Every year the US burns more than 34 million tons of garbage in incinerators. These plants are major pollution sources, and most are clustered in disadvantaged communities.
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Articles on Solid waste management
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Many communities are banning single-use plastic shopping bags to reduce pollution, but a study in California shows that some consumers responded by purchasing more heavy plastic trash bags.
China, which once processed much of the world's scrap, has slashed imports of "foreign garbage." What can the US do to step up recycling at home?
Research shows that when Americans are aware of the scale of food waste, and how much energy and water are used to produce food, they support measures to reduce the problem.
Is 3D printing better for the environment than conventional manufacturing? The jury is still out.
Bio-based plastics made from natural sources break down more easily than conventional plastic, without producing toxic byproducts. But for this to happen they have to be composted, not buried in landfills.
Most Americans don't want incinerators in their neighborhoods, so waste management companies are burning trash in other facilities such as cement kilns. Is this a sustainable way to deal with garbage?
Only a quarter of Nairobi's solid waste reaches the main dumpsite east of the city. Piles of uncollected garbage are a common sight across the capital.
Top contributors
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Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management, The New School
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Assistant Professor in Additive Manufacturing Management, University of Nottingham
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Research Scholar, Resident Fellow in Industrial Ecology, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University
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Head of Urbanisation and Wellbeing, African Population and Health Research Center, African Population and Health Research Center
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Associate Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center
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Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University
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Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney
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Research Scientist and Lecturer, Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy. Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University
