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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...

Despite a lack of a clearly-defined definition, e-waste is a growing problem with some potentially very serious side effects on the environment. This type of waste includes VCRs, computers, televisions, copiers, stereos, fax machines and other common electronic products that are nearing the end of their useful lifespan. If these items are simply dumped into landfills, the space will fill up rather quickly. In addition, throwing these items away prevents them from being refurbished, reused and recycled. As such, it is important to find a way to successfully and efficiently collect this waste so it can be used in a less wasteful way. The E-Waste Issue According to a 1998 study by the National Safety Council, approximately 20 million computers became obsolete within one year. By 2007, this figure doubled to 40 million. In that same year, 82 percent of this waste ended up in the landfills. This amounted to 1.8 million tons of e-waste in the form of cell...

When it comes to dealing with trash at your home or place of business, you clearly want to take whatever steps are necessary to keep the waste from becoming an eyesore or leaving behind a foul stench. At the same time, you want to be sure your waste is as easy to remove as possible and does not cause unnecessary physical strain or other issues. By keeping a few simple trash tips in mind, your waste will be easy to manage while also keeping those involved with its removal safe and healthy. Trash Tip #1: Use Labels Using labels on your trash cans can help you to keep them organized and orderly. It will also help to ensure you are using the right receptacle for the right purpose. If you have receptacles with lids that are separate from the trash can, for example, you might want to use a permanent marker or paint to mark which lid goes to which...