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Why aren't we mining landfills for valuable materials like metals and soil?

Ucilia Wang

October 16, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cantonment, Florida

Across the country, projects that mine landfills for reusable metals and soils are underway. Can such mining prove profitable enough to spur similar efforts on a grand scale? So far, some projects have seen profits while others have not. But as society increasingly values pollution and greenhouse gas reduction, incentives for refuse mining can only grow.

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Ocean plastic is a huge problem. Blockchain could be part of the solution.

Lynne Peeples

October 16, 2018 |

NBC News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Haiti

Plastic waste often ends up in oceans which in turn impacts not only the health of the coastal ecosystem, but human health as well when people consume fish that have ingested the plastic fragments. To keep plastic out of the oceans, Plastic Bank, a company based in Vancouver, has created and launched a blockchain-based recycling system in Haiti that exchanges cryptocurrency via an app when plastic is deposited in a recycling center.

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How to beat air pollution? Stop burning the fields

Rishika Pardikar

October 16, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: India, Bangalore

Autumn in India is known for the season of bad air quality, largely in part due to stubble-burning, a practice used by farmers to dispose of crop waste. To counter this practice, private companies are coming up with ways to essentially recycle the crop waste which not only helps the environment but also is a more profitable approach for the farmers.

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Why do we demolish buildings instead of deconstructing them for re-use?

Nate Berg

October 09, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Each year, roughly 500 million tons of waste from the tearing down of buildings goes into landfills in the United States. Deconstruction, the idea of dismantling old buildings instead of the traditional method of tearing them down, diverts some of the waste, provides jobs, and makes affordable building materials more accessible. Though deconstruction does not work in all scenarios, it is a growing alternative with many benefits.

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Mending Our Disposable Culture

Nick Holland

October 02, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Netherlands, Bussum

When something breaks, most people go to the store to replace it. In Amsterdam, the UK, and elsewhere, people take their broken goods to repair cafes. Led by volunteers who want to preserve the art of repairs while also reducing waste, these organizations can make a big difference. There are now at least 1600 repair cafes around the world.

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Pot luck: the paint recyclers who put leftover litres to good use

Helen Pidd

October 01, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Home improvement projects often start with paint, but what happens when all of the purchased paint doesn't get used? Typically, it sits in someone's basement or storage closet with no plan for further use in sight. Community Repaint in the United Kingdom is committed to promoting the recycling of this paint, however, and has implemented 74 projects that work to re-sell or re-color unused paint, thus reducing the amount that's sent to landfills after it molds.

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Why this father-son team is "trash fishing" in the Detroit River

Anthony Lanzilote

October 01, 2018 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

On an annual basis, tens of thousands of tons of plastic ends up in the Great Lakes. One man and his son are inspiring change and action amongst others in Detroit, Michigan by regularly fishing the trash out of the Detroit River.

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Wastewater and public health in the rural South

Melissa Brown

September 24, 2018 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hayneville, Alabama

A wastewater infrastructure crisis in the southern United States is much like those found in far less-developed countries. Now researchers and nonprofits are looking to successes in Africa, in an effort to eradicate obscure diseases and improve quality of life.

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320,000 High Schoolers to Get Free Water Bottles. The Goal? 54 Million Fewer Single-Use Drinks

James Barron

September 23, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

S’Well, the namesake of trendy water bottles, was founded on the environmental principle of reducing single-use plastic bottles throughout the world. As part of their mission, the company is donating a water bottle to every New York City high school student in order to promote this environmental awareness.

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How to get people to behave better? Use carrots, not sticks

Mattha Busby

September 21, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Incentivizing good behavior is a tried and true tactic often used in child development. However, as the need for better behavior around issues such as recycling and public discord rises, some are finding that going back to a system of incentivizing the preferred behavior is the most successful pathway to creating habits that are crucial for the betterment of society and the environment.

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