City of Durham’s Post

Maybe you caught the news that NYC is going to start putting its trash in trashcans? We did, but we still had questions. So Grace Snelling called up Joshua Goodman from the NYC Department of Sanitation to have a conversation about what's really happening with the city's trash. Here's everything you need to know about how NYC plans to "containerize" the 16 billion pounds of trash the city produces each year. My favorite takeaways: -NYC has long had troubles with trash. In the 19th century the city was littered with horse carcasses ( 😬 ) because there was no waste management plan. -The city produces 16 billion pounds of trash every year. 16 BILLION POUNDS. Every day, residents create 24 million pounds of trash, in case you were curious. -The city's new plan to put trash in containers requires a new custom truck that can lift up the big containers that high-density commercial + residential buildings will use. NYC had to design the trucks from scratch. You can read all of their conversation here: https://lnkd.in/e_xGJYdA

By mid-April, Mayor Parker promises she’ll announce a new approach to fighting litter and illegal dumping - and bring together government, businesses, and community partners to “reduce the generation of waste” -  Meir Rinde / Sophia Schmidt of WHYY Circular Philadelphia board member Aminata Sandra Calhoun, a West Philly resident and community leader who organizes cleanups through CENTENNIAL PARKSIDE CDC, is featured in the article: “Calhoun found Parker’s 100-day plan lacking in details about what the expansion will consist of. She wants to see the program fund more workers, longer hours, higher wages — which are currently $15 an hour — and larger cleanup territories. 'Don’t just give me some superficial words on paper,” Calhoun said. “Expand how?'" We at Circular Philadelphia know that the success of this critical environmental justice and waste management initiative is going to depend on strong leadership, and we hope that Mayor Parker recognizes the need for a leader with a demonstrated track record of making progress towards zero waste and eliminating illegal dumping.   We’re ready to do our part to support Mayor Parker in her plan to stop dumping and improve the quality of life for all of Philly’s residents. We hope that her administration is ready to accept fresh ideas for real solutions to these systemic problems.  What do you think? Share your thoughts in a comment below 👇 Check out the article full article: https://lnkd.in/edaWv9Gp #cleanandgreen #mayorparker #illegaldumping #philadelphia #zerowasteandlitter #litterfreephilly #circularsolutions #circularity #circularphiladelphia

College students at Tulane University started a venture that is keeping glass bottles out of the landfill and crushing them into sand for coastal restoration. Their company, Glass Half Full, is the only glass recycling facility in New Orleans. Read about their important work in this feature in the The New York Times. 🌍♻️ #GlassRecycling #Recycling #CircularEconomy #CircularEconomy #Recycling #KnaufSocialSquad

Big news: I was accepted into the Sanitation Foundation NYC Trash Academy! ♼ 🚮 Circularity in the waste stream and city street/sidewalk management are two big interests of mine, as is reducing litter and rats, so really looking forward to deepening my understanding in these areas and how I can make improvements in my community. Also super stoked to learn more about these garbage trucks of the future 😍 and reducing parking to make our streets more livable (and less smelly). #circularity #sustainability

WQOW-News 18 18 covers our new research on the city of Eau Claire's model for garbage and recycling pickup. It's unique among Wisconsin cities of its size -- and Eau Claire residents appear to pay more than residents in cities that contract for city-wide services. Shifting to city-provided garbage and recycling service could reduce costs to Eau Claire residents. However, it also could raise new questions, such as how to avoid disrupting services or how to address high capital costs.

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

New York City is significantly expanding its waste management rules to include all 200,000 commercial businesses across its five boroughs. Previously, the mandate for storing waste in containers rather than garbage bags was applied to food-producing businesses and chain retailers. This measure, part of the city's efforts to catch up with global standards in waste management, aims to reduce the nearly 22 million pounds of trash generated daily by these businesses. The Sanitation Commissioner, Jessica Tisch, emphasized the aggressive approach to enforcement, with businesses warned and then fined for non-compliance. Fines range from $50 for first offenses to $200 for subsequent violations. Some business owners have expressed concerns about the feasibility of storing large, potentially odorous bins, especially in areas with limited space. However, the policy has seen a mixed reception, with some businesses adjusting to the change more easily than others. The success of this initiative relies on cooperation from both the businesses affected and the private waste companies responsible for trash collection. The city has also taken steps to inform businesses about the new rule through a robust outreach program. Additionally, the Adams administration is looking to extend containerization to residential buildings and has plans to reorganize the commercial waste industry for better efficiency and environmental impact. This move is part of a broader strategy to improve the city's quality of life and address environmental concerns, including rat control and waste reduction. #NYCWasteManagement #BusinessContainerMandate #UrbanSanitation #SustainableCities #EnvironmentalPolicy #NYCSanitation #WasteReduction #CommercialWasteReform #UrbanPlanning https://lnkd.in/ej6iavhd

Did you know your trash and recycling cans need to have their lids fully closed for the city to ensure they get emptied? 🙉 While sometimes cans with slightly open lids still get serviced, there are instances where overflowing cans get skipped entirely. The reason is simple: during pick-up, if the lid isn’t shut, bags and trash can easily fly out, causing a big mess. To avoid this, make sure your cans aren’t overflowing and the lids are securely closed when you place them at the curb. Help keep the streets clean and ensure your trash gets collected! 💯 #canmonkey #cantocurb #closedlids

Newburyport, MA is the newest community to start a Pay As You Throw Program. Their Overflow Trash Program began on October 14! If you are interested in reducing trash in your community, please reach out! Here are some of their changes: a. Each household* is limited to 64 gallons’ worth of trash to be picked up at the curb, per week, a reduction from 96 gallons. b. Residents can only dispose of more than 64 gallons of trash in a week if they place the additional trash in an official fee-based “overflow” bag. c. You may not use barrels bigger than the 64-gallon size. d.The fee for a bulk item disposal sticker has increased to $15, which more accurately reflects the true cost of disposal. Stickers may be purchased at Market Basket or Shaw’s at customer service windows, or at Black Duck, Richdale, and 7-Eleven from the cashier.

🎉 Trash and Stash is now the 1st Junk Removal Service in U.S. to Earn B- Corporation Certification. [CHARLOTTE, NC, April, 2024] Fort Mill- based Trash & Stash Junk Removal, announced that it has officially become a Certified B Corporation. B Corps represent a new business model that uses the power of business to address society’s greatest challenges. Certified B Corporations are companies that balance purpose with profit. Trash and Stash (Stylehawk Enterprises, Inc) became the first junk removal service in the United States (and only the second in the world) to achieve B Corporation certification. Still, they join a growing movement of more than 2,000 Certified B Corporations from 121 industries, across 40 countries including companies like Patagonia, Toms of Maine and Ben & Jerry’s. Trash and Stash President, Cameron Ungar said, “We couldn’t be more proud. B Corp certification has been a goal of ours from almost the beginning. Ungar added, “our local community was so supportive when we got started. We felt a responsibility to give back. At the same time, we saw that solving people’s individual ‘stuff problems’ still contributed to the collective waste problem. B Corp certification gave us a way to articulate and organize our ambitions around customer service, community and landfill diversion.” B Corporations receive certification from B Lab, “a nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. B Lab creates standards, policies, tools and programs that shift behavior, culture and the structural underpinnings of capitalism.” The intent is to shift the global economy from “a system that profits few to one that benefits all.”