The TopTurn X is one type of machine that helps industrial composting work. Photographed at the 2012 Waste Expo in Las Vegas. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

Have you ever wondered how industrial composting facilities mix and maintain so much compost? It certainly would be a difficult task to accomplish by hand.

Compost must be turned regularly to ensure proper ventilation, aerobic decomposition (a process which uses oxygen and helps the pile to not give off unsavory odors), proper microbe mixture, even water dispersion and a host of other considerations.

Industrial Compost in Action: San Francisco Collects Millionth Ton of Scraps

While a variety of machines exist to accomplish the task of turning compost windrows, it’s possible that none quite resemble a spaceship the way the Topturn X does. Made by Komptech, the machine turns compost to produce perfect windrows, adds water during the process to evenly hydrate the pile and utilizes an efficient diesel engine. It also has fun and functional features, such as a telescoping frame to accommodate any size compost pile and a cabin for the driver which lowers to the ground for easy (and safer) entry.

A look at the TopTurn X in action:

As machinery becomes more advanced and efficient, composting itself could have a better chance at becoming more widely available nationwide. Tony Pierce, who works in parts for Komptech, said it best when we discussed the expansion of industrial composting: “It’s coming.”

The Case for Compost: See How Much Food Waste We Produce

Even today's most advanced devices will become outdated eventually, so why are we so reluctant to recycle our old tech? Photo: Alexis Petru, Earth911

We’ve been reading about the mounting problem of e-waste for years. According to the EPA, it’s the fastest growing portion of our waste stream. But for all the discussion about e-cycling, rates are not increasing at the same speed of our consumption.

The most recent EPA data shows that the most recycled form of e-waste is computers (38 percent), but one of the fastest growing segments, mobile devices, isn’t comparing. “Approximately 141 million mobile devices were ready for end-of-life management in 2009, more than any other type of product,” says the report. This means we’re storing or throwing out more than we should, with the 2009 cell phone recycling rate only at 8 percent (approximately 11.8 million devices).

Surprised? Read More: Our Garbage By the Numbers

State programs to enforce collection are improving the picture. An EPA report on e-waste management through 2009 notes that states with “low levels of collection report approximately one pound per capita; states with higher levels of collection [laws in place] report three to six pounds per capita.” But solely relying on regulation is not enough. Changing the way we think about and perceive e-waste needs to happen as well.

Most major cell phone carriers offer some sort of a recycling option. And some in the U.S., like Sprint, Verizon and AT&T, can offer recyclers serious cash for their devices. They’ve partnered with eRecyclingCorps, the largest recycler of wireless devices in the world.

Cash In: Get Paid for Your Old Phone

According to eRecyclingCorps’ co-founder and CEO, David Edmondson, 1.2 billion devices will be sold around the world this year, but only 1 percent of those will be recycled. Additionally, Edmondson says that almost 1 billion devices are unaccounted for – an amount that would circle the equator almost 22 times.

Devices collected through programs managed by eRecyclingCorps are sent to a 250,000 square-foot central processing facility in Bloomington, Ind. The devices are triaged, and an appropriate course is decided based on their working order. They may be disassembled for parts, or refurbished or renewed for resale. “Once they’re renewed, they sell them in other parts of the world into developing markets,” says Edmondson.

“There’s a huge digital divide […] related to wireless devices. In India, they spend $7 a month on their phone bill, but as a result there’s no economics for subsidies, and they have to pay the full price for their phones [usually around $450]. This way, they get a phone that’s advanced beyond what they would buy, at a greatly reduced cost.” Additionally, the average life span of a cell phone in the U.S. is 18 months, versus a whopping 7 years in India.

The point? An old phone still has value even if you can’t play Angry Birds or shoot with Instagram on it. “There is no such thing as a wireless device that doesn’t have value. The most beat up working phone there is has about $2.85 of gold in it,” says Edmondson.

But why are we so hesitant to give up our phones?

Lit Motors' C-1 two-wheeled vehicle is an engineering feat that could revolutionize the way we travel. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

Is it a motorcycle? A car? Or something in-between? Meet the C-1 by San Francisco start-up Lit Motors.

The fully enclosed motorcycle/auto uses hypersensitive gyros to balance. It puts out over 1,300 pounds per foot of torque; Lit’s Founder and CEO, Daniel Kim, told Reuters that “It takes a baby elephant to knock it over.”

The C-1 is fully electric and capitalizes on the fact that most people commute to work alone. The smaller and more compact design, plus its emission-free engine, make it more economical to drive. More importantly, its design requires fewer resources to manufacture it in the first place (its electric battery is about one-third the size of a conventional electric car battery). It can hit speeds of 120 miles per hour and has an estimated 200-mile range.

Even though the vehicle is small, I had the chance to sit inside the C-1 at the Fortune: Brainstorm Green Conference. It was surprisingly roomy – even for others who top my 5-foot-1-inch height whom I watched give it a try. A second rider can snag a seat in the back for a short ride.

You can toss your cell phone in the recycling bin as well, because the C-1 is enabled to bring traffic, construction, and adverse weather condition information straight to the vehicle so you can decide on a different route.

The C-1 will not be the final name of Lit Motors’ approximately $24,000 creation, so while you’re waiting for it to hit the showroom in 2014, you can suggest a name in the comments below.

Want something bigger? Check out the top 5 green cars of 2012.

Panelists from Coca-Cola, Recyclebank and Zipcar discuss social media's effect on their customers at the Fortune: Brainstorm Green Conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

Do you keep up with sustainability via your Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Pinterest feeds (or any social network, for that matter)?

At the Fortune: Brainstorm Green conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif., executives from top companies touting sustainable efforts acknowledged the importance of social media in engaging green consumers.

“We’re using social, financial and educational currency to get as many people involved,” said Jonathan Hsu, CEO of Recyclebank, a company that rewards consumers for not only recycling curbside, but also learning more about green actions and pledging online to improve their green habits.

Get More: Earn Recyclebank points on Earth911.com

For companies that today would be considered pros at communicating their sustainable efforts, it wasn’t always easy.

“There was a five-year period there where we weren’t sure how to deal with this space [...] We ignored a lot of it,” said Bea Perez, chief sustainability officer for Coca-Cola. “We tried to collect it and assess it, but not deal with those individuals.”

Since then, Coke launched successful social campaigns, including a donation program in late 2011 that protected some 500,000 square miles of polar bear habitat in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. As a result of the campaign, which included a myriad of social components, 1.4 million donations were made by consumers, while 600,000 shared the message and asked others to get involved, according to Perez.

New social campaigns to encourage green actions are also in the works. Recently, organic tea bottler Honest Tea announced a campaign to crowd-source recycle more than 45,000 plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers in 10 hours in New York City. The plastic bottles collected will be recycled into  gardening supplies including shovels, watering cans and plastic lumber, which will be used to build and cultivate an urban garden for PS 102, an elementary school in Harlem.

Those who cannot attend the event in Times Square will have an opportunity to participate in “The Great Recycle” online and make a recycling pledge – and then solidifying it by recycling an old Facebook post.

Efforts like these not only rally communities and drive behavioral change, such as increasing recycling, but provide consumers with opportunities to connect with companies in a transparent way. “It’s incumbent on every company that wants to engage with [consumers] to give them the good, bad and the ugly,” said Hsu.

Socialize: Design an Earth Week bumper sticker and share it via social media

Pet owners have a dilemma: Just like kids, pets require toys, supplies, medicines and the like. But greener options are a bit harder to find in the pet industry if you don’t know where to look.

One particularly tough challenge is dealing with cat litter. No one wants a stinky house, but estimates say over 2 million tons of cat litter – approximately 100,000 truckloads – end up in landfills every year. This costs pet owners a few hundred dollars annually to keep Felix fresh, and let’s not think about the huge environmental footprint all that litter creates.

There are definitely some greener alternatives. One choice is to check out a biodegradable litter made from sawmill scrap or waste from wheat or corn. Many of these litters can be composted or flushed instead of thrown out, although they can be a bit more expensive.

READ: The Best Green Products for Your Pet

Another option is a new litter by EnviroKats that is made of recycled tires. The shredded tires, when properly cared for, never have to be thrown out, meaning that one box could last as long as your feline friend.

Check out the video above to see how the whole topic got kicked off. What about you? Have you tried biodegradable or tire-based litter? Tell us your experiences in the comments below.

If you have your own green question for Earth911, post a video reply here or email socialmedia@earth911.com.

Around the world, 1.5 million children die every year from waterborne illness. One in five children worldwide die from diarrhea – more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined, according to UNICEF. And this concept is never more readily apparent than after a natural disaster.

Gaylon White, director of design programs for Eastman Chemical Co., explained to the audience at the 2011 Opportunity Green conference that most deaths from a natural disaster don’t occur from the disaster itself, but rather afterward, as diseases spread. This makes bringing in clean water one of the first major hurdles and priorities to helping victims.

The Hydropack, developed by Eastman Chemical and Hydration Technology Innovations (HTI), is a less expensive and more effective alternative to bottled water. The environmental and financial savings inherent in these flat packs is huge: According to White, one helicopter carrying Hydropacks can bring in enough packs to create the equivalent water brought in by 15 helicopters carrying bottles.

“Every time that we haul water around the world for disaster response, it means that we are being 20 times less efficient or 20 times more expensive that we could be with a Hydropack answer,” said White. He also said that, had the U.S. used Hydropacks in Haiti, it could have saved more than $700,000 every day in water transport and reallocated those funds to other relief measures.

“It’s important that we recognize the consequences of doing nothing. Saving money can mean saving more lives,” said White.

So what is the Hydropack, exactly?

Gaylon White, director of design programs for Eastman Chemical Co., shows the Hydropack at various stages of completion to attendees at the 2011 Opportunity Green. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

The Hydropack is, essentially, a pouch that can create clean, drinkable water from absolutely any source – from Kenyan flood water to L.A. sewer water. After dropping the pack into a local water source, it works by forward osmosis, which is the same process by which trees draw water up their root system.

Using a semi-permeable membrane, the pack brings in water and blocks viruses, bacteria and heavy metals. It also contains calories, carbohydrates and a bit of flavor that essentially makes it taste like a sports drink.

Even though the Hydropack is a currently a single-use vehicle for creating drinkable water, the savings in fuel and transportation are significant. And beyond this, providing a reliable source of water means that one more essential element to life is taken care of for the people suffering in extreme conditions. This allows for other issues to be addressed, for recovery to begin, and for a significant stressor on parents to be relieved.

“The mothers in Namibia want the same things for their children as the mother’s here in Los Angeles […] what mother’s anywhere want for their children,” said White.

Editor’s Note: Earth911 received complimentary passes to attend the 2011 Opportunity Green conference, where it was an official Media Partner

“The value that customers get from a product or service has to be consistent,” said Annie Lescroart of eBay. “When we think about scale as sustainability professionals, we need to think about persistent consumer values like style and cost, and not ask people to make a sacrifice for green.”

Here are our fav picks from the conference that embody smart design, cost-savings and environmental savvy.

1. BMW ActiveE

The BMW Active E is the first all-electric car from the luxury auto-maker. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

The BMW ActiveE is everything you’d expect from BMW – design, luxury and quality. One major difference: It’s 100 percent electric, offering a range of 100 miles per charge. The car isn’t simply a gas model with an electric engine, it’s designed with BMW’s “Purpose Build,” and incorporates tech to improve range such as carbon fiber to reduce weight and active cooling to extend battery life. Like a typical sedan, it incorporates four seats, usable trunk space and rear-wheel drive.

2. Indo Teak Design

These Bali boatwood chairs from Indo Teak Designs showcase 100 percent reclaimed design. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

Indo Teak Designs produces high-quality, cost-competitive wood products from 100 percent reclaimed teak. From paneling to furniture, the custom-design based, Forest Stewardship Council certified company has zero-waste operations. On top of that, Indo Teak reclaims the wood by hand from seasoned Indonesian structures up to 300 years old.

3. BottleHood

Bottlehood not only recycles actual wine and liquor bottles, but byproducts from their manufacture, such as wine barrels. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

If it isn’t recycled, glass takes more than 4,000 years to break down. BottleHood reclaims glass from local restaurants, bars and events and repurposes it into everything from glassware to lamps to jewelry. The company even reuses the wood from barrels for platters to make functional housewares, going beyond typical drinking glasses to additional, creative designs.

4. Boxman Studios

Shipping container designs from Boxman studios go beyond the typical one-off architectural experiment. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

You won’t find your typical run-of-the-mill shipping container designs at Boxman Studios. Building everything from stages to retail spaces, the company is unique in the shipping container biz. “What makes us different is that we are a vertical company, so we do the design, the manufacturing, all the logistics,” says David Campbell, CEO. “Usually [shipping container projects] are a one-off, but I wanted to create a space where if somebody wanted to do something with us it wouldn’t be ungodly expensive.

5. Cardborigami

Tina Hovsepian created Cardborigami shelters out of simple, folded cardboard to provide easily transported pop-up homes. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

Tina Hovsepian, founder and creator of Cardborigami, saw a problem with living conditions for the homeless in southern California. The determined designer created an amazing foldable shelter made entirely of cardboard. Hovsepian told Earth911 that she hopes for the final product to be waterproof, flame-retardant and recyclable. These instant shelters can not only be customized to help give residents a sense of home, but they also have doors for extra privacy.

Editor’s Note: Earth911 received complimentary passes to attend the 2011 Opportunity Green conference, where it was an official Media Partner

Gov. Pete Shumlin of Vermont, being interviewed by journalist and author Simran Sethi, receives the 2011 Green Governor of the Year award at Opportunity Green in Los Angeles. Photo: Jennifer Berry, Earth911

Stop talking about sustainability. Cut your chatter on energy-efficiency. Take carbon offsets off the table.

This is the message of Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) of Vermont. But before you raise your voice in protest, Shumlin does not want “green” professionals and advocates to abandon their efforts, but rather, the way they talk about them.

“There are two things we need to do: One, agree that we need to talk in language people understand. I’m always struck by how good the other side is. They are so good at marketing what is so bad, and we are so bad at marketing what is so good,” Shumlin told participants at the Opportunity Green conference in Los Angeles last week where he received the 2011 Green Governor of the Year award.

Vermont has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and is making serious investments into renewable energy with a goal to derive 90 percent of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2050. According to Shumlin, for every dollar spent on renewable energy in Vermont, $4.60 is gained.

“’Energy efficiency’ means nothing to my people. ‘Sustainability’ means nothing, frankly, to my people,” he said. “I talk about this simple fact: I’m convinced that as we move from a society that’s driven by oil to other ways of powering the world, this thing is going to make the industrial revolution and the tech boom look small.”

Shumlin also added that he has to “tell the whole story” about how energy affects every aspect of his constituents’ lives, including transportation, food security, safety and health.

“It’s the way we talk about it – we need to be enthused about the economic opportunities that we all have. This is an exciting thing; we [Americans] are the most innovative people in the world.”

Shumlin, who says advocates are “very scared of articulating the truth, we’ve been beaten and muzzled for so long,” calls for communication that relates to basic human needs.

“I’m convinced that all of us […] if we can speak with conviction about what we believe, speak in plain English instead of the terms that we use, about the challenge that we have ahead and how high the stakes are and speak with more passion about the opportunity economically to drive the engine of this country, we will all find that it is the most single important work we can do.”

Editor’s Note: Earth911 received complimentary passes to attend the 2011 Opportunity Green conference, where it was an official Media Partner

Nail polish is a tricky thing – and we’re not talking about a clean paint job on your fingers and toes.

Recently, an Earth911 reader, dubbed “Puzzled in Phoenix,” submitted a video question asking our editors what to do with her dried out nail polish.

The first thing to know is that the U.S. EPA considers nail polish to be household hazardous waste (HHW). This is because, among other attributes, it’s flammable and contains toxic chemicals. Whether or not your polish is dried out, you can’t toss your bottles into the recycling or trash bins. And don’t even try pouring it down the drain.

So what’s a stylish gal to do? Whether your polish is dried or still in liquid form, you can take it to you local HHW facility where the pros will make sure it’s safely disposed.

Make sure to call ahead as you typically have to be a resident of the county or city who runs it, and it may have limited operating hours. Don’t forget to bring your old paint, motor oil, cleaners and the like as well: According to the EPA, the average person creates 4 pounds of HHW every year.

If there isn’t an HHW facility nearby, there’s a mail-back program you can utilize instead. Just make sure to check out the details before you send in your stuff.

If you’re tired of your polish and it’s still useable, you can always swap with a friend or find other ways to use it around the house. Clear coat works great to seal items around your house, like preventing steel cans in your shower from rusting (just paint the bottom!) or sealing a label on your prescription bottle so it doesn’t smudge. You can use colors to mark and organize items in a drawer, label plants in your garden, and the like.

Have a question for Earth911? Post a video reply here or email socialmedia@earth911.com.