recycling Archives - State of the Planet

trash piled up in cubes

We Need to Advance Solid Waste Technology

To implement a true circular economy, we need to systematically and automatically reuse most of the material placed in our trash bags.

by |April 3, 2023
dumpster overflowing with trash

Reduce. Reuse. And Then, When All Else Fails, Recycle.

Recycling gets all the attention, but emphasizing reduction and reuse can do so much more to manage waste and curb climate emissions.

by Brynne Wilcox |February 25, 2022

The Necessity of Recycling

Without recycling, there can be no circular economy. Without a circular economy, we cannot build environmentally sustainable cities. Without sustainable cities, we’d better start looking for another planet.

by |July 26, 2021
stack of cardboard

The Recycling Partnership: a Speaker Series Talk on Improving Recycling Practices

Sustainability Management alumna Asami Tanimoto recently spoke with students about her work to transform residential recycling and expand access.

by Caroline Horrigan |February 19, 2021

The Pandemic is a Reason to Preserve Not Pollute the Planet

The pandemic should be teaching us the importance of public health, environmental protection and scientific analysis; which should lead us to preserve rather than pollute the planet.

by |April 27, 2020

Recycling in the U.S. Is Broken. How Do We Fix It?

Most of what you put into the recycling bin doesn’t actually get recycled. Here’s why — and how we can do better.

by |March 13, 2020
Plastic trash floating in a river

More Plastic Is On the Way: What It Means for Climate Change

Fossil fuel companies are ramping up production of virgin plastics, with huge potential consequences for climate and the environment.

by |February 20, 2020
Bamboo toothbrush and packaging

Lies of the Bamboo Toothbrush: The Plastic Industry’s Perverse Greenwashing

How ploys like bioplastic and anti-litterbug campaigns help to protect the true culprits of plastic pollution.

by |November 11, 2019
landfill with tractor on top

The Aftermath of China’s Waste Ban

The initial ban created a worldwide headache for scrap managers. The new version of the ban will surely lead to migraines.

by |March 11, 2019

What’s in Our Waste Bins?

Sustainability Management student Asami Tanimoto dug through the university’s trash to discover what we’re throwing out, and how we can do better.

by |November 5, 2018