Earth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear

The Moses Filter can separate debris from the sea, an environmental priority for cities and suburbs where dirt, leaves, medical sharps, and cigarette butts, among many other materials clog stormdrains. The replacable, bio-degradable filter invented by Jean-Louis Kamand and his team, is being tested in Vancouver, British Columbia. Kamand joined Earth911's Sustainability In Your Ear podcast to talk about his alternative to the 150-or-more-lb. grates that dominate city street drains today. From preventing hydroplaning, one of the leading causes of auto accidents, to stopping tons of material from reaching local waterways, this storm drain promises quick replacement of clogged drain grates. As more communities take their own environmental impact as their responsibility, products like the Moses Filter offer simple solutions to complex waste capture challenges.

2018 was a year of big changes in recycling and in 2019 we're seeing the beginnings of a new era taking shape. The Earth911 team sits down for a conversation about how local recycling programs are changing in the wake of China's ban on contaminated imports and shifts in overseas destinations for U.S. scrap metal and recyclables. While glass recycling is facing cutbacks across the country, U.S. scrap metal exports actually increased in 2018. Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for a conversation about the future and safety of recycling. People can also make a big difference to the success of recycling by putting the right materials in their blue bins. One critical issue is worker safety, which can be compromised by wishcycling-- the idea anything can be dropped into the blue bin. We talk about the recent Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries' Conference, where safety and packaging design were in the spotlight. Recycling workers can be injured by medical sharps, broken glass, electrical cords, and even plastic films, which do not belong in the blue bin. At the IRSI event, we heard stories about young workers who, after being stuck by sharps in recycling material, had to give up their plans for family because of infections that resulted.Sarah Lozanova shares Earth911's recent sustainable smartphones story, and we talk about the growing role of subscription services for advanced technology, which ensures products will be recycled at the end of their useful lives. And, as always, our Earthling Questions are on tap: How to recycle an air mattress? Can a rubber-backed doormat be recycled?  Is paper made from junk mail and turned into art still recyclable?

Dr. Katrina Cornish developed a genetically engineered dandelion to produce natural latex, which is primarily imported from Southeast Asia, in vertical indoor farms in the U.S. As the scientific advisor to American Sustainable Rubber Company, Dr. Cornish is working to commercialize T.K. Dandelion rubber for the sporting goods, medical supplies, and tire industries. She speaks with Earth911 about the potential to displace $1.6 billion in rubber import costs and the improved materials security associated with diversifying natural rubber production beyond the current monoculture-based tapping of rubber trees. Dr. Cornish shares the threats associated with current rubber plantation farming, which is susceptible to blights and droughts because all rubber trees are clones of a few specimens spirited out of Brazil almost a century ago. Rubber is naturally produced by more than 2,600 plants -- and Cornish has labs dedicated to commercializing two important North American sources, T.K. Dandelions, and guayule, a shrub native to Mexico. American Sustainable Rubber is preparing a 190-acre indoor farm to perfect its production of rubber from dandelions. Learn about the rich range of sources humans have for replacing environmentally unsustainable materials, such as rubber.

After launching toxic-free household cleaning products leader Method, Adam Lowry cofounded Ripple Foods in 2014 to reinvent dairy-free milk. Earth911 talks with Lowry about the health and environmental benefits of Ripple's plant-based milks, half & half, and nutritional shakes. Using 100-percent recycled plastic packaging that can also be recycled, Ripple has pioneered pea-based milks with richer flavor and milk-like smooth textures. Available for the home and restaurant use, Ripple's plant-based milks are more nutritious than dairy milk and uses substantially less water than almond and cocoanut milks. You can find Ripple products at stores near you.

Spring is here! Even in our northern corners, gardeners are assessing their plots and making plans. So we thought today would be a perfect time to talk about some spring garden essentials – particularly, soil prep, including building raised beds and greenhouses, as well as solarizing the soil and encouraging kids-and-beginning-gardeners to try their green thumbs. There are no mistakes in gardening if you are learning all the time from your experience. We start with soil and preparing for planting, discussing nine pest-preventing plants, seven DIY greenhouse projects we like, and the benefits of native plants. On the topics of food and sustainable eating, we explore how to start small in the garden with edible container gardening and the many vegetable and fruit cast-offs from cooking that can be re-grown and eaten.In the news, get the low-down on Earth911's first sustainability awards and the recent Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) national conference, where women in recycling leadership were in the spotlight.As usual, we answer your Earthling Questions. This week, we talk through the disposal and recovery of spoiled mulch, how and where to recycle cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions, and the proper disposal of Roundup and other herbicides and pesticides.

Ken Nealson led teams at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that developed tools for detecting life on other planets. Now he leads the University of Southern California's sustainability programs and the Wrigley Institute, an ocean research center on Catalina Island off the coast from Los Angeles. The Institute  and USC Business School recently announced its third annual Wrigley Sustainability Prizes, awarded to teams of students who built and pitched solutions to the challenges of recycling and preserving the environment. Dr. Nealson talks with Earth911 about the prospects for careers in sustainability, the waves of innovation that have advanced our understanding, as well as new the questions we have about the Earth as we peer deeper into how life works. It has never been a better time to explore nature for biological solutions to our problems because of the growing realization that humanity's negative impact on the planet can be moderated and even reversed. He discussed how to get involved in the Wrigley Sustainability Prize and the Summer programs offered for families on Catalina, where scientists and families can work side-by-side on researcsh.

Happy Earth Day, everyone! The Earth911 team sits down to talk about the history of Earth Day, the actions each of us can take to support endangered species, reduce our carbon footprints, and improve recycling outcomes across the world. Earth Day 2019 is focused on preserving and educating people about the extinction of species. Next year, the Earth Day Network aims to bring a billion people out into the streets. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe also discuss the evolution of pesticides and the use of natural alternatives that control pests. A great place to start is in your own garden, planting native species to attract birds and monarch butterflies. Are large wind and solar farms a potential location to rebuild pollinator species? We also look back at some of the most inspiring stories on Earth911 this year, including the story of Health In Harmony's revolutionary approach to preventing illegal logging in Borneo, the Healthy Climate Alliance's efforts to kickstart direct air capture of CO2, and the importance of international treaties to prevent illegal transportation of endangered species as traditional medicine and souvenirs. There is much to encourage environmental action, and you'll come away from this week's podcast with a raft of good ideas.In our Earthling Questions this week: Can silicone be recycled? How to recycle motor oil? What to do with used cat litter buckets? Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Billy Johnson, the chief lobbyist for the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), joins Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe to talk through the major policy issues facing recycling in 2019. From the growth in ferrous metal exports despite China's ban on contaminated scrap imports to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board's impact on domestic recycling prices, we cover the growing sophistication of recycling companies as the United States shifts toward circular economies that preserve materials for reuse instead of sending them to landfills. We also talk about the job and entrepreneurial opportunities in recycling and the national, state, and municipal rules changing with the times.It's also a great introduction to ISRI on the eve of its annual convention in Los Angeles, where Earth911 will be participating in a residential recycling workshop on plastic pollution and collection strategies. Tune in to get on top of recycling politics and policy.Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

April Fool's Day could be the global holiday for greenwashers and ecological mythmakers, but the Earth911 team is on the case. We discuss the realities of products labeled biodegradable and compostable, how to shop for sustainability when presented "organic" and "recyclable" products, and the habits that will make a real difference in your carbon impact. From myths and truths, how to recognize and avoid greenwashing, and the FTC Green Guides to use to find responsible manufacturers. Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Trey Granger, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe also talk through approaches to socially responsible investing, how to evaluate charities, and, in Earthling Questions, how to recycle large amounts of business waste - such as a 1,500 cases of beer -- and the disposal of gel packs and using plastic to solarize a garden to prevent weeds.Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

The fast-growing cannabis industry is a growing source of packaging waste, with billions of packages made of plastic, composite materials, and glass already contributing to a new problem. Sana Packaging, founded by two University of Colorado Boulder students, Ron Basak-Smith and James Eichner, has developed hemp- and ocean-plastic-based alternatives for cannabis packaging that is made from natural and recycled materials. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks to the Ron and James about their experience as young entrepreneurs in a young industry. Sana makes packages for cannabis flower (the part you smoke), extracts and vape pens, as well as edibles. The company' latest tube packages are made from 100-percent recycled ocean plastic. Because cannabis products are tracked from "seed to sale," it may be the first industry to grow up on a circular packaging model, but the early packaging investments by cannabis distributors were not sustainable. Sana Packaging is working with more than 50 customers to change how pot is packaged.We also discuss how older laws, such as those requiring child-proof seals, present special challenges to sustainability -- the locking caps are made with parts of harder plastic that can be more difficult to recycle. If you are considering legal cannabis, consider the impact cannabis packaging will have when you buy. Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.