All articles tagged with #waste management
The Associated Press reports that a growing number of pickup services are making it easier for households to compost food scraps weekly. These services address the logistical challenges of traditional composting by collecting organic waste directly from homes, thereby increasing participation in sustainable waste management practices.
Raleigh has discontinued its curbside vacuum leaf collection, replacing it with a weekly yard waste service effective September 8, 2026. Residents must now use green bins, biodegradable bags, or leave leaves on the ground. The city cites efficiency and cleaner streets as reasons, while residents criticize added costs and labor.
Thousands of people rallied in Zagreb to demand immediate cleanup of toxic waste illegally dumped in the Croatian town of Gospic. While local water and soil tests have returned negative, experts warn that the region's porous karst terrain and river systems could carry pollution toward the Adriatic Sea. Authorities have selected a company to begin clearing the site and are drafting a long-term remediation plan, though political leaders have accused opponents of exaggerating the crisis for gain.
London-based clean-tech firm bio-bean, which converted used coffee grounds into fire logs, entered administration in 2023 after a factory fire and persistent financial losses. The company’s product, which claimed to burn 20% hotter than wood, faced skepticism from testers who found performance comparable to standard kiln-dried wood. Although the environmental logic of diverting waste from landfills was sound, the business model failed to sustain itself, leading to the loss of approximately 30 jobs and the cessation of production.
Americans discarded 12.1 million tons of furniture in 2018, with only 0.3% recycled due to complex material bonding. Modern sofas mix foam, wood, and metal with adhesives, making disassembly costlier than burial. While mattresses have state-funded recycling programs, broader furniture recycling remains economically unviable without mandatory fees.
Kensington and Chelsea Council deployed 200 staff and 30 vehicles to remove over 300 tonnes of waste from North Kensington following the 60th Notting Hill Carnival. The event, which drew over two million people, is now the world's second-largest street festival, generating £400m annually. Mayor Sadiq Khan highlighted the cultural significance of the celebration, while cleanup operations continue through the week to restore the area.
In 1989, UK researchers in Poole Bay, Dorset, constructed an experimental underwater reef using 50 tonnes of stabilised coal-fired power station waste. The structure, made from pulverised fuel ash and gypsum blocks, successfully attracted European lobsters and edible crabs within three weeks. Over the following year, the reef hosted a diverse community including barnacles, sponges, and fish, demonstrating that industrial by-products could serve as viable marine habitat materials without significant ecological harm.
In St. Mary’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, about 110 tanks of rotten fish sauce—each around 3,000 gallons—left behind when the Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company shuttered more than 20 years ago are being removed in a $1.2 million cleanup that will drain the vessels, absorb the liquid with peat moss, and bury it, ending decades of a foul odor for a town of roughly 300 residents.
A Portland man, Khanh Tran, bought a 1.2-acre property and returned with a contractor to find an estimated 50,000–75,000 illegally dumped tires covering the site, potentially costing hundreds of thousands to clean up. Metro says illegal tire dumping has spiked in the region, but cannot remove tires on private property; investigations involve the Multnomah County Sheriff and the Oregon DEQ. Transfer stations allow only a limited number of tires per day, highlighting an accountability gap as Tran presses forward with his home-building plans.
In many low- and middle-income countries, waste collection is incomplete—less than half of household waste is collected in some places, and when it is collected, a large share (often over 80%) ends up in open dumps or is burned, causing pollution. Improving basic waste management presents a major opportunity to reduce environmental and air pollution and curb plastic leakage.
In Ethiopian cities like Harar and Mekelle, spotted hyenas and other scavengers help clean up urban waste by scavenging leftovers, reducing disposal costs and emissions, and potentially limiting disease spread. Studies show these urban hyenas process thousands of metric tons of waste annually, a mutual benefit locals largely view as positive, though attitudes vary by city. In Harar, a centuries-old hyena-feeding tradition persists inside the ancient walls and has become a tourism draw, while Mekelle’s hyenas commute nightly to landfills. Researchers caution that excessive habituation could provoke conflict, urging planners to balance ecosystems with initiatives like controlled eco-parks to sustain coexistence.
The US blockade has slashed fuel and crippled Havana's waste collection, forcing open-air burning of rubbish and creating toxic smoke, flies and disease risks (notably chikungunya and hepatitis). Doctors warn of worsening public health as the city relies on limited incineration points and a massive landfill, with a new recycling drive and other measures attempting to avert a broader crisis.
UK waste firms are turning to robotics and AI to cope with hazardous, high-turnover work and staff shortages (turnover around 40%). At Sharp Group's Rainham plant, a humanoid robot called Alpha is being trained to pick and sort rubbish using VR data and AI vision. Other companies such as TeknTrash/AMP and GlacierAI are marketing AI-powered sorting and air-jet guidance. Industry experts say automation is increasingly necessary and should upskill workers to maintain and oversee robots, though concerns persist about job losses and working conditions.
Seattle's Clean City 2025 report details major cleanup achievements: 5.3 million pounds of waste removed, 661,105 sharps collected, and 31,938 Adopt a Street volunteer hours worth over $1.28 million in 2025, plus 34,700 service requests. A data-driven, multi-department effort expanded partnerships and piloted illegal-dumping cameras that cut hotspots to zero. The city is sharpening strategies ahead of the 2026 World Cup to keep streets clean and safe for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Britain is weighing police-style powers for Environment Agency officers to tackle fly-tipping, including warrantless searches, asset seizures and arrests; illegal waste transport could face up to five years in prison, with expanded use of PACE and the Proceeds of Crime Act. The move, linked to the upcoming Waste Crime Action Plan, follows enforcement data (1.26 million fly-tipping incidents in 2024-25, largely household waste) and could pair with measures like driver-licence penalty points and vehicle seizure to deter waste crime.