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 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…
Sustainable hotel waste management — How hospitality is tackling its waste problem
This summer, hotels across the US will begin to resume normality. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the hospitality industry particularly hard, and after 18 months of restrictions, hotels are ready to welcome guests back. While much of the hospitality industry was beginning to focus on more sustainable operations before the pandemic, today, there are new elements…Read More…
How to recycle food waste in New Jersey – A guide
According to the EPA, the food waste we produce and send to landfill is the third largest source of human-related methane emissions in the US. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more damaging than carbon dioxide, and since the industrial revolution, there has been a 250% increase in the amount of this gas in the atmosphere. Around one-fifth of all municipal solid…Read More…