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With landfills quickly filling up and waste is an ongoing and growing problem, finding ways to reduce your waste output is essential. Fortunately, there are several initiatives that nearly anyone can take to help reduce the amount of waste they create. If you are interested in reducing your waste output, here are some ideas that you might want to consider. Create a Team The first step in reducing waste in any setting is to put together a recycling and waste management team. In a school setting, this team may consist of an administrator, a teacher, a custodian, and student leaders. In a work setting, it may consist of a member of management, a custodian and staff members. Regardless of the setting, getting people at all levels involved will help to ensure you develop a waste management and recycling program that is successful. Establish a Recycling Center As part of your recycling and waste management team, you will certainly want to...

Plastics pollution has become an increasingly serious concern. With plastics not biodegrading, they simply accumulate in greater quantities as they fill up our landfills and oceans. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation, there may be more plastic in our oceans than fish by the year 2050. But how serious are the dangers of plastic and what can you do to help address this growing concern? Examining the Plastics Problem Plastics have become a serious issue in our oceans, which can be clearly seen when viewing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch was discovered in 2003 when Captain Charles Moor took a shortcut in the Pacific and stumbled upon a sea of plastic. He and his crew took a week to cross the patch, which is estimated to be three times the size of France. At the surface of the patch, it is estimated that plastic outnumbers organisms at a rate...

Food waste is a serious concern in many settings. In fact, food waste is generated through a wide variety of industries that many don’t even consider. Among these are nursing homes, hospitals, supermarkets, schools, hotels, prisons, corporate offices, catering halls, food courts, prisons, and restaurants. For many establishments that serve food, there is an average of one pound of waste generated per meal when considering pre-sale and post-sale waste. With so much waste generated in this way, it is a good idea to consider ways to reduce the amount of food waste generated while also looking for better ways to use the waste that is created. Exploring Ways to Reduce Food Waste To help with reducing the amount of food waste that is generated at a particular site, it is beneficial to conduct a waste audit. A waste audit will give you a better idea of how much waste you are generating. It will also allow you to examine the...

Forest fires present serious problems for parklands as well as residential neighborhoods. When unplanned, forest fires can cause extensive damage and even death. Understanding how forest fire start and how you can prevent them from occurring is one of the key steps in keeping everyone – both humans and animals – safe from forest fires. What Causes Forest Fires? Forest fires may be caused naturally or by humans. Natural forest fires typically occur as the result of lightning, with a very small percentage being caused by spontaneous combustion of dry fuel such as leaves and sawdust. The great majority of forest fires are caused by humans. While some are purposely started and controlled in order to ensure good health of the forest, most human-caused forest fires are caused by accident. Overall, humans are responsible for 84 percent of forest fires that occur. These accidental forest fires may be sparked by any number of causes. Smoking is one common cause of...

The United States is lagging significantly behind many other countries when it comes to its level of recycling. According to Recycle Across America, this is at least partially due to the fact that many Americans are still unsure about what can be recycled and how to go about effectively collecting their recyclable materials. As a result, many continue to make mistakes when they approach a recycling bin or they simply become apathetic or even skeptical about recycling. To help gain a better understanding of recycling, what materials can be recycled and how recycling those materials has an impact on the economy and the environment, it is helpful to look more closely at each type of recyclable material. Plastics Approximately 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away in the United States every hour. Yet, recycling just five plastic bottles can provide enough fiber to create one square foot of carpet or enough fiber to fill one ski jacket. Recycling plastic also...