PLA vs Plastic: What’s the difference?
In 2018, the United States generated more than 35.7 million tons of plastic, with a recycling rate of just 8.7%. In the years since then, we have seen a boom in plastic-based items such as food packaging and personal protective equipment (PPE) which has only exacerbated the problem. Conventional plastics use petrochemicals as a raw material, meaning every water…Read More…
Freeganism and food donation
Despite increasing awareness around the topic, food waste is not typically the first thing that jumps into people’s minds when climate change is discussed. However, the scale of the problem is shocking, with around 30-40 percent of the US food supply going to waste, equaling 219 pounds of waste per person per year. There are…Read More…
What happens after the ban? Plastic alternatives for businesses
If the city your company operates in doesn’t already have some kind of plastic ban in effect, there’s a good chance that it soon will. What’s more, the plastic bans that are in place are likely to become far stricter and further reaching in the years to come. With so many aspects of everyday lives…Read More…
What is Waste-to-Energy?
Waste-to-energy (WtE), also known as energy-from-waste, is the process where energy (typically heat and electricity) is generated using waste as a fuel source. This is often done through direct combustion using waste incinerators – i.e. burning the waste – or the production of a combustible fuel from a gas such as methane. The latter method…Read More…
The complete paper & card recycling process
Paper and paperboard (cardboard) are used in practically every industry. Often considered disposable, it’s an increasingly precious resource as unsustainable deforestation continues around the world. Fortunately, both paper and cardboard have been the focus of recycling campaigns for decades, and as processes become more efficient, more products have been manufactured from recycled material—but how effective…Read More…
Spotlight: Q&A with Shannon Bergstrom, Sustainability Brand Manager at RTS
Organizations are focusing more than ever on the environmental impact of their business. RTS Sustainability Brand Manager is familiar with this as she has worked with many of RTS’s clients in helping them implementing programs to reduce their waste. We sat down with her to learn more about her role and steps she thinks anyone…Read More…
NYC Organics Update: Law expanded to cover more businesses
UPDATE: As of January 1, 2022, NYC’s Commercial Organics Law is set to be joined by a wider set of regulations and legislation encompassing the entire state, and while this does not include New York City itself, its impact will be felt by businesses operating across the wider NYS area. At its core, the NYS Food…Read More…
Spotlight: @_YaFavTrashman
Shortly after accepting the position as a laborer for the Philadelphia Sanitation Department, Terrill Haigler became an essential worker. To bridge the gap between residents and sanitation workers he created the Instagram profile @_yafavtrashman to give residents an inside look as to what sanitation workers experience during the pandemic. Terrill noticed that his co-workers didn’t…Read More…
The State of the Food Waste Problem in the US Today (2021)
Recently, RTS released the Food Waste in America Guide for 2021, taking a deep dive into the 80 billion pounds of food waste discarded every year and the estimated 50 million people experiencing food insecurity within the US. What is clear is that the scale of our food waste is a massive issue, one that…Read More…
The complete e-waste recycling process
The amount of e-waste generated around the world in recent years has exploded, driven by changes in technology, planned obsolescence, changes in media and storage types (tapes, CDs, HDs, SSDs etc.), and easier accessibility through decreasing costs. As the availability and use of electronics increases across the globe, e-waste has become the fastest-growing waste stream…Read More…