Incineration of household waste has gotten a bad name, argues an economist, who sees today’s recycling crisis as an opportunity to reconsider how the U.S. handles its waste.
A research study found that most of the debris in gulls’ stomachs is plastic – exposing the birds to high levels of chemical contaminants and potentially limiting their reproductive success.
(Shutterstock)
Seagulls have no qualms about sifting through dumps for scraps. But this buffet comes at a cost, filling their stomachs with plastic, glass, metal and even building materials.
Residents near big solar projects are often concerned they cause glare and noise.
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Headquarters rooftop solar, Hong Kong/Wikimedia Commons
We all know that tap water is better than buying bottled water, from an environmental standpoint at least. But what should you drink it out of? A single-use bottle, used multiple times, might be best.
The amount of landfill in Australia is expected to rise since China is no longer buying our recycling waste. But there are easy solutions to this big problem.
Nicolás Boullosa/flickr
Victoria’s proposed ban on single-use plastic bags is a step forward, but what about all the other unnecessary packaging? A truly effective waste policy should offer a comprehensive plan for packaging.
Landfills produce huge amounts of methane. Many of the bigger operators capture it to turn into energy, but they’re wasting about 80% of what’s available. It’s time Australia stepped up.
Firefighters at the Coolaroo recycling plant earlier this month.
AAP Image/Mal Fairclough
The Victorian government is auditing every recycling facility in the state after a disastrous fire at Coolaroo. It raises a bigger issue: we don’t know how many plants Australia has or where they are.
Soft Landing recycles the materials of mattresses that otherwise get dumped in landfill.
Alan Stanton/flickr
City dwellers are individually starting to do their bit to live sustainably. Now pioneering businesses are aiming to make ecological and social sustainability part of their bottom line.
A compactor at work on Australian landfill.
via Wikimedia commons
Australia sends 20 million tonnes of garbage to landfill every year. With thousands of sites across the nation, it’s hard to track exactly how many there are, where they are, and what’s filling them.
Converting waste into fuel or energy should be part of Australia’s recycling and rubbish reduction plan.
Bobby Yip/Reuters
Nick Florin, University of Technology Sydney and Ben Madden, University of Technology Sydney
A recycling company has received tens of millions from the federal government to develop solid waste fuel. This fuel reduces landfill, shrinks our carbon footprint and protects the environment.
Which bin? Recycling can be confusing.
AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy
Australia is among the world’s top ten users of electronic and electrical products. But our systems for recycling the resulting ‘e-waste’ fall a long way short of other rich nations.