What is Pre-cycling? James Greyson explains

Pre-cycling is the action of implementing the circular economy vision.Read More

Pace of Change in The Environmental & Sustainability Movements

Over the decades, there are more people engaged with more ecological or waste initiatives around the world. However that hasn’t affected the total material requirements, or a structural switch from a linear to a circular pattern. Read More

What is BlindSpotting? James Greyson Answers

James Greyson, of Blindspot Think Tank explains what blindspotting means.

This excerpt is part of be Waste Wise’s interview with James Greyson, as part of the Pioneers & Changemakers series.Read More

Waste materials suitable for Pyrloysis, Gasification & Biological treatment

What type of waste streams can pyrolysis and gasification handle?Read More

Contribution of Waste Treatment Technologies To Sustainable Development

Future of Thermal and Biological Waste Treatment Technology” was discussed as part of the 2016 Global Dialogue on Waste.Read More

Lessons, Trends & Future of Gasification & Pyrolysis for Waste Treatment

What are the lessons learned, trends and future of gasification and pyrolysis for waste treatment?Read More

Current Status & Future Trends in Waste-to-Energy

Future of Thermal and Biological Waste Treatment Technology” was discussed as part of the 2016 Global Dialogue on Waste.Read More

Waste-to-Energy Technologies: Science & Public Perception

Given the difference in perception of waste-to-energy technologies, which perspectives are supported by science?Read More

Avoid These Plastics when Buying Toys or Childcare Products

The Health Impacts Of Plastic Pollution was discussed as part of the 2016 Global Dialogue on Waste.Read More

What should be prioritized to prevent plastic pollution? Science, education or legal policy?

The Health Impacts Of Plastic Pollution was discussed as part of the 2016 Global Dialogue on Waste.Read More

Avoid These Families of Chemicals in the Environment

Question: Can you help us understand which families of chemicals should be absolutely avoided in plastics and the environment?
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Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals in Plastics

Question: What are the alternatives to toxic chemicals in plastics?Read More

How can Environmental Activists Reduce Plastic Pollution?

The Health Impacts of plastic pollution was discussed as part of the 2016 Global Dialogue on WasteRead More

What can citizens do to protect their health from plastic pollution?

What can individuals do to protect their own health?Read More

Reducing Plastic Pollution Through Adventure Scientists

What do Adventure Scientists do? How can someone join you?Read More

A Mountain Climber & Geophysical Chemist Talks about Plastic Pollution

Your experience with plastic pollution and what are you currently doing to combat it?Read More

How to Tackle Plastic Pollution? Locally or Globally?

Plastic pollution is a global problem. How do we tackle it?Read More

Examples of the Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Human Health & Wildlife

Question: Are there any examples of the impacts of plastic pollution on human health and wildlife?
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If you were the President of United States, how would you stop Plastic Pollution?

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Advice for solving plastic pollution

“There are solutions out there. If we can put a man on the moon and send rovers to mars, we can solve plastic pollution.” ~ Bill FrancisRead More

Are bio-plastics a solution to ocean garbage patches?

“Bio-plastics have a role, but there is no standard to say what makes a bio-plastic which truly degrades in the ocean.” ~ Nicholas MallosRead More

Is the Ocean Cleanup Array Viable?

“They should consider designing it to work at a river mouth or even upstream where there is a potential concentrated plastic pollution source.” ~ Bill FrancisRead More

Why cannot we just clean up all plastic in the oceans?

“The oceans are so huge. Cleaning them up is like sifting the Sahara desert by using a kitchen strainer.” ~ Bill FrancisRead More

What can each of us do to reduce plastic pollution?

“As I learned more and more about plastic recycling, I discovered that it has its own drawbacks. So, I started reducing my own personal plastic as the first step .” ~ Beth TerryRead More

How much plastic is in the oceans?

“Out of 700 sea water samples from all over the world – Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic, the Sargasso Sea, the Antarctic, South and North Pacific – only 3 samples were plastic-free.” ~ Bill FrancisRead More

Can one person really make a difference to plastic pollution?

“When people see you do it, it becomes part of the norm. So, take your own bag to the store and bring your own bottles.” ~ Beth TerryRead More

Difference between Plastic Pollution and Marine Debris

“Plastic pollution isn’t just about plastic in the oceans but the entire life-cycle of plastics, from when it’s first made, through all the pathways until it becomes plastic pollution” ~Nicholas MallosRead More

Making the Spittelau Waste-to-Energy Plant Possible

During discussions and debates, environmentally competent people showed that the facts are for waste-to-energy through a thorough analysis. But, the public acceptance was still at stake, so the Mayor asked Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a famous Austrian artist if he could do something about the appearance of the Spittelau plant. Friedensreich Hundertwasser then took an year to discuss and check his spirit and conscience about the request and finally accepted to do it. He then wrote a long letter explaining why he decided to do so. A qualified public opinion poll conducted later showed that almost 50% were in favor of the Spittelau waste-to-energy plant. About 47% or so, had no opinion and only 3% were actually opposing it.Read More

Why are Recycling Rates Higher in Communities with Waste-to-Energy?

The major reason why you see higher recycling rates in areas with waste-to-energy compared to those that don’t is basically the state and local policy environment. To just make the decision to move to waste-to-energy facility there has to be a lot of studies of feasibility, including understanding the waste stream, thinking through what the different streams of waste you have. How can you best maximize those streams? The kind of planning that goes into this type of a facility really engages the whole gamut of the waste management stream. So, those localities, and solid waste districts that have sited or are looking at moving to waste-to-energy as one part of their waste disposal strategy are also engaged in an integrated waste policy initiative.Read More

Plastics and Green House Gas Emissions from Waste-to-Energy

“After doing the material and energy balances for waste-to-energy in the city of Vienna, we found that by providing both district heating and electricity, waste-to-energy in Vienna reduces the equivalent of 1.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to landfilling with recovery of some landfill gas for electricity generation. So, 1.4 tonnes of CO2 can be saved by 1 tonne of municipal residual waste going into the waste-to-energy facility in Vienna.”Read More

Program Barriers to Waste-to-Energy Adoption

“Some U.S. liberal groups like the Center for American Progress are beginning to realize that times have changed, the science has changed, and that we’re contributing to climate change by landfilling so much of our waste, and that waste-to-energy is actually a way of reducing climate change. So, if more environmental groups that provide information and messaging to liberals take a closer look at the science, I think that we can begin to move the conversation in a little more productive way.”Read More

Environmentalists’ Opposition to Waste-to-Energy

A lot of it has to do with U.S. history around science and the birth of environmental science in the 1970’s with Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring and the revelation that chemicals in the environment maybe poisoning us without our knowledge. That caused a political split in our conversation between environmentalists on the political left and the chemical and petroleum industries which moved to the political right. And, we see that alignment existing even to this day.Read More

Correlation Between Recycling Rates and Waste-to-Energy

In the last 15 years, waste-to-energy as the percentage of waste generated has come down. Starting from 19% in 1995 down to about 12% of the waste now. So, we’ve actually gone backwards in terms of waste-to-energy. Recycling has gone up, from about 25% to about 34% from 1995. But that’s not a huge increase either in 15 years! If you add these two rates, the waste that’s converted to energy and waste that’s recovered by recycling hasn’t changed in the last 15 years. We’re still landfilling about 54-55% of waste.Read More

Waste-to-Energy in the Waste Management Hierarchy

Waste-to-Energy is a strategy that many cities with dense population, have issues with landfilling, and want to decrease waste transportation distances are using and continue to look at. Waste-to-energy is also a technology that has been evolving over the years and there are many new developments in this technology, moving in mainly one direction – to be able to applied to smaller size waste streams. Not only is it a strategy that has real importance for the current public policy, it is a strategy that will definitely present itself to additional areas.Read More

Commercial Waste Recycling Policy in the United States

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How can Businesses Encourage Recycling?

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Single Stream Recycling and Dirty MRFs

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Educating Citizens about Recycling

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Pay As You Throw Policy in the United States

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Methods to Increase Participation in Recycling

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Focus for Municipal Policy to Increase Recycling

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Are there drawbacks to Curbside Recycling?

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