Miami Herald’s Post

#StormwaterManagement #LakeSuperior #ThunderBay #KennedyBucci #EcoSuperior #CouncilOfTheGreatLakesRegion #DartContainerCorporation #OntarioCommunityEnvironmentFund "THUNDER BAY — Cigarette butts carelessly discarded on city streets and sidewalks are finding their way into Lake Superior. They are the largest component of trash that's been collected to date in special litter traps set up in 16 storm drains in different parts of Thunder Bay. EcoSuperior installed the innovative devices as part of a program aimed at identifying the types and amount of litter entering local waterways. In just over two months, over 500 pieces of litter have been diverted from Lake Superior, 60 per cent of which was cigarette butts. Other major components of the debris collected so far included food packaging such as candy wrappers and drink container lids, and large fragments of plastic. Stormwater catch basins are a big source of the 20 million pounds of plastics, mostly public litter, estimated to be entering the Great Lakes each year. Kennedy Bucci, who holds the position of Rethinking Waste Coordinator with EcoSuperior, said the local project not only prevents some litter from reaching Lake Superior but provides data that will inform long-term solutions to urban litter here at home and around the world. EcoSuperior received a grant for the traps from the charitable arm of the US-based Council of the Great Lakes Region through funding from Michigan-based Dart Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer of sustainable beverage and food packaging. Support for the project was also received from the Ontario Community Environment Fund. "The results of our project will be used locally to improve waste literacy in our community and inform better waste management solutions," Bucci said. Data from the Thunder Bay initiative will be uploaded to the International Trash Trap Network, a global database used by scientists and advocates for pollution mitigation. EcoSuperior plans to continue monitoring the litter traps until sometime in October. The organization is also continuing to promote the Adopt A Storm Drain project, which encourages Thunder Bay residents to remove and dispose of debris from catchbasins near their homes before the material gets washed into the storm sewer. Of the city's 14,000 drains, about 325 are currently being kept clear by homeowners."

#StateofConnecticut #Trash #Recycling #Reduce #Reuse #Diversion #WasteWiki #SPRING #WasteConsortium #Accra #Nigeria #SouthAfrica #Ontario #Landfill #WTE #Anaerobic #EPA #Zoomlion #Knust #DEEP Connecticut, a state known for its environmental consciousness, is contradicting its values by exporting waste to other states, including Ohio. This practice not only harms the environment but also contributes to climate change, as Ohio's landfills are significant emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Key facts: - (1) Connecticut exports approximately 40% of its waste to other states, including Ohio. - (2) Ohio's landfills are among the largest emitters of methane in the country. - (3) The infamous 1989 garbage barge saga highlighted the need for sustainable waste management practices. - (4) Connecticut spends significant resources ($$$) on maintaining closed landfills. - (5) The state's recycling rate of 35% falls short of the national average. - (6) Implementing a circular economy approach could create over 1,000 new jobs and generate $1.2 billion in economic benefits in Connecticut alone. It's time for Connecticut to prioritize waste reduction, increase recycling incentives, and educate communities about sustainable practices to create a healthier future. The future is ours. References: - (1) CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection - (2) Environmental Defense Fund - (3) Historical records - (4) Connecticut budget documents - (5) EPA - (6) Ellen MacArthur Foundation

💧♻️A nice headline recently regarding the Netherlands and their water recycling measures caught my attention. It said, "Dutch government plans to save drinking water includes greywater recycling." The article outlined the Dutch government's efforts to conserve potable water by suggesting that businesses and households cut down on their consumption and embrace greywater recycling. ✌🏽As someone who is involved in sustainability, as well as water and climate initiatives for businesses, I understand there's much that needs to be done on a corporate level. Additionally, individuals can make a significant impact. Every single action contributes; it's more than just a drop in the ocean... – every drop adds up.💧💦🌊 🌦️With summer weather being hot or wet in parts of Europe, collecting rainwater is a smart and quite easy move. My husband and I have installed a new rainwater barrel after our old wooden one became leaky and damaged by children’s bikes (different story 😉). Its large capacity astonishes me – just one rain shower fills it significantly, allowing us to irrigate our garden plants and trees extensively. 🌻💧 💡The take-home message here is clear: water conservation is becoming an increasingly central issue for governments, businesses, and citizens alike. And we can all play a part by finding ways in our own backyards and houses to save and recycle water. Check it out and try it. Tip: some municipalities offer subsidies or incentives to install rainwater harvesting vessels or plant more green to absorb and retain more rainwater. Hope you have a delightful summer! 🏖️🍀 Link to article mentioned: https://lnkd.in/eHuAtR-4

I am so, so tired of seeing a deluge of #singleUsePlastics pile up in and around #trash receptacles each day in my neighborhood #park. It genuinely confounds me that park #vendors (who directly profit from the #greenspace that houses their #business...) face no accountability when it comes to #pollution mitigation in the park they benefit from. ♻️ Please sign my #petition to kindly encourage that Park House—a fantastic and recently refurbished space in #Brooklyn's McCarren Park, that includes much-needed #publicRestrooms— stop the distribution of #plastic beer and coffee cups, and instead transition to a #circular cup or #compostable model. It is unacceptable that we allow and normalize #ecocide like this. We must simultaneously do the work to mitigate our own plastics consumption and also hold vendors to a higher standard. Because news flash: We don't have to live this way—and we used to NOT live this way! Let's reclaim our #publicpark spaces to serve the humans, #wildlife, and #plantlife that depend on them, by freeing them from needless plastic waste. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eNpV3FTq #ZeroWasteLiving #NYCparks #NYCpolicy #WomenAndClimate #ClimateActionNow #PlasticsCrisis #PlasticsComeFromFossilFuels

Recycle Myers is back with another recycling nightmare —putting green waste like lawn clippings, trimmings, and gardening debris into your recycling bin! 🌿 Tossing green waste into the recycling can contaminate recyclables, causing the entire load to be sent to the landfill! 😱 Instead, compost your yard waste, use designated green waste bins, or take it to a local yard waste facility to keep our recycling clean and efficient. ♻️ #RecyclingNightmares #RecycleRight #AZRecycles

Interesting in learning more about the benefits of Litter Audits and how they could help your town, neighborhood or campus? Let's connect.

Turn your extra branches, plant trimmings, and yard waste into a valuable eco-resource with Veransa Group. Our strategic intake centers across Florida transform green waste into high-quality compost and soil amendments, contributing to environmental sustainability. Remember, your yard debris isn’t just waste; it’s potential fertile soil for your garden and others. Make a positive change in your community. #GoGreenWithVeransa #SustainableChoices #WasteTurnedIntoWealth https://bit.ly/3vi1nCK

By using their green bins, Metro Vancouverites are making a difference!   Food scraps need to be separated from regular garbage and belong in the green bin. The Organics Disposal Ban has been in place since January 2015 and applies to everyone in the region.   Composting food scraps is an easy way to have a big impact in our region. By using their green bins, Metro Vancouverites have:   ·      Saved 400,000 tonnes of food scraps from the garbage in 2021. ·      Prevented 160,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2021 – comparable to taking 50,000 cars off the road. ·      Diverted enough organic material to create 140,000 tonnes of finished compost in 2021 – enough to cover more than twice the area of downtown Vancouver!   Putting food scraps like banana peels and eggshells in the green bin instead of the garbage is an easy way to reduce your impact on the climate. When food decomposes in the landfill, it creates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Recycling one tonne of food scraps prevents the equivalent of about 0.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions, while creating valuable compost and bioenergy.   Metro Vancouver’s latest “Food Scraps Aren’t Garbage” campaign launches today and offers residents tips to make using their green bin easier. Visit https://lnkd.in/gvBcxVeP to learn more.   Join red pepper stem, lime peel, and the rest of the food scraps crew at the green bin party! Watch the video now: https://lnkd.in/gpCumcws   #metrovancouver #FoodScrapsArentGarbage #composting #climatechange #circulareconomy

New from me: Part 2 of my TALKING TRASH series that's looking at where our trash goes, what effects our current disposal methods are having on our health and the environment, and what we could be doing with it instead. For this week's installment, we're looking at composting as a method to reduce waste and what it would take for widespread implementation. https://lnkd.in/ecMX7gyw

In 2003, the local government in Kamikatsu, Japan decided to require that all residents comply with a new, rigorous recycling program - perhaps the most rigorous in the world. Since then, the town composts, recycles, or reuses 80% of its garbage. It may not technically be 100% zero waste, as the remaining 20% goes into the landfill, but it's a remarkable achievement for an entire community, in such a short amount of time. The impacts have been positive - cutting costs for the community drastically, as well as improving the conditions of the lush and beautiful environment that surrounds the town in Southeast Japan. Residents must wash and sort virtually anything that is non-compostable in their household before bringing it to the recycling sorting center. Shampoo bottles, caps, cans, razors, styrofoam meat trays, water bottles...the list goes on and on (literally) into 34 categories. At the sorting center, labels on each bin indicate the recycling process for that specific item - how it will be recycled, what it will become, and how much that process can cost (or even earn). It's an education process for the consumer. All kitchen scraps must be composted at home, as the town has no garbage trucks or collectors. And as for other items, reuse is heavily encouraged. According to Akira Sakano, Deputy Chief Officer at Zero Waste Academy in Kamikatsu, the town has a kuru-kuru shop where residents can bring in used items and take things home for free. There is also a kuru-kuru factory, where local women make bags and clothes out of discarded items. At first, it was difficult to be come accustomed to the new rules. "It can be a pain, and at first we were opposed to the idea," says resident, Hatsue Katayama. "If you get used to it, it becomes normal." Now, it's even being noticed within Kamikatsu's businesses. The first zero-waste brewery has opened in Kamikatsu, called Rise and Win Brewery. The brewery itself is constructed of reused materials and environmentally friendly finishes. By 2020, Kamikatsu hopes to be 100% zero waste, with no use of landfills, and to forge connections with other like-minded communities in the world, spreading the practice of zero-waste. https://lnkd.in/gy3tFYbs