In the 1960s movie classic, “The Graduate,” Dustin Hoffman, playing a recent college grad, is cornered by a middle-aged man who tells him the word for the future: plastics.

Today that word might well be bioplastics. As part of a growing global trend, plastics made from plant materials—biodegradable plastics, or bioplastics—are being used for (more…)

Synthetic plastics are everywhere in our lives and the stuff is toxic to the environment and the health of both humans and non-humans.

Styrofoams in particular are some of the most implacable disposable plastics , surviving for thousands of years as tiny particles, clogging the planet’s arteries. (more…)

Earlier this month, the C&D Recycling Forum brought together key experts from a variety of backgrounds, including general and demolition contractors, government officials and waste and recycling representatives. During this event, much of the discussion focused on ways to divert the waste that is generated during construction, renovation and demolition (more…)

There is a saying that “You haven’t really recycled until you’ve bought recycled products.” This suggests that recycling is only the first step in a broader cycle where re-processing and re-manufacturing also play vital roles. In fact, the universal recycle symbol of “chasing arrows” represents the 3 stages of recycling: collection, processing and market (more…)

As part of our commitment to lead by example, yesterday, Federal agencies released Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans that outline how they will achieve the environmental, economic and energy goals called for by President Obama.  This is the first time agencies have developed and submitted Sustainability Plans, now available here. (more…)

Electronics are everywhere around us, and life in the 21st century is unimaginable without them. Computers, mobile phones, televisions, etc. are ubiquitous and have transformed the way the world works. However, like any technology, there are problems that need to be addressed, and electronic waste is one of the major one for the environment.

Electronic waste or e-waste grows at an exponential rate because the industry churns out new products at an ever faster rate. This renders old products useless. (more…)

Colleges across the country compete to see who can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most waste.

As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 Game Day Challenge, any college or university in the U.S. with a football team (which excludes my alma mater which dropped its football (more…)

“What I think is really special about the US is the way the US encourages business and then is not shy of failure.   Probably the latter being more important than the former.” – Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO, TerraCycle

KissMyCountry had the opportunity to talk with Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, which manufactures products from non-recyclable waste.  It’s a fascinating and exciting company that reflects the energy, creativity and commitment of Tom Szaky.  (more…)

“Plastics are bad but it’s impossible to avoid them completely”. This is my conclusion after 30 days of staying away from plastics. I was almost rebellious when I was refusing to use plastic materials for the past month. However, I have to admit I have violated my rules more than once.

Within the past month, I was served plastic straws two times with my drinks, used four plastic garbage bags for throwing away my ‘wet’ garbage, purchased shaving (more…)

I was recently asked by a friend whether I was able to create an impact through my anti-plastic propaganda. I told him how easily I was able to reduce my plastic consumption in a couple days and how supportive the people that I spoke to are. He kept asking me whether my individual environmental care would result in a dramatic reduction of global plastic usage. Good question.

For one month, I have talked to managers of stores and restaurants who sell plastic forks, knives, bags and (more…)