Sustainability In Your Ear

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Earth911 Podcast: Rockay Socks Combine Recycled Ocean Plastic With Reduced Water Usage Nov 11, 2019

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Rockay makes socks from ocean plastic with anti-odor characteristics that reduce the need to wash by five to 10 times. It's a remarkable combination of recycling and water-use reduction that can make a big impact on an athlete's environmental impact. Earth911 talks with Daniel Chabert, founder and CEO of Rockay. The company produces organic wool and other socks, but Chabert's addition of recycled ocean plastics has transformed his perspective on sustainability.
Rockay's ocean plastics come mostly from discarded fishing nets, which constitute about 70 percent of all the plastic waste in the Earth's waters. The recovered fibers are tough and hold up to long-term use. By combining an odor-resistant compound invented by Polygiene, a Danish textiles company of the same name, Rockay socks fight odor from sweat and skin trapped in the socks after use. The result is athletic wear that can be washed every five to 10 workouts, which translates into much lower water use. The Polygiene treatment uses a silver salt applied to the material to eliminate odor.
Chabert, a runner who wanted to reduce his environmental impact, shares how he started and grew Rockay, which is expanding its offerings into other athletic wear just 18 months after it launched. If you're looking for a more sustainable sock, check out Rockay.

Earth911 Podcast, November 8, 2019: Getting Your Start In Recycling with PNW Metal Recycling's Sean Daoud Nov 08, 2019

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What's the path to a career in recycling? Sean Daoud, Treasurer of PNW Metal Recycling Inc. in Portland, Oregon, talks with Earth911 about how he got involved recycling, what his job involves, and the work environment. If you want to help to save the world for a living, this episode is for you. Daoud was born into a recycling family, starting out in the scrap yard running equipment after high school. After completing internships and sales and his degree in human resources, he returned to the family business, where his responsibilities now include planning the company's future. The work involves constant communication and traditional business networking, as well as an eye for innovation and efficiency that can be introduced to improve profits.
Daoud is an active member of the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), where he is vice president of the Pacific Northwest Chapter. Participating in ISRI has proven an effective tool for building recycling industry connections and expertise. Sean shares the advice that recent grads seeking to work in the industry should network and use every opportunity to learn. We also talk about the growing role of communications and sorting technology, which has accelerated the pace of change in the industry. Recycling workers are now connected from the yard to the office and across customer relationships by technology. It is a dynamic industry like any other, with materials flowing across boundaries and through many regulatory regimes around the world, all of which recycling executives must master to succeed. And Daoud has good advice for listeners who want to work in recycling. Check out this episode to learn how to get started in recycling. Whether you start in the yard or back office, there are great futures ahead in recycling for those who network and learn.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, November 4, 2019: How Dumps, Landfills, and Incinerators Work Nov 04, 2019

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The Earth911 team sits down to talk about how dumps differ from landfills, how incinerators work, and the limits of landfill expansion. Join Evelyn Fileding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for this week's But first, we explore natural ways to remove stains, including grease, blood, and wine in recent infographic from Tommy John that we published. Do you know how to dispose of plastic bags responsibly? In one of our most popular postings of the last month, Patti Roth explained how disposable plastic bags have become a greater challenge to recycle and, unfortunately, now mostly end up in landfills. Here's an important tip: don't put your recyclables into plastic bags; instead, take plastic and cans out of the bag when you put them in the bin to prevent them from going into the garbage.
Where does your garbage go? We walk through Gemma Alexander's excellent articles about where we send our garbage in the United States, how dumps differ from landfills, how landfills work, and how incinerators have become a more important part of U.S. waste disposal. The construction of a landfill is a complicated long-term commitment to manage it for three decades after it closes -- yet, even that leaves tons of waste in the environment for centuries. Our recent article includes an illustration that explains how Incinerators are now a source of power generation, but produce toxic fly ash that can be reused to make concrete. The solution is to produce less garbage by buying less and recycling more. With a solid understanding of the ins and outs of where your garbage goes, you can make informed decisions about which recycling and waste options you want to use.
As always, we answer your Earthling questions about recycling disposable contact lenses with Terracycle, aluminum cat food cans, and acrylic paint.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, November 1, 2019: Baru Seeds, A Sustainable Peanut Alternative Nov 01, 2019

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Baru seeds are a sustainable superfood from the Brazilian Cerrado, the highland savannah that feeds South America's major rivers. Harvested by indigenous peoples who previously cut down the Baru (Dupteryx alata), the seeds contain more antioxidants than any domesticated nut -- seven times the amount in peanuts -- and have created good jobs that prevent illegal logging. In this Earth911 Innovator Interview, Ally Mamalider, director of business strategy at Organic Traditions, shares the story of how the company brought the Baru seed to U.S. markets. We explore how the Baru seed is grown and harvested, as well as the many edible uses to which its seed and the seed husk can be put. Nothing needs to go to waste.
Baru seeds taste like peanuts but have none of the allergens peanuts carry. They are striking, with skin the color of mahogany and the meat is white, with a light peanut flavor. They can be processed into a peanut butter replacement, nut milk, or used in place of peanuts in curries and salads. Mamalider explains that Baru trees grow with no irrigation and, compared to popular nuts, deliver more protein with fewer calories. You can order your first taste at Organic Traditions.
Ally also shared recipes that bring the Baru seeds to life in your diet. Check out this healthy and sustainable alternative to peanuts.

Earth911 Podcast, October 28, 2019: Dr. Reggie Ferriera on Climate Change and Human Stress Levels Oct 28, 2019

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How will climate change impact many people first? Through stress, our response to increasingly uncertain weather conditions and the increasing pace of climate disasters, Dr. Reggie Ferreira, Associate Director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University's School of Social Work. Having worked as part of New Orleans' recovery after Hurricane Katrina and in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, Dr. Ferreira has advice for cities and citizens who are facing climate change: Prepare by planning for disaster and building a strong social network that can work together in the wake of a hurricane, wildfire, or other weather-related disasters. Dr. Ferreira is also the editor of the American Psychological Association's journal of disaster and trauma, Traumatology, and head of the Society for Social Work Research's Disaster Research Group.
In his conversation with Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe, Dr. Ferreira shares his own experience in disaster zones and advice for the mental health community. Robust social connections are critical to community responses to disasters. Psychologists and other social workers need to rethink the way they organize responses, starting before a storm or fire to build the relationships that can overcome traditional social services models. He also explains how the impact of disasters on the poorest and most disadvantaged people, including the mentally ill, is greater than other segments of society. By preparing these communities, a city can be more resilient in the face of a hurricane's destruction as well as better for everyone on a daily basis. Communication and trust are tested by disasters and establishing a strong social bond before they strike is the keystone for successful responses to climate change-caused misery.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, October 25, 2019: Saving US jobs, and t-shirts from landfills, with Project Repat Oct 25, 2019

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Project Repat, founded by Ross Lohr and Nathan Rothstein, has prevented more than 11 million t-shirts from landfills while bringing some sewing work back to the United States. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Rothstein about the inspiration behind Project Repat and the massive changes in U.S. t-shirt manufacturing over the past 30 years. After migrating to Mexico, t-shirt printing jobs have gone overseas and few American companies still make them.
Project Repat has a better idea: turn old shirts into keepsake quilts hand-sewn using t-shirts sent by customers. Instead of tossing a t-shirt in the donation bin, it can be turned into a part of a memorable and snug quilt. Love a sports team? Make a quilt of the team t-shirts and jerseys you've purchased over the years. Want to remember a school or a company where you worked? In all likelihood, you have the makings of a Project Repat quilt. Reasonably priced based on the size, Project Repat takes your order and receives your shirts by mail, then turns them into fleece-backed quilt.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 21, 2019: A More Sustainable Halloween! Oct 21, 2019

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A spooky Halloween doesn't have to be a horror show for the planet. Join the Earth911 team as we talk through how to reduce the waste and garbage produced by the scariest holiday of the year. First off, a green Halloween can be a budget Halloween with these ideas about making, renting, and recycling costumes for kids and adults. Cosplay enthusiasts out there can bring the environmental ideal to your fun, too. Making your own Halloween decorations is another way to take the old and make it new this year. We share ideas about how to reuse household items as All Hallow's Eve decorations.
Torn over the prospect of handing out processed sugar packaged in single-use bags and boxes? We've got some suggestions for greener alternatives to candy and their wrappers.
We also answer your Earthling Questions, too. This week we address how to recycle the #7 plastic bags for birdseed, the best way to replace a private-labeled battery -- many companies, such as ADT provide their own batteries with its products -- and the challenge of recycling pens and markers. Terracycle has a convenient, but somewhat expensive, office zero waste box that can help with marker and pen recycling.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 7, 2019: Hydrofluorocarbons, Bad Water, and Fall Gardening Oct 07, 2019

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The Earth911 gang is back at the microphone to talk about hydroflourocarbon 152A, the supergreenhouse gas in many U.S. aerosol products (it's banned elsewhere in the world), how to identify and deal with contaminated tap water, and the preparations and plantings you can make now to a healthy garden in 2020. Join Evelyn Fielding-Lopez, Sarah Lozanova, and Mitch Ratcliffe for a conversation that can help you prevent climate change and protect your family from lead and other widespread contaminants in the U.S. water infrastructure -- more than 63 million Americans are at risk from contaminated water.
As always, we answer your Earthling Questions, too. This week we address how to recycle plastic gift cards, perfumes and beauty products, as well as what to do with 600 lb. of hybrid car batteries that need to be recycled.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

Earth911 Podcast, Oct. 4 2019: RightWater Goes Plastic-free Oct 04, 2019

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RightWater, a mineral water distributor, is setting a new standard in sustainability. The company has abandoned all the plastic it used and replaced bottles with 100-percent recycled aluminum cans. Jono Wylie, head of sustainability at RightWater, joins Earth911 to talk about why RightWater made the decision to go Earth-friendly. The water, available in cases online, comes with two reusable aluminum straws and a zero-carbon footprint. The benefits extend to people around the world who don't have clean drinking water through RightWater contributions to DROP4DROP, a charity that provides sustainable water supplies to water-stressed communities.
Wylie explains why there are no half-measures when the Earth is in the balance. In addition to switching to aluminum, RightWater stopped using BPA, a plastic liner injected into aluminum cans to protect against metallic taste and removed all non-compostable plastic from its production and distribution process. Sourced from a California spring is a "premium water" currently served in gyms and hotels. Consumers can order online, get delicious water and help the 800 million humans without access to clean drinking water eliminate water-borne disease.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.
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Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 30, 2019: The State of the Recycling System Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

Explore the state of U.S. recycling with Joe Pickard, Chief Economist and Director of Commodities at the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). He joins Earth911 to talk about the recently released ISRI 2019 Economic Impact Study. Despite massive change after China refused to accept U.S. recyclables in early 2018, the U.S. recycling industry grew last year to $110 billion in economic activity and added jobs. More than 531,510 people work in recycling-related jobs and direct employment in recycling increased by about 5 percent since 2017.
Joe and Mitch Ratcliffe discuss the changing landscape in U.S. recycling. New players and new technology are improving recycling efficiency, yet the progress is not always visible to consumers who are still seeing declines in glass, plastic, and paper acceptance at their municipal recycling programs. ISRI conducts ongoing work to provide new guidelines for recycled materials. Joe explains how the recently announced ISRI Scrap Specifications Working Group is helping to introduce new recycling practices that will expand the recycling of plastics, paper, and new materials appearing in the market. At the end of the day, recycling must be economically sustainable and these new guidelines will help improve the overall U.S. recycling rate.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum.

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