crisis
You can get cotton bags pretty much everywhere. How did an environmental solution become part of the problem?
Facing Severe Droughts, Developers Seek to Reuse the Water They Have
Water recycling in office buildings is seen as a promising sustainability effort, as well as a smart hedge against rising costs and future shortages.
Maine Will Make Companies Pay for Recycling. Here’s How It Works.
The law aims to take the cost burden of recycling away from taxpayers. One environmental advocate said the change could be “transformative.”
Buyers of Amazon Devices Are Guinea Pigs. That’s a Problem.
Amazon’s experimental approach to product design can hurt your wallet and the environment. Why does it need our help to figure out what it’s doing?
Here Is Who’s Behind the Global Surge in Single-Use Plastic
A new report shows that a surprisingly small number of big companies and banks are behind the manufacturing and financing of much of the world’s single-use plastic.
‘Climate Change Is Not a Subjective Thing.’ How Does the U.S. Approach to the Environment Look From Abroad?
From recycling to carbon emissions, we asked 10 people from around the world what they thought of America’s approach to the environment. It didn’t go well.
Your Smartphone Should Be Built to Last
A movement is underway to slow the obsolescence of our electronic gear.
Does Recycled Gold Herald a Greener Future for Jewelry?
Boryana Straubel, founder of Generation Collection, calls recycled gold a way to clean up electronic waste — and a canny investment.
Amazon Uses a Lot of Plastic. It Doesn’t Have To.
The world’s biggest online retailer must become a leader in reducing single-use packaging.
Countries Tried to Curb Trade in Plastic Waste. The U.S. Is Shipping More.
Data shows that American exporters continue to ship plastic waste overseas, often to poorer countries, even though most of the world has agreed to not accept it.
In Japan, His Disaster Art Saves Lives
The fight to survive lies at the heart of Kyohei Sakaguchi’s world, whether he is writing self-help books, painting, creating a suicide help line, or designing recycled housing.
How Green Are Electric Vehicles?
In short: Very green. But plug-in cars still have environmental effects. Here’s a guide to the main issues and how they might be addressed.
Recycling in America Is a Mess. A New Bill Could Clean It Up.
As programs shutter and plastic use rises in the pandemic, a New York bill to get manufacturers to pick up the recycling tab could offer a solution.
Fashion Trends Are Often Recycled. Now More Clothing Can Be, Too.
Designers and tech start-ups are working to improve sustainability and interrupt the path to the landfill.
Wrap Gifts With Newspaper
With some artful folding and a few snips of the scissors, a newspaper can become fanciful gift-toppers (and they’re recyclable).
Get a Hippie, Etsy Look This Fall, With Quilt Coats
Old patchwork blankets are getting new life as garments. But some preservationists cringe at ripping up heirlooms for fickle fashion.
The Uneasy Afterlife of Our Dazzling Trash
Where do CDs go to die?
Americans May Add Five Times More Plastic to the Oceans Than Thought
The United States is using more plastic than ever, and waste exported for recycling is often mishandled, according to a new study.
If the Shoe Floats
Over the decades, a mass of flotsam from a freighter accident has inspired scientific discovery, urban legend and, now, an art exhibition commemorating the Great Sneaker Spill of 1990.
The Newest Thing in Fashion? Old Clothes
Disposability is no longer chic. A new magazine joins a host of big brands in exploring the joys of upcycling.
‘Super-Enzyme’ Speeds Up Breakdown of Plastic, Researchers Say
A new cocktail of enzymes that degrades plastic faster is a step to fully recycling soda bottles and other waste, British and American researchers said this week.
Vietnam Confiscates Over 300,000 Used Condoms for Sale
A raid at a warehouse led to the arrest of a woman who said she had been paid by the pound to recycle the prophylactics.
‘Motorcycle of Tomorrow’ Is Heavy on Flair and Light on the Environment
Pineapple “leather,” flax seed instead of plastic: Tarform, based in Brooklyn, aims to set a standard with its retro-futuristic cafe racer.
One in Three Children Have Unacceptably High Lead Levels, Study Says
“Children around the world are being poisoned by lead on a massive and previously unrecognized scale,” according to the study, a collaboration of UNICEF and Pure Earth, an advocacy group.
This Cajun Corn Dish Screams ‘Summer’
Maque choux is sweet, hot, juicy, milky, buttery perfection.
What New York’s Trash Reveals About Life Under Lockdown
New Yorkers seem to be drinking more at home. But they’re also being productive, decluttering and gardening during the pandemic.
The Worms Turn in My Composting Bin
My relationship with trash changed for the better from the first banana peel I kept out of it.
A Maine Paper Mill’s Unexpected Savior: China
First came the Buddhist monks. Then the feng shui consultant. In the summer, a battered New England mill town greeted the new owner of its factory — one of the richest tycoons in China.