We have been reporting on these developments in these cities for the past few months. Within hours of each other the two proposed facilities were rejected. In Houston the newly elected mayor took action. In Indianapolis the court settled the fate of the proposed dirty materials recovery facility (MRF) plan. The Campaign for the Environment was … Read More
The national average recycling rate has been holding at just under 35 percent for the past five years, after rapid growth in the 1990s and 2000s, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That state of stagnation might suggest that there are no tools left to help municipalities boost recycling, but that is far from the case. … Read More
The decline in oil prices and its consequences for recycling as reported recently by The New York Times is not being seen everywhere. Programs and enterprises in many towns and cities are maintaining and even increasing recycling and diversion rates. It’s important to remember that while recycling markets fluctuate the costs of replacement landfill and incinerator … Read More
Since Second Chance, the non-profit building deconstruction and retail outlet, started with 6 workers it has grown to over 150 employees. The vast majority of them were recruited through the City of Baltimore’s employment programs. Returning citizens have benefited greatly from these opportunities. “First Glance at Second Chance” provides an excellent picture of this exemplary company. … Read More
Residents and environmentalists said Wednesday they plan to sue a power plant company that is developing a facility in the Fairfield area of Baltimore. The group said in a news release Energy Answers is violating the Clean Air Act by proposing to move forward with the plant using a permit they said is expired. In a … Read More
The development of ‘Dirty MRFs’ (processing mixed garbage to recover recycable materials) has been stymied by citizen dissent and poor operating performance. Most recently, the well publicized dirty MRF proposed for Indianapolis, IN, has been put on hold. Recyclers and environmentalists see the proposed facility as a way to improve the fuel for the Covanta downtown … Read More
The Reuse People, the non-profit national network of deconstruction enterprises, has completed the results of the Third National Reuse Contest featuring winners and runner ups in the Building Remodeling and Arts and Furniture categories. See and learn more about the winning selections here. Judges for the contest included Neil Seldman, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Washington, DC, … Read More
I think the writers who periodically “trash” recycling as ‘broken’, ‘wasteful’, ‘outweigh the benefits’ are secretly in love with recycling. They write their pieces in order to give recyclers a chance to respond with proper answers on a broader platform. Bob Gedert’s article ‘National Recycling Coalition Sets the Record Straight’ (NRC News, January 7, 2016) is … Read More
Origins In the last 20 years, No Waste, a simple term expressing the aspirations of recycling activists, became Zero Waste and a social movement bearing that name quickly took root in the USA, Europe, Asia and the entire globe. In 1995, Dr. Daniel Knapp of Urban Ore, Berkeley, CA[1] traveled to and toured Australia for the … Read More
