Austin, Texas, approves plan to become zero waste by 2040

On December 15, 2011, the city council in Austin, Texas, voted unanimously to approve the Zero Waste by 2040 plan. And now the program is starting to take effect. Starting with the comprehensive master plan (pdf), the executive summary: Zero Waste is a design principle that goes beyond recycling to focus first on reducing wastes …

Zero waste college football – Ohio State’s 105,000 seat stadium goes zero waste

Ohio Stadium is the largest stadium in the country to attempt zero waste. With 105,000 seats and a massive tailgating section this is a challenge. Their goal is get near-zero waste with 90% of the trash turned into recycling and compost. The success has been fast and big with a 61% reduction in trash sent …

Zero Waste: shave with an electric razor or a real blade

I’m willing to sacrifice a clean shave for the good of the planet. I have to if I want to be zero waste. All the options on the market involve disposable razors, the kind you throw-out after a week. It’s a minor thing but every bit counts when you’re trying to be zero waste. At …

Zero Waste: coffee grinds for your garden

The key to being zero waste is finding all the little ways to avoid throwing things out. And sometimes that means taking things in too. Which is exactly what I do with coffee grinds. The little bit I create at home gets added to the garden, but it’s never enough. Every month I make a …

Californians create record-low trash in 2011 – still more than national average

From a high of 6.3 pounds of trash per day in 2005, Californians have lowered their output in 2011 to a record-low of 4.4 pounds/day. Good news for the state with the highest population, and yet compared to the national average – 4.4 pounds – that’s not much of a drop, more like stopping the …

The world of professional sports is going green

Allen Hershkowitz, from The N.Y. Times, has written up an interesting piece about The Greening of Professional Sports. Among the many great points he makes, include how every industry will need to participate and public opinion is the most important factor, as well as:   Fifteen professional stadiums or arenas have achieved LEED certification for …

Students create their own composting program in the dorms

Hauling trash-bags full of coffee grounds and kitchen scraps, two three-wheeled rickshaw bicycles raced past campus foot traffic. The fleet had just finished their first compost pickup. The owner of the cafe, Devon Jackson-Kali, met the students near the cafe to give them leftover coffee grounds…he also gave them pounds of cabbage heads, carrot peelings, …

The benefits of raised bed gardening

It’s springtime and I’ll be out doing some planting today. Yesterday, at the farmers market, I picked up four seedlings: Pepper, Heirloom Tomato, Thai Basil, and Mexican Squash. Before getting started I looked up what a ‘raised bed’ was. I had been hearing a lot about them and was wondering why they’re so popular. Turns …

Facebook's new office of endless snacks, cozies, and "hack out" spaces

Facebook’s new campus is up and the employees are moving in. Here are some insights into the goodies they have laid out: The whole campus is connected through a central courtyard.  Right now it’s still filled with bulldozers and dirt, but when it’s finished, we’ll have two full-service cafes, two coffee shops, on-site doctors, a …

Facebook’s new office of endless snacks, cozies, and “hack out” spaces

Facebook’s new campus is up and the employees are moving in. Here are some insights into the goodies they have laid out: The whole campus is connected through a central courtyard.  Right now it’s still filled with bulldozers and dirt, but when it’s finished, we’ll have two full-service cafes, two coffee shops, on-site doctors, a …