trash Archives - State of the Planet

biodegradable container on grass

You Asked: Should I Buy Biodegradable Materials If My Trash Just Goes to a Landfill?

Our expert says: It’s better than adding another piece of plastic to the problem.

by Emily Halnon |August 2, 2022
trash bins lined up on street

Your Holiday Trash Could Be Contributing to Environmental Injustice

Here are a few things you can do to help.

by Radhika Iyengar |November 17, 2021

Divert Biodegradable Waste From Landfills to Cut Climate-Warming Methane Emissions

Landfills should also be outfitted with facilities to monitor and control existing methane emissions.

by Nickolas J. Themelis |November 9, 2021

You Asked: What Are the Most Eco-Friendly Garbage Bags?

An Earth Institute staffer gives advice on alternative trash bag options and how reduce your need for trash bags altogether.

by |April 22, 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

Map: Where Are the Trashiest New Yorkers?

No, not that kind of trashy – we’re talking here about what New York City neighborhoods produce the most municipal solid waste per person.

by |February 6, 2014