#landfills — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #landfills, aggregated by home.social.
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#Composting program to provide #Everglades with soil for #CommunityGarden
by Martin Vassolo, March 12, 2025
"Your #FoodScraps could be used to help support the Everglades through a new partnership between the village of #PinecrestFL and the #MiccosukeeTribe.
"Instead of dumping #FoodWaste into crowded #landfills, which produce #methane emissions, the #EvergladesEarthCycleProject will expand Pinecrest's residential composting program and deliver nutrient-rich soil to the #Miccosukee Tribe.
"Driving the news: The project, funded with a $400,000 federal grant and other contributions, calls for installing four new #CompostingBins in Pinecrest and three around #MiamiDade County District 7.
"The initial phase of the program will supply compost to the #SwampyMeadows #CommunityGarden, which grows vegetables just outside the Miccosukee Indian School.
"Another proposal that's been floated is adding new soil to the Everglades' tree islands, though that would need tribal approval, says the Rev. Houston R. Cypress of the #LoveTheEverglades Movement, a partner in the program.
"Cypress told reporters on an airboat ride through the Everglades last week that the tribe teaches 'the essence of being in harmony with nature is giving back to it.'
"'With the Everglades Earth Cycle Project, we're giving back clean and healthy soil; we're giving products that might eventually improve the water quality out here, but we're also giving directly back to local indigenous communities here,' he said.
"Pinecrest already has two free public composting bins, one at the Pinecrest Public Library and another between the Community Center and Pinecrest Gardens."
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/03/12/everglades-composting-pinecrest-miccosukee
#Composting #CommunityGardening #FoodSecurity #ReducingFoodWaste #SolarPunkSunday
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#Composting program to provide #Everglades with soil for #CommunityGarden
by Martin Vassolo, March 12, 2025
"Your #FoodScraps could be used to help support the Everglades through a new partnership between the village of #PinecrestFL and the #MiccosukeeTribe.
"Instead of dumping #FoodWaste into crowded #landfills, which produce #methane emissions, the #EvergladesEarthCycleProject will expand Pinecrest's residential composting program and deliver nutrient-rich soil to the #Miccosukee Tribe.
"Driving the news: The project, funded with a $400,000 federal grant and other contributions, calls for installing four new #CompostingBins in Pinecrest and three around #MiamiDade County District 7.
"The initial phase of the program will supply compost to the #SwampyMeadows #CommunityGarden, which grows vegetables just outside the Miccosukee Indian School.
"Another proposal that's been floated is adding new soil to the Everglades' tree islands, though that would need tribal approval, says the Rev. Houston R. Cypress of the #LoveTheEverglades Movement, a partner in the program.
"Cypress told reporters on an airboat ride through the Everglades last week that the tribe teaches 'the essence of being in harmony with nature is giving back to it.'
"'With the Everglades Earth Cycle Project, we're giving back clean and healthy soil; we're giving products that might eventually improve the water quality out here, but we're also giving directly back to local indigenous communities here,' he said.
"Pinecrest already has two free public composting bins, one at the Pinecrest Public Library and another between the Community Center and Pinecrest Gardens."
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/03/12/everglades-composting-pinecrest-miccosukee
#Composting #CommunityGardening #FoodSecurity #ReducingFoodWaste #SolarPunkSunday
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#Composting program to provide #Everglades with soil for #CommunityGarden
by Martin Vassolo, March 12, 2025
"Your #FoodScraps could be used to help support the Everglades through a new partnership between the village of #PinecrestFL and the #MiccosukeeTribe.
"Instead of dumping #FoodWaste into crowded #landfills, which produce #methane emissions, the #EvergladesEarthCycleProject will expand Pinecrest's residential composting program and deliver nutrient-rich soil to the #Miccosukee Tribe.
"Driving the news: The project, funded with a $400,000 federal grant and other contributions, calls for installing four new #CompostingBins in Pinecrest and three around #MiamiDade County District 7.
"The initial phase of the program will supply compost to the #SwampyMeadows #CommunityGarden, which grows vegetables just outside the Miccosukee Indian School.
"Another proposal that's been floated is adding new soil to the Everglades' tree islands, though that would need tribal approval, says the Rev. Houston R. Cypress of the #LoveTheEverglades Movement, a partner in the program.
"Cypress told reporters on an airboat ride through the Everglades last week that the tribe teaches 'the essence of being in harmony with nature is giving back to it.'
"'With the Everglades Earth Cycle Project, we're giving back clean and healthy soil; we're giving products that might eventually improve the water quality out here, but we're also giving directly back to local indigenous communities here,' he said.
"Pinecrest already has two free public composting bins, one at the Pinecrest Public Library and another between the Community Center and Pinecrest Gardens."
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/03/12/everglades-composting-pinecrest-miccosukee
#Composting #CommunityGardening #FoodSecurity #ReducingFoodWaste #SolarPunkSunday
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#Composting program to provide #Everglades with soil for #CommunityGarden
by Martin Vassolo, March 12, 2025
"Your #FoodScraps could be used to help support the Everglades through a new partnership between the village of #PinecrestFL and the #MiccosukeeTribe.
"Instead of dumping #FoodWaste into crowded #landfills, which produce #methane emissions, the #EvergladesEarthCycleProject will expand Pinecrest's residential composting program and deliver nutrient-rich soil to the #Miccosukee Tribe.
"Driving the news: The project, funded with a $400,000 federal grant and other contributions, calls for installing four new #CompostingBins in Pinecrest and three around #MiamiDade County District 7.
"The initial phase of the program will supply compost to the #SwampyMeadows #CommunityGarden, which grows vegetables just outside the Miccosukee Indian School.
"Another proposal that's been floated is adding new soil to the Everglades' tree islands, though that would need tribal approval, says the Rev. Houston R. Cypress of the #LoveTheEverglades Movement, a partner in the program.
"Cypress told reporters on an airboat ride through the Everglades last week that the tribe teaches 'the essence of being in harmony with nature is giving back to it.'
"'With the Everglades Earth Cycle Project, we're giving back clean and healthy soil; we're giving products that might eventually improve the water quality out here, but we're also giving directly back to local indigenous communities here,' he said.
"Pinecrest already has two free public composting bins, one at the Pinecrest Public Library and another between the Community Center and Pinecrest Gardens."
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/03/12/everglades-composting-pinecrest-miccosukee
#Composting #CommunityGardening #FoodSecurity #ReducingFoodWaste #SolarPunkSunday
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#Composting program to provide #Everglades with soil for #CommunityGarden
by Martin Vassolo, March 12, 2025
"Your #FoodScraps could be used to help support the Everglades through a new partnership between the village of #PinecrestFL and the #MiccosukeeTribe.
"Instead of dumping #FoodWaste into crowded #landfills, which produce #methane emissions, the #EvergladesEarthCycleProject will expand Pinecrest's residential composting program and deliver nutrient-rich soil to the #Miccosukee Tribe.
"Driving the news: The project, funded with a $400,000 federal grant and other contributions, calls for installing four new #CompostingBins in Pinecrest and three around #MiamiDade County District 7.
"The initial phase of the program will supply compost to the #SwampyMeadows #CommunityGarden, which grows vegetables just outside the Miccosukee Indian School.
"Another proposal that's been floated is adding new soil to the Everglades' tree islands, though that would need tribal approval, says the Rev. Houston R. Cypress of the #LoveTheEverglades Movement, a partner in the program.
"Cypress told reporters on an airboat ride through the Everglades last week that the tribe teaches 'the essence of being in harmony with nature is giving back to it.'
"'With the Everglades Earth Cycle Project, we're giving back clean and healthy soil; we're giving products that might eventually improve the water quality out here, but we're also giving directly back to local indigenous communities here,' he said.
"Pinecrest already has two free public composting bins, one at the Pinecrest Public Library and another between the Community Center and Pinecrest Gardens."
https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/03/12/everglades-composting-pinecrest-miccosukee
#Composting #CommunityGardening #FoodSecurity #ReducingFoodWaste #SolarPunkSunday
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Much of the clothing that’s tossed away ends up in landfills and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas and a significant contributor to warming the climate. Decomposing clothes also can release PFAS, or forever chemicals, and microplastics.
That’s where an innovative machine designed and built by an engineering professor and her students at the University of Minnesota Duluth could help, by recycling unwanted clothing instead of landfilling it. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/06/11/duluth-engineering-professor-fabric-recycler
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Hard-to-Recycle Waste Forms Lightweight Concrete for Paving Roads and More in Hungary
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Used Diapers Turned into New Ones Thanks to Super-Recycling Japanese Towns and New Innovation
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The Conversation: How sewage treatment plants could handle food waste, sparing landfills and the climate . “When we compared greenhouse gas emissions for the same food waste composition, we found that sending food to a landfill would emit 58.2 kilograms (129 pounds) of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of food waste. In comparison, we looked at a conventional wastewater treatment plant, the […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/22/the-conversation-how-sewage-treatment-plants-could-handle-food-waste-sparing-landfills-and-the-climate/ -
Teens Tackle Waste From Old Pickleballs, Aiming for Guinness Record for Recycling Them–And You Can Help
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#NapervilleIL - #TheConservationFoundation
#RainBarrels & #Composters"One simple, efficient, low-cost method to reduce the amount of #StormwaterRunoff from your property is to use rain barrels. Estimates indicate that a quarter-inch of rain falling on an average home yields over 200 gallons of water. Rain barrels are simply large containers that help conserve stormwater from your roof that would otherwise be lost as runoff. Modern rain barrels are sealed, safe around children and insect resistant – they can even be painted or decorated to your liking. You can divert water from your downspout to fill your rain barrel and a hose spigot on the front makes the water easy to access and use.
The Conservation Foundation sells rain barrels, also known as #WaterBarrels, year-round through our partnership with Upcycle Products, Inc. Our 55-gallon rain barrels are made of recycled food-grade plastic, come in a variety of colors and can be purchased for $72.00 (plus tax) for pick-up at #McDonaldFarm in Naperville.
Composters
When we compost our #KitchenScraps and #YardWaste we reduce the amount of material going to the #landfills and instead return nutrients to the #soil. The many benefits of #composting include reducing the amount of material going to landfills and adding organic matter to our #garden beds. This improves soil structure and texture, increases the soil’s ability to hold both water and air, improves soil fertility, and stimulates healthy root development in plants. And it saves you money so you don’t have to buy chemical fertilizers!
Upcycle compost bins (stationary and tumbling) are the same size as the 55 gallon rain barrel, approximately 2 ft by 3.5 ft (the base of the tumbling composter requires a 3 x 4 ft area). The bins are re-purposed BPA-free food grade plastic barrels."
FMI and to order:
https://theconservationfoundation.org/conservation-home/rain-barrels/#SolarPunkSunday #Illinois #Composters #RainwaterCollection #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife
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New method converts old phones and paper industry #waste into #GreenBattery tech
Scientists have created a sustainable, cost-effective, and highly efficient solution that promotes a #CircularEconomy while supporting the transition to greener #EnergyStorage.
By
Mrigakshi Dixit
Feb 20, 2026 06:59 AM EST"A new sustainable method turns discarded #MobilePhoneBatteries and industrial lignin into a powerhouse material for #SodiumIon batteries.
"It is a stunning example of circular economy innovation. Rather than letting these materials sit in #landfills or go up in smoke, the team from China is giving the waste a high-tech second life.
"When tested as a sodium-ion battery anode, this composite of #nickel-#cobalt sulfides and #lignin-derived carbon delivered electrochemical results."
Read more:
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/battery-material-from-old-phone-batteries#SolarPunkSunday #CellPhoneBatteries #Reuse #SodiumIonBatteries #NewTechnology #GiantLeap #EWaste #EWasteRecycling #EWasteReuse
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#PortlandME - #Riverside #Recycling Facility
"Hazardous Waste collection is the FIRST Saturday of each month April thru November between 7:30 AM and 1:00 PM. If near a holiday, please check the holiday schedule to see if we are open. If we are closed on the weekend that would be hazardous waste day it will normally be skipped entirely for that month.
You may want to visit www.PaintCare.org for paint disposal options in your area.
Riverside Recycling accepts household hazardous waste (HHW) on the 1st Saturday of the month (April through November.) Collection occurs from 7:30AM to 1PM. This program is open to all Maine residents disposing of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) from their residence. Portland E-Card holders may dispose of up to 10 gallons of HHW annually with a maximum of TWO visits at no charge (i.e. two visits of 5 gallons each visit, or one visit with 10 gallons will use up the HHW portion of your E-Card for the year). Acceptable paint, stain and varnish can be disposed of at no charge as part of the PaintCare.org program and does not go against the HHW portion of your Ecard. Residential customers without an Ecard will be charged $6.50 per gallon for liquid wastes or $3.50 per pound for solid wastes. Unfortunately, we cannot accept hazardous waste from businesses or municipalities..
How will the drop off program work?
Prepare your household hazardous waste for drop off. When preparing hazardous items for disposal at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, be sure that liquids are in sturdy leak-proof containers with caps or lids. Use the original container whenever possible. Secure breakable or loose items inside boxes or bags. Do not mix items together. Be careful that no items spill or break when they are in your vehicle.
Bring your items to Riverside Recycling, 910 Riverside St. on the 1st Saturday of the month (April through November.) Collection occurs from 7:30AM to 1PM. When you arrive at the facility, stop at the attendant’s booth and speak with the attendant. ALL HAZARDOUS WASTE MUST BE DROPPED OFF BEFORE RECYCLING ANY OTHER ITEMS.
Follow any directions you receive at the attendant’s booth and proceed into the facility. When you pull up at the HHW facility, stay in your vehicle. The HHW staff will handle removing your items for you.
The following are items commonly found in Portland homes that can be disposed of as part of the City of Portland’s household hazardous waste program.
Cleaning Products
- Oven cleaners
- Drain cleaners
- Wood and metal cleaners and polishes
- Toilet cleaners
- Tub, tile, shower cleaners
- Bleach (laundry)
- Pool chemicalsAutomotive Products
- Motor oil
- Fuel additives
- Carburetor and fuel injection cleaners
- Air conditioning refrigerants
- Starter fluids
- Automotive batteries
- Transmission and brake fluid
- AntifreezeLawn and Garden Products
- Herbicides
- Insecticides
- Fungicides/wood preservativesOther Flammable Products
- Kerosene
- Home heating oil
- Diesel fuel
- Lighter fluid
- Gasoline & Gas/Oil MixIndoor Pesticides
- Ant sprays and baits
- Cockroach sprays and baits
- Flea repellents and shampoos
- Bug sprays
- Houseplant insecticides
- Moth repellents
- Mouse and rat poisons and baitsWorkshop/Painting Supplies
- Adhesives and glues
- Furniture strippers
- Oil, Latex and Enamel based paints
- Stains and finishes
- Paint thinners and turpentine
- Paint strippers and removers
- Photographic chemicals
- Fixatives and other solventsMiscellaneous
- Driveway sealerPlease remain in your vehicle while dropping off your HHW items. We have trained staff that will inspect your items. Please be patient while they calculate how many gallons you have. Thank you."
Riverside Recycling
910 Riverside St | Portland, Maine 04103https://riversiderecycles.com/hazardous-waste/
#SolarPunkSunday #HazardousWasteDisposal #HouseholdWaste #ResponsibleRecycling #Landfills #SpringCleaning
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Landfill Uses Gas From Waste to Grow Fruits and Vegetables in ‘World-First’ Green Food Dome
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What an awesome idea. I hope this works out as well as planned.
#sustainability #ecology #waste #landfills #farming #produce
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Thrift Shop Buried Under ‘Rags’ Gets Helping Hand from Designer Who Wants to Reduce Landfill Waste
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Inspired by Asthma Attack, New Delhi Teens Recycle 2 Million Pounds of Waste Across 14 Indian Cities
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With 2 patents for measuring radioactivity down to & below drinking water levels, I can tell you that these levels of radioactivity in fracking waste are dangerous.
Given the the 1,600 yr half-life of radium-226, fracking waste disposal in PA sanitary landfills should be strictly regulated!
Via Inside Climate News
https://bit.ly/4qitEA1
#fracking #radwaste #Pennsylvania #landfills -
And what isn't acceptable for the #FoodBanks goes to #Agricycle!
#Hannaford says no food waste from any of its stores will be sent to #landfills anymore
Hannaford said it partnered with Agri-Cycle, a food waste recycling company based in Scarborough, to turn food unsuitable for human & animal consumption into #energy.
By Griffin Stockford, April 20, 2021
SCARBOROUGH, Maine — "Hannaford on Tuesday announced that each of its 183 stores donates or diverts all food at risk of going to waste, sending no food at all to landfills.
Hannaford said in a release that it achieved the milestone with a "multi-pronged approach focused on first preventing #FoodWaste through strategic product ordering and management at the store level."
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"Thousands of #landfills across the #UK and #Europe sit in floodplains, posing a potential threat to drinking #water and #conservation areas if toxic waste is released into #rivers, soils and #ecosystems, it can be revealed.
The findings are the result of the first continent-wide mapping of landfills, conducted by the #Guardian, Watershed Investigations and Investigate Europe."
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Toxic Ground - https://www.investigate-europe.eu/themes/investigations/toxic-ground "A groundbreaking mapping project revealing a cocktail of environmental risks posed by thousands of Europe's #landfills." huge, ignored problem
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World Falling Short on #Methane Pledge, #UN Report Finds
Four years ago, over 100 countries signed a pledge to cut global methane #emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The greenhouse gas is released by the burning of #fossilfuels, leaky #landfills and industrial #agriculture. It warms the planet up to 80 times more than #carbondioxide over two decades and is responsible for roughly a third of all #globalwarming.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/climate/methane-leaks-united-nations.html
https://archive.ph/8qbar
#climate #climatechange -
Quantifying Methane Emissions From United States Landfills
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https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi7735 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #aerial #remotesensing #earthobservation #methane #US #USA #landfill #landfills #emission #solidwaste #waste #anthropogenic #climatechange #greehousegas #imaging #spectrometers #spatialanalysis #systematic #monitoring #measurements #exceedance #wastemanagement #mitigation #engineering #AVIRIS -
The greenhouse gas methane produced by US landfills is three times higher than previously thought. Pockets of the gas exist in lower layers of garbage, and over time, they are released into the atmosphere.
#methane
#greenhousegas
#landfills
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/recent-study-finds-garbage-lasagnas-101000211.html -
#Poland - #UrbanGardens help cities fight #ClimateChange
By Andrei Ionescu
July 1, 2025"Warsaw isn’t short on parks or tree-lined boulevards, but a trio of Polish universities wondered whether smaller, resident-run gardens could add something crucial to the capital’s climate resilience.
"To find out, researchers from SWPS University, Warsaw University of Technology, and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences mapped every vacant meadow, former orchard, and post-industrial lot within easy walking distance of apartment blocks.
"They came up with a staggering 1,864 hectares (4,600 acres) – more than enough space, they say, for a citywide network of community gardens that soak up stormwater, cool overheated streets, and capture carbon.
"The investigation combined that spatial analysis with more than 250 in-depth interviews. The goal was to see who is already gardening, what motivates them, and how much social capital – trust, shared norms, cooperative spirit – might be harvested alongside tomatoes and herbs.
Who uses the urban gardens
"It turns out the movement is surprisingly broad. Urban gardening brings together all social groups, the team reports, from school children planting pollinator patches to cultural institutions converting courtyards into micro-farms.
"Still, two cohorts dominate the regular volunteer lists: retirees – often women with higher education – and young middle class families.
"Most gardens revolve around a core group of 10 to 15 steady hands, supplemented by casual helpers and passers-by who stop to chat, water, or simply lounge among the raised beds.
Motivation of urban gardeners
"Why do they show up week after week? According to study co-author Piotr Majewski of SWPS University, the motivations of urban gardeners vary.
" 'The most important ones are: #reconnection to #nature, positive contribution to the #environment, social relations, and mutual learning between #gardeners,' said Majewski.
"Food, interestingly, is not the primary driver. Leaders said harvests help, but real value comes from #biodiversity, #composting, and public workshops on #sustainable living.
Tiny plots, big impact
"Those activities tally with an expanding body of international research linking urban agriculture to climate adaptation.
"Even pocket-size plots act as #CarbonSinks, trap particulate pollution, and soften the #UrbanHeatIsland. Raised beds can be engineered to hold back flash-flood water, while #compost heaps divert organic waste from #landfills.
"For #Warsaw, the numbers are compelling. Nearly all of the identified 1,864 hectares (4,600 acres) lie within a quarter mile of housing, meaning a potential garden is no farther than a ten-minute stroll for most residents – and often half that.
"Such proximity, the experts argue, makes it easier to harness gardens as a distributed #GreenInfrastructure network in a warming metropolis of nearly two million people.
"Yet the real strength may be social. Garden groups knit neighbors together, boosting the informal networks that cities rely on during #heatwaves, #floods, or other climate-related shocks.
"Many interviewees said they joined to cultivate community first, vegetables second. Regular workdays double as impromptu skill‐shares: retirees pass on horticultural know-how, children learn ecological stewardship, and newcomers forge local friendships.
#UrbanGardens in city plans
"Majewski and his colleagues believe Warsaw’s planners should take that social-ecological synergy seriously.
" 'The system of community gardens should also be considered as a tool to support climate change adaptation solutions in urban policies in spatial planning – provided that they are considered an important link in the urban green infrastructure system,' he explained.
"To get there, the researchers lay out a handful of recommendations. First, city hall could weave gardens into official zoning strategies rather than treating them as informal afterthoughts.
"That might mean leasing public land at peppercorn rents, streamlining permits, or integrating gardens into new housing estates from the design phase.
"Second, municipal agencies could supply starter kits – soil, timber, rain barrels – while leaving day-to-day management to residents. Third, wider publicity would help spread the idea beyond the usual eco-activist circles.
Scaling gardens citywide"The study also flags areas for further research. At what point does a collection of isolated plots start delivering measurable cooling or flood mitigation benefits?
"How can Warsaw ensure that garden networks thrive in all districts, not just affluent ones with vocal community groups? And what responsibilities will fall on municipal departments when gardens become part of critical infrastructure rather than hobby spaces?
"Those unknowns aside, the evidence is clear: Warsaw already hosts a vibrant cohort of 'hero #activists' who coax life from overlooked corners.
"With modest institutional backing, their trowels and #CompostBins could double as #ClimateAdaptation tools – cooling concrete and absorbing rainfall.
"Perhaps most importantly, they help draw neighbors together in a city that will need every ounce of solidarity as temperatures rise."
https://www.earth.com/news/urban-gardens-help-cities-fight-climate-change/
#BuildingCommunity #ClimateChange #CityPlanning #Resiliency #SolarPunkSunday #UrbanGardens #SpendingTimeInNature #GreenTime
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#Mainers - Unfortunately, the deadline for purchasing this year has passed. But bug your municipality about buying in bulk for next year! [Similar programs exist in other states... I'll take a look-see after posting this.]
Maine Resource Recovery Association -
#Recycling and Solid Waste Management2025 Spring Backyard #Composting Supply Sale
It's that time of year again! Put in your bulk order today!
Backyard Composting Supplies
- Kitchen Pail
Collect food scraps for easy transfer to your compost bin.- Lobster Trap Composter
Available in both a 3 and 4 foot size. Ideal for grass clippings, leaves, garden and food scraps. Comes with rings to assemble. Hog ring pliers are also available to order. MADE IN MAINE.- REOTEMP Thermometer
Designed with a 20 inch stem this device is perfect for monitoring the interior temperature of your compost.- #EarthMachine [I own two of these...]
80 gallon composting bin that converts, grass, leaves, and table scraps into an abundant supply of rich garden soil.- Wingdigger
Use this handy tool to turn your compost. [I use a garden fork for that]- #RainBarrell
55 gallon capacity, collects rain water for your garden.- Backyard #Compost Guide
#Recycling Containers and Carts
roll offs- Recycling Carts
Easy handling curbside cart comes in 35, 64, 96 gallon sizes. Carts have excellent balance and stability. They are available in various colors.- Recycling Bin
18 gallon curbside recycler for paper, cans, glass, plastics, etc. Holds up to 80 pounds, and allows for drainage of any liquids.Contact us to order."
https://mrra.net/home/products/
#SolarpunkSunday #Composting
#ReducingWaste #Landfills
#Maine #Recycling #MRRA #BackyardComposting #FoodWaste #FoodWasteComposting #RainwaterCollection -
An excellent resource from #EcoMaine!
"Did you know that almost a third of what we throw away is leftover or spoiled food? If Maine is to achieve a 50% recycling rate, we need to recover our food waste, too – it’s worth the weight!
"ecomaine added food waste recycling to our sustainable waste management solutions in order to help Maine reach its recycling goal. We continue to build food waste recycling capacity in southern Maine, serving as a central collection point for grocery stores, institutions, and participating cities and towns.
"Collected food waste is transported to #ExeterME’s #AgriEnergy [#AgricycleEnergy] to be de-packaged and anaerobically digested to produce sustainable power, organic farm #fertilizer, and cow bedding for the #Maine family dairy farm #StonyvaleFarm. Any packaging removed from the food waste is delivered back to ecomaine to be burned for energy—keeping all of it out of our #landfills!
"By making #composting, anaerobic digestion, and food waste recycling so easy, we encourage our communities to dispose of their waste responsibly.
"For more on compost that’s 'Worth The Weight,' check out our informational pamphlet!
#BackyardComposting"Backyard composting is one of the easiest ways to keep organic material out of the trash. It also has some other great advantages:
- It doesn’t weigh your trash down as much.
- It doesn’t get into ecomaine‘s waste-to-energy plant, making our combustion more damp and less efficient.
- It’s easy – and “grass-cycling” (leaving clippings on the lawn) is better for your grass!
- It saves Maine’s towns money on collection and hauling.
- And it saves YOU money on trash bags!"There are no trucks or driving involved – no carbon emissions! You just walk it out to your bin, and that’s it.
"In the end, composting produces rich #soil for flower and vegetable #gardens – without paying for it (again) at the store.Drop Off Locations
"If you’re looking for a compost drop-off location, instead of putting it in your backyard, here are a few… If you know of one that’s not here, let us know! (Some facilities may be for residents only; we advise calling ahead if you’re not sure.)
[I've found that transfer stations are usually residents only...]
#BridgtonME Transfer Station
118 Sandy Creek Rd, Bridgton, ME, USA#BrownfieldME Transfer Station
Pequawket Trail, Brownfield, ME, USA#CapeElizabethME Recycling Center
10 Cooper Dr, Cape Elizabeth, ME, USA#EliotME Recycling Center
468 Dow Highway, Eliot, ME, USA#FalmouthME Community Park
Winn Rd, Falmouth, ME, USA#FalmouthME Transfer Station
100 Woods Rd, Falmouth, ME, USA#FalmouthME Village Park
22 Hat Trick Drive, Falmouth, ME#FreeportME Recycling Center
100 Landfill Road, Freeport, ME, USA#NorthYarmouthME Town Hall / #SamRistichNatureTrail, North Yarmouth, ME, USA
#PortlandME: #BoydStreet #CommunityGarden
2 Boyd Street, Portland, MEPortland: #BrentwoodFarms Community Garden
Brentwood Street, Portland, MEPortland: #Libbytown Community Garden
175 Douglass Street, Portland, MEPortland: #NorthStreetCommunityGarden
195 North Street, Portland, ME
Portland: Parkside/King Middle School
In the back of the school near the Fitzpatrick Stadium parking lot
92 Deering Avenue, Portland, ME
Portland: #PaysonPark Community Garden
Dropoff located on Front Street.
Front Street, Portland, MainePortland: #ReicheSchool
Dropoff is on the Clark Street side.
166 Brackett Street, Portland, ME
Portland: #Riverton Community Garden
45 Verrill Street, Portland, Maine
#SacoME Dept. of Public Works
15 Phillips Spring Road, Saco, MESaco Parks & Rec
75 Franklin St, Saco, ME, USA#ScarboroughME Public Works Facility
20 Washington Avenue, Scarborough, ME, USA#SouthPortlandME City Hall
25 Cottage Rd, South Portland, ME, USA
South Portland Code Enforcement Office
496 Ocean Street, South Portland, MESouth Portland Golf Course Maint. Building
221 Westbrook Street, South Portland, ME, USASouth Portland High School
637 Highland Avenue, South Portland, ME, USASouth Portland Transfer Station
929 Highland Ave, South Portland, ME, USASouth Portland: Redback Community Center
95 Macarthur Circle West, South Portland, ME#StandishME Transfer Station
150 Moody Rd, Standish, ME, USA
#SurryME: #ChickadeeCompost
Jill's Lane, Surry, Maine www.chickadeecompost.com#VinalhavenME Transfer Station
178 Round the Island Rd, Vinalhaven, ME, USA
#YarmouthME Transfer Station
659 East Main Street, Yarmouth, ME, USACurbside Collection
And if you’re really not into the backyard thing, there are some companies who will pick it up for you!
- #WeCompostIt! (Greater Portland)
- #GarbageToGarden (Greater Portland)
- #ScrapDogs (Greater #CamdenME-#RockportME)
- #MrFoxComposting (Southern Maine & #NH)
- #ProjectEarth (Lincoln County)
- #ChickadeeCompost (All of #BlueHillME Peninsula, #DeerIsleME, #EllsworthME)
- #OneEarth Composting (#HampdenME)
- #AgriCycle Energy (Collection from businesses & organizations for anaerobic digestion – all over!)Other Compost Resources:
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
207-592-0455University of Maine Cooperative Extension
207-581-3188Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine – Food Recovery
207-581-3195Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association [#MOFGA]
207-568-4142#WormMainea
207-831-3752#MainelyWorm Bins
#UncleJimsWormFarm
1-800-373-0555Source (with links):
https://www.ecomaine.org/food-waste-and-composting/#SolarpunkSunday #Composting #WormBins #ReducingWaste
#Landfills #Maine #WasteToEnergy -
So, my neighbor (who is on our town's select board) made the excellent suggestion that places that are more rural should invest in providing low-cost or free composters for folks to compost their own food waste (something that #ecomaine encourages)! Some more urban areas use #GarbageToGarden or #WeCompostIt services [see next post] to deal with food waste, which is sometimes where #Agricycle gets involved! #EcoMaine has been partnering with Agricycle since 2016!
Ecomaine Launches Food Waste Recovery Service
Maine Public | By Patty Wight
Published September 7, 2016"Open up a refrigerator and the chances of finding limp lettuce or soggy squash are pretty high. Here in the U.S., it’s likely that this food will find its way into the garbage — according to the USDA, at least 30 percent of the nation’s food supply is wasted.
"A new program launched Wednesday by ecomaine aims to get that food out of the trash and give it a second life as #compost or energy.
"When confronted with produce past its prime, says ecomaine’s CEO Kevin Roche, there’s really one major roadblock that steers people toward dropping it in the trash versus a compost bucket.
" 'The ‘ick’ factor is what I call it,' he says.
"Rotten food is messy, it smells and it attracts fruit flies. But Roche says ecomaine now has a unique way to manage the ick factor: by sealing that food waste in a clear plastic bag.
" 'You go to the grocery store, and when you buy your oranges or your head of broccoli, and the first thing you usually do is put it in a clear bag. And we feel that could be an avenue for us to contain the ick factor and get a second use out of that plastic bag,' he says.
"Starting Wednesday, ecomaine accepts food waste knotted up in plastic bags. Ecomaine doesn’t collect the bags itself. It consolidates waste picked up by commercial services, such as Garbage to Garden or #WeCompostIt!, at a cost of about $55 a ton.
"On Wednesday morning, a collection truck from #AgriCycleEnergy unloads a giant salad of rotten corn, peppers, tomatoes and other produce at ecomaine’s facility in Portland.
" 'We’re collecting from restaurants, colleges, hospitals, and a variety of other generators of food waste,' says Dan Bell, manager at Agri-Cycle Energy in #ExeterMaine, where all of this produce consolidated at ecomaine will eventually go.
" 'A special machine at Agri-Cycle Energy removes the plastic bags, which are returned to ecomaine to be burned for electricity. The food waste, meanwhile, is blended with an equal amount of cow #manure from a nearby dairy farm, then heated and churned for about 30 days using a process called anaerobic digestion.
" 'We have two large domes, and it’s essentially enclosed, so we’re capturing all of the gases in the process of breaking down food waste,' Bell says.
"The #biogas is used to produce heat and electricity. And the food waste, he says Bell, turns into #fertilizer and animal bedding.
" 'This is material that’s been in the waste stream forever. And it always will be. And it’ll always be something that has to be handled. But pulling it out and removing it and source separating it allows companies like ours and other #digesters across the country to put that material to work for us, versus just sitting in a landfill,' he says.
"Because food generally doesn’t break down in landfills. A couple years ago, Roche says ecomaine dug down into one of its landfills.
" 'We found chicken breasts that were 25 years old, tomatoes, Ruffles potato chips that were 25 years old,' he says.
"Roche says businesses and consumers can prevent food waste through correct planning. But when lost or forgotten food is discovered in the dark recesses of a fridge, that’s where ecomaine’s food waste recovery program comes in.
"Initially, he says, it won’t account for a huge chunk of what ecomaine processes, which amounts to 170,000 tons of trash and 45,000 tons of recycling per year.
" 'Even if we can get upwards of five tons a year, we feel that would be a good start to our program,' Roche says.
"It’s an important step, he says, toward reaching Maine’s statewide recycling goal of 50 percent by 2021."
[I'm wondering how close Maine is to that goal?]
#SolarpunkSunday #Digesters #Composting #ReducingWaste #Landfills #Maine #Recycling #WasteToEnergy #Compost
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So, some communities in #Maine were like, #NIMBY when a #TrashToEnergy plant was proposed. After all, folks had to deal with air quality issues with the old paper mill in Westbrook for many years (it was still belching smelly shit when I worked at a local library). However, #EcoMaine built the plant, and from what I can tell, they are doing it the right way. Our community signed up for participating in their program years ago, and now there are 20 communities participating. ecomaine has even upgraded their facility to be able to retrieve even more usable metal from the resultant ashes. And they are implementing programs based on Maine policy change, which requires businesses that do a lot of shipping (like Amazon) to make their packaging recyclable and to pay for communities to deal with packaging waste (more about that in another post).
Anyhow, here is more information about ecomaine's #WasteToEnergy plant...
ecomaine’s Waste-to-Energy Power Plant
"Our waste-to-energy #(WTE) plant receives trash identified as #unrecyclable and converts it at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to energy in the form of electricity. The ecomaine WTE plant processes about 175,000 tons of trash a year and, from that process, generates enough steam to create about 100,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.
"That’s enough electricity to power our WTE and recycling facilities, our company’s electric vehicles, plus about 15,000 homes for a year!
"Converting the trash to energy also benefits the communities we serve by reducing its volume by 90 percent, leaving only inert ash to be stored at the landfill site. (There are also statewide economic benefits from WTE plants; read the results of a Maine study -- linked below).
"By reducing the volume of trash by 90%, controlling #pollution, and generating #electricity, waste-to-energy clearly has many benefits. These and more are outlined in a 2021 study by Dr. Marco Castaldi, The Scientific Truth about Waste to Energy Facilities and Quantifiable Benefits They Provide. (Sneak Peek: did you know that areas in the U.S. with waste-to-energy have higher #recycling rates than those without?) "
Source:
https://www.ecomaine.org/our-facility/waste-to-energy-plant/Maine study:
https://www.ecomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/WTE-econ-benefits.pdf
#SolarPunkSunday #Recycling #Reclamation #ReducingWaste #Landfills #Maine -
Colorado’s #Landfills Generate as Much Dirty Air as Driving 1 Million Cars for a Year
Proposed rules would force operators to measure #methane emissions, fix leaks and, in some cases, install gas collection systems.
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The largest growth came from expanding #landfills, booming #livestock production, increased #coal mining & surging consumption of #NaturalGas.
The report also uncovered worrying evidence that #human disruptions have boosted the amount of #methane released by #lakes, #marshes & other ecosystems.
#climate #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #GreenhouseGases #GlobalWarming #ExtremeWeather #science
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ICYMI - From 2017
Levels of #EWaste soar in #Asia as gadgets become affordable, UN says
Amount of electronic waste up 63% in five years, with China’s more than doubling, United Nations University report finds
Agence France-Presse
Sun 15 Jan 2017 11.29 EST"Levels of #ElectronicWaste are rising sharply across #Asia, as higher incomes mean hundreds of millions of people can afford #smartphones and other #gadgets, according to a UN study.
"The amount of e-waste in Asia has risen by 63% in five years, a report by United Nations University said, warning of the need to improve #recycling and disposal methods across the region to prevent serious #environmental and health consequences.
"Ruediger Kuehr, the report’s co-author and head of UNU’s sustainable cycles programme, said: 'For many countries that already lack infrastructure for environmentally sound e-waste management, the increasing volumes are a cause for concern.'
"For many years, China and other Asian countries have recycled discarded electronics from wealthier countries in rudimentary and often unsafe factories.
"But the report said Asia has become a major source of e-waste due to increasingly affluent #consumers buying electronic items including #phones, #tablets, #refrigerators, #computers and #televisions.
"China’s generation of e-waste more than doubled between 2010 and 2015, the period of the study, according to the report.
"#HongKong generated the highest amount of e-waste in Asia in 2015, an average of 21.7kg (3.4st) per person.
"#Singapore and #Taiwan created just over 19kg per person in 2015.
"#Cambodia, #Vietnam and the #Philippines were among the lowest e-waste generators, with an average of about 1kg per person."
#Consumerism #Capitalism #Crapitalism #PlannedObsolescence #SupportLegacyProducts #Landfills #RightToRepair #EnvironmentalRacism #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife #RepairReuseRecycle #Consumerism #Anticonsumerism #EnvironmentalPollution
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How Soaring E-Waste Pollution Is Putting Lives at Risk
by April Miller
Mar 3rd 2022The Growing Amount of E Waste Pollution
"The proper disposal of electronics is a heated topic in the minds of those looking to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint. As more devices come out each year, it only adds to the amount of e-waste generated. Consider how #Apple, #Huawei, #Samsung, #Google and other companies release several new phone models annually. Older models then become #obsolete and must be disposed of properly.
"Statista reports that the amount of e-waste generated worldwide was around 54 million metric tons in 2019. Due to increased spending power and the wide availability of electronics, e-waste is becoming the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide. It’s estimated that generation will increase by 30% by 2030.
"These figures make sense, considering how common it is for people to throw away small electronic devices along with their other trash. However, most are not aware of opportunities to recycle electronics, what environmental impact they’re making by throwing away e-waste or how much cash they can earn by selling it.
How E Waste Harms the #Environment and Our #Health
"Why is e-waste becoming a more prevalent issue worldwide? #ElectronicWaste poses unique ecological concerns. Most e-waste contains #HazardousChemicals, and the manufacturing processes may also harm the #environment.
"When e-waste ends up in a #landfill, the surrounding #soil can become #contaminated with #toxic substances such as #mercury, #cadmium, #beryllium and #lead. These chemicals enter the soil, waterways and air, leading to polluted environments and negatively impacting human and #marine life.
"Consider people who use natural wells or the animals who rely on bodies of water. They could be exposed to toxic chemicals that can impact their health.
"It’s also important to note that when high volumes of e-waste enter landfills, device manufacturers must mine more materials to build new devices. #Phones and other #electronics contain small amounts of valuable metals like #gold, #silver and #palladium, among other critical components. These materials are becoming harder to mine, especially with the increased demand for more electronic devices.
How E Waste Contributes to #Air Pollution
One journal from Environmental Research Letters reported that researchers took air samples from a large e-waste disposal site in #China and found that the products in these landfills harmed human #lung cells.
"According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these are some adverse health effects caused by exposure to e-waste:
- Negative birth outcomes for expecting mothers, such as #stillbirth or #premature birth
- Increased rates of #ADHD in young children
- Changes in lung function
- #DNA damage
- Respiratory issues
- Impaired thyroid function
- Increased risk of chronic diseases like #cancer and #cardiovascular disease"Additionally, the WHO reports that appropriate collection and #recycling of e-waste can help protect the environment and human health.
"Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) found that 17.4% of e-waste that was collected appropriately prevented as much as 15 million tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere. High levels of carbon dioxide entering the environment and therefore contributing to global warming make it clear that e-waste is a much larger issue than some believe it to be. It may seem easy to toss away old electronics in the trash, but doing so negatively affects the environment and can harm human health.
Recycling Electronics to Benefit Humans and the Environment
"More state and federal action is needed to reduce the negative impact e-waste has on humans and the environment. So far, around 25 US states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to establish an e-waste recycling programme. Additionally, several manufacturers offer some type of electronic return initiative, with some hosting or sponsoring recycling events for consumers.
"Many manufacturers have adopted more #sustainable business practices to prevent outdated devices from entering landfills. However, this can be challenging, considering how often users want to upgrade to the latest technology due to new features and designs.
Republicans and Democrats are pursuing laws that would make it easier for consumers to repair their devices, from vehicles to refrigerators to smartphones. This movement is being coined as the Right to Repair movement. Manufacturers often make it difficult for consumers to fix a wide range of products by limiting the availability of parts or limiting who can perform repairs.
The goal of the movement is to prohibit manufacturers from taking these measures. This can directly reduce the amount of e-waste entering landfills in the first place. Consumers would then be able to repair devices themselves, save money and avoid tossing obsolete products in the trash.
E-waste is a growing problem worldwide, and more emphasis should be put on the importance of recycling electronics. The benefits of recycling far outweigh the drawbacks. Governments, consumers and manufacturers need to find viable solutions to this prevalent issue. Whether it’s contaminated soil entering waterways or toxic chemicals released into the atmosphere, more work needs to be done to mitigate the negative effects e-waste causes."
https://earth.org/e-waste-pollution/
#ElectronicWaste #SupportLegacyProducts #Windows11 #Consumerism #Capitalism #Crapitalism
#PlannedObsolescence
#Landfills #RightToRepair #EnvironmentalRacism #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife #RightToRepair
#RepairReuseRecycle
#Consumerism
#Anticonsumerism #EnvironmentalPollution -
Because the #biodegradable version decomposes faster than conventional #gowns, popular wisdom held that it offers a #greener option by less space use and chronic #emissions in #landfills. That wisdom may be wrong.
#Environmental #Medical #Chemistry #Greenhouse #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2022/12/en12152203.html