Close to 20 billion pads, tampons, and applicators enter North American landfills every year. The mind-boggling generation of waste is just one in a series of serious environmental impacts created by feminine hygiene products. Is it possible to green your period? Editor’s note: This post contains affiliate links, which helps…
A Cool Use for Recycled Glass
Some outdoor areas are enjoying a little extra sparkle — with assistance from old beer bottles and other recyclables used as landscape glass. Bits of repurposed glass, in jewel-like nuggets, provide a decorative accent at the base of hedges, potted greens, and other types of landscaping. The repurposed glass is…
Earthling Survey: How Confident Are You in Your Recycling Knowledge?
Express your opinion and help drive environmental change. Every week, Earth911 asks readers questions that can change the environmental perspective of the community and companies that want to know your expectations about sustainability practices, product design and recyclability, and much more. How confident are you in your knowledge about what…
Recycling Mystery: Latex Paint
Patti Toews knows a thing or two about paint. For the past 10 years, she has served as program director for San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority, which is at the forefront of an innovative latex paint take-back program that exists only in her county. “Latex paint is…
Repair or Replace: Which Is More Eco-Friendly?
Chances are you currently have one or more products in your house in need of repair. You have a difficult decision on your hands: Do you repair or replace it? Both involve time and money. An important factor in your decision to buy a new product or fix the one…
What To Do With Autumn Leaves
Ah, fall. Back to school, sweater weather, and warm drinks. Those brightly colored leaves are beautiful on the trees, but they lose their appeal when they start falling to the ground. Now, last week’s kaleidoscope of natural color become this week’s tedious yard work. But even fallen leaves have value….
Are Solar Panels Recyclable?
Solar power is now the fastest-growing energy source in the world. An estimated 500,000 solar panels were installed globally every day in 2015. The typical American home requires 28 to 34 solar panels to produce 100 percent of its energy consumption. As the solar energy industry grows, there is a…
So, You’ve Audited Your Waste, Now What?
In part one, Conducting A Home Waste Audit, you learned to audit your household waste for a week. Now it’s time to analyze the waste and make changes. In my waste audit example, I categorized 150 items for disposal. Of those items, I could put 77 items in the recycling…
Can Large Solar Farms Create Pollinator Habitat?
Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems. They are instrumental in the reproduction of 80 to 95 percent of plant species in natural habitats and three-quarters of our major food crops. A diverse group of species fulfills this essential work, including bats, bees, birds, flies, wasps, moths, butterflies, and beetles….
3 Ways That Participating in a Sharing Economy Will Change Your Life
You may be hearing the term a lot lately as the aptly-dubbed sharing economy takes greater strides into our everyday lives. The phrase is used to describe an increasingly popular mode of consumption that encompasses initiatives both large and small —from short-term rental giant Airbnb and pseudo-taxi service Uber to neighbors swapping…