Garbage is a Terrible Thing to Waste: How to Reach Zero Waste It all started innocently enough. Following the Holidays and New Year of 2007 we emptied out all of our garbage and recycling to clean up for the New Year. Many months later (May 14) it was time to put out our first bag of garbage and it dawned on me that in over four months we had only created a single bag of garbage. I wondered where could we take it to if we really dug in? Well … A few months ago we put out our fourth bag of garbage in more than four years Our most recent bag took 26 months to fill We have reduced our residual waste output (a.k.a. garbage) by 40%, We “process” nearly 75% of our own “materials” on site into beneficial compost We have achieved a 99.6% waste diversion rate; and I’ll let you in on a little secret — it was easy! You might think anything that took more than four years to complete couldn’t be easy. And by waste, I am referring to both the verb and the noun. Photo by katesheets on Flickr. I feel comfortable (and honest) calling ours a ZERO WASTE home.
Grocery Stores on Wheels - Neighborhoods The next wave of food trucks aren't whipping up Korean tacos for adventurous foodies or slinging ice cream to kids. Instead, they're delivering fresh meat and produce in an effort to improve public health in low-income communities. A few months ago, a Chicago non-profit launched Fresh Moves, a one-aisle grocery store on a bus that sells pineapples, mangoes, collard greens, onions and other fresh fruits and vegetables in West Side neighborhoods like Lawndale and Austin, where locals have minimal access to fresh produce. A 2006 study by consultant Mari Gallagher linked these food deserts – defined by the USDA as a census tract more than a mile from a grocery store – to increased diabetes and other diet-related maladies, as well as premature death. Four Chicago residents developed the concept after deciding that opening their own grocery store or waiting for big retailers would take too long. They asked the city to donate one of its fleet to serve as a farmer's market on wheels.
Herbie - Your Local Greengrocer | www.merci.org.uk Herbie, was set up by MERCi to provide affordable, fresh fruit and vegetables to residents living in areas of East Manchester with poor access to fresh foods. Herbie is a mobile greengrocer and customers can walk on board and choose from a good range of affordable fresh produce. We also supply boxes of fruit to schools and projects, and work closely with sheltered housing, churches, health clinics and resident groups to ensure that we reach as many people in our local community as possible. We can also deliver beautiful gift baskets of fruit - a healthy alternative to chocolates! As with all of MERCi's projects, it is envisaged that Herbie will act as an inspirational model for other communities, in similar areas, with the same challenges. Herbie Timetable Round 1 Monday Ward: Brunswick Collyhurst & Miles Platting Tuesday Ward: Charlestown, New Moston, Higher Blackley & Brunswick Wednesday Ward: Ardwick, Miles Platting & Ancoats Herbie Timetable Round 2 Ward: Higher Openshaw & Openshaw
Chine : Un prof à la retraite aménage son appartement et émet 75% de CO2 de moins Chine / / Asie Hu Jun, ancien professeur qui a vu l’environnement de Pékin se dégrader avec les années, a voulu agir pour redonner un ciel bleu à la capitale. Son petit appartement équipé avec plus de 100 technologies d’économie d’énergie est ouvert gratuitement au public, pour que d’autres s’en inspirent. Quand il parle de ce qui l’a motivé à rentrer dans cette démarche, Hu Jun est émouvant. A l’époque, on buvait de l’eau directement tirée du puits. Plutôt que de se lamenter, Hu Jun choisit alors l’action. Visite pédagogique Dans ces 70 mètres carrés, ce sont exactement 103 techniques de réduction des émissions et de protection de l’environnement que le visiteur peut découvrir. C’est une question de diffusion de ces petites installations. Peut-être un peu optimiste, mais les résultats sont tout de même tangibles.
écoconso - Le retour du « Faire soi-même » Préférer cuisiner plutôt que consommer des plats préparés aux additifs divers, jardiner et faire son potager, utiliser des cosméiques, des produits d’entretien et des peintures simples et faits maison, favoriser la réparation, le troc, le don et l’échange de services... Autant de comportements d’éco-consommateurs qui s’inscrivent dans un mouvement bien plus large en plein boom : celui du « faire soi-même » ou Do It Yourself en anglais (DIY). Une mode qui s’installe Pour preuve, le marché du bricolage et des loisirs créatifs est en forte croissance. Les outils, produits, kits « à faire soi-même », livres, magazines, salons, sites internet, émissions TV, formations et ateliers se multiplient et ont un succès croissant. Comment expliquer ce succès alors que le commerce nous propose tout ce dont nous pourrions avoir besoin, et même le reste ? La crise économique et ses conséquences sont une cause évidente de l’accélération du phénomène constatée depuis 2007. Par exemple : Phénomène de société
Pop-up restaurant uses only solar energy for cooking Gain instant and exclusive access to over 5,000 of the most creative ideas, innovations and startups on our database and use our smart filters to take you direct to those that are most relevant to your industry and your needs. Not interested? You can still browse articles published in the last 30 days from our homepage and receive your daily and weekly fix of entrepreneurial ideas through our free newsletters. Experiment in (e)co-habitation gets the green light The G•O Logic prototype passive house.Photo: Steve ChiassonScanning through the website for the Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage development in Belfast, Maine, you might find yourself wondering if this is a buncha pinko commies who’ve just slapped a fresh coat of paint on the ’60s commune-in-the-woods routine. Says here there will be extensive common facilities (uh huh), complete resident management (ayup), a non-hierarchical structure (I have heard this all before). But wait, what’s this? Separate income sources? “We probably do have some hippie communists [in the group] that have grown up and look a little different now,” says Sanna McKim, the project’s founder. Oh, thank God. This super eco-groovy condo-development-to-be will function more like an tight-knit, urban neighborhood than the bong-smoking boondoggles of decades past. “It’s a way of bringing more leisure and social life for busy parents,” McKim says. And the homes themselves will be quite remarkable as well.
General Motors Makes the Business Case for Recycling General Motors has become a great example of the business benefits for recycling. The company announced that last year, they recycled 92% of all waste generated in their manufacturing plants around the world. This has created a lucrative side business of scrap dealing which has helped keep them afloat during the recession. Sustainable Business writes that according to latest estimates, the company makes about $1 billion a year just from selling scrap. GM’s commitement to waste reduction is pretty impressive. This system allows the company to manage each material with the smallest environmental impact and largest financial gains. The Chevrolet Volt is GM’s flagship efficient vehicle and many of its parts comes from recycling waste generated from the BP Oil Spill. Apart from the Volt, GM uses an extensive lifecycle design for all its vehicles. Earlier this year, GM announced that it aims to double the number of solar panels in its facilities by the end of 2015.