Clear Garbage Bags Bring Shaming To Halifax’s Non-Recycling Residents
The first great thing we learned from this article is that people who don’t comply with lawn watering restrictions are called “grassholes.” Hilarious, right? The second thing is that people may be more likely to recycle/compost when they are required to use clear trash bags for landfill waste. This type of program makes it easier for the city to see which bags are “non compliant” and put a tag on them indicating it. Neighbors can also see and shame others for putting recyclable or compostable items in the landfill. The strategy has shown to be extremely effective in a handful of places in Canada.
By Joshua Ostroff at Huffington Post
Water Use in California Down 27% in June, Beating Goal
Back in the U.S., people in California seem to be changing their ways when it comes to water use. June numbers are out and water use in the state is down 27% compared to June 2013. That is even better than the mandatory statewide reduction of 25% set by Gov. Jerry Brown. Overall, “265 water agencies, supplying 27.2 million people, met or exceeded the cuts imposed on them by the state. Some 140 missed the target, though often by less than 10 percentage points.” It’s interesting that Beverley Hills reduced 22%, which didn’t quite meet their 32% target, but Santa Barbara reduced a remarkable 40%.
By Adam Nagourney at the New York Times
Two-day shipping: Free to you, but how costly to the planet?
The delivery of each one of our online purchases has a carbon footprint, but the amount of emissions depends on how far items have to travel and what other packages are being delivered in the area. Overall, we shouldn’t feel too bad about online shopping because it is frequently more environmentally friendly than getting in the car to drive to the store and back. However, to reduce the emissions associated with your online purchases be sure to consolidate shipments of multiple items when you can and waive signature requirements (or use the Amazon locker) to prevent multiple delivery attempts.
By Ask Umbra At Grist
The Sustainability Co-Op 