Search results for misc

Is Burning Trash Bad?

Mary Mazzoni, August 2nd, 2010

The growing popularity of modern waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities in Europe and Asia has many in America asking: is burning trash bad? We're not big burners here in the U.S., but we've been known to light up some litter from time to time. The majority of our waste is buried in landfills, while 31 percent is recycled, but there are ... read more

18 Comments

Tagged batteries, composting, energy, fuel, gas, noteworthy, oil, paint, recycle, reduce, steel, tin

Published in Hazardous

Oops! Eco Intentions Gone Wrong

Amanda Wills, May 17th, 2010

Local businesses, big-box chains, national media, small-town shops...almost every market we interact with daily is pushing the "going green" slogan. But even the most educated greenie with the best intentions can miss the fine print. Here are some common mistakes to look for when embarking on your own eco journey. 1. Tossing "biodegradable" items in the trash Good intention Buying products labeled as "biodegradable" ... read more

9 Comments

Tagged cfl, composting, dirt, dishwasher, energy, fertilizers, fuel, insecticides, mercury, newspaper, noteworthy, organic, pesticides, recycle, reduce, refrigerator, weeds

Published in Household

Cleaning Up Mount Everest

Katherine J. Chen, May 10th, 2010

For the majority of people out there, climbing the tallest mountain on Earth is a once-in-a-lifetime feat that only the most courageous and physically skilled individuals can undertake. For others who have already scaled its treacherous slopes, Mount Everest poses a whole new problem: garbage waste. Last month, in an unforgettable celebration of Earth Day, 20 Nepali climbers embarked on a ... read more

1 Comment

Tagged ferrousmetal, nonferrousmetal, packaging, plasticcasing, solidwaste

Published in General

Inside Plastic Bans

Amanda Wills, March 8th, 2010

San Francisco made history when it became the first city to officially ban plastic shopping bags in 2007, making it a pioneer of a rapidly growing trend - the outlawing of common to-go plastic products, such as bags and foam polystyrene containers. In many cases, the main objective when passing these types of bans or fees is to ultimately reduce ... read more

6 Comments

Tagged noteworthy, number6plasticpolystyrene, plasticbags, styrofoam

Published in Plastic

Stick ‘Em Up! Olympic Stadium Will Be Made of Guns and Knives

Jennifer Berry, January 21st, 2010

Inhabitat reports that confiscated weapons from London's Metropolitan Police Department are being melted down into scrap metal and used to help build the Olympic stadium for the 2012 games. Other unusual metals are also in play in the stadium's design. The Olympic Stadium ring beam that supports the fabric roof was changed so that reclaimed gas pipes could be ... read more

3 Comments

Tagged basics, constructionmaterials, cookingoil, explosives, ferrousmetal, ideas, noteworthy, organicwaste

Published in Construction

Top 20 Headlines of 2009

Amanda Wills, December 21st, 2009

Here at Earth911, we love covering the topics that relate to our readers and inspire an effort to "go green." While we've written more than 200 feature articles this year, there are some that really stuck out, grabbed our attention and generated both positive and negative feedback from our readers. Here are our top 20 favorite stories from 2009: Back to the ... read more

1 Comment

Tagged basics, composting, ideas, noteworthy, organic, paint, Plastic, recycle, reduce, reuse

Published in General

The Big Green Move

Jennifer Berry, November 23rd, 2009

A few months ago, Earth911 was on the hunt for a new office space. We wanted an area where we could work creatively, efficiently and effectively without putting a huge strain on the environment. OK, we might be a little biased when it comes to our desire to work in a "green" building. After all, this is an environmental Web site, ... read more

4 Comments

Tagged aluminum, basics, cardboard, carpet, cfl, fuel, homeandofficefurniture, ideas, noteworthy, paint, reduce, trees, waterquality

Published in Construction

Trash Planet: United Kingdom

Marie Look, September 7th, 2009

The Trash Planet series highlights various countries around the world and how they handle their waste. To set its nations on the path toward zero-waste communities, the U.K. has adopted policies similar to countries that already have some of the most successful waste management schemes, such as The Netherlands and Germany. Until 2000, the household recycling and composting rate ... read more

1 Comment

Tagged basics, cardboard, clearglass, composting, curbside, ideas, noteworthy, organicwaste, recycle, solidwaste, trashplanet

Published in General

360: Recycling Plastic #6

Amanda Wills, August 31st, 2009

Earth911's 360 series breaks down the ins and outs of your everyday items. It's in our to-go boxes, our packing supplies, even in our fertilizer. Plastic #6 (also called polystyrene) is undoubtedly a pretty common material, as well as one of those mystery plastics that's often hard to recycle. But some cities and manufacturers are taking the confusion out of ... read more

4 Comments

Tagged 360, basics, curbside, energy, ideas, noteworthy, number6plasticpolystyrene, packaging, styrofoam

Published in Plastic

Living Local: Texas

Libuse Binder, August 17th, 2009

The Living Local series is an insider’s look at local environmental efforts and accessibility. Take a trip around the U.S. without leaving your computer! Texas has some of the most populous cities in the nation, as well as some of the lowest recycling rates, but increased efforts from both municipalities and residents have led to improvements in overall ... read more

3 Comments

Tagged basics, batteries, book, composting, constructionmaterials, curbside, homeandofficefurniture, ideas, livinglocal, noteworthy, recycle, solidwaste, television, tires, toys

Published in Garden