Waste to Wealth

5 May 2017

Press Release: Maryland Governor Hogan Signs ILSR-led Bipartisan Bills to Advance Composting

by Nick Stumo-Langer | Date: 5 May 2017 | posted in: Composting, Press Release, waste - composting, Waste to Wealth | 0

On Thursday, May 4th, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed two bills to advance composting in Maryland. One will bolster recovery of food waste and other organic materials by expanding infrastructure in the state. The other will reduce contamination at compost sites by preventing the false labeling of plastics as compostable or biodegradable. In signing the bills, which were among dozens of environmental bills passed by the Maryland legislature in 2017, Governor Hogan thanked the state’s elected officials for the real bipartisan effort in passing laws to “protect our soil, our air, and our water… and grow the investment in jobs in our state.”

HB171/SB99, the “Yard Waste and Food Residuals Diversion and Infrastructure Act,” requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to study and report on existing compost manufacturing infrastructure in Maryland, as well as laws in other states that divert food scraps and organics, and to then recommend how to improve infrastructure and funding opportunities to expand composting in the Maryland. The bill requires the Department to consult with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, along with a number of ILSR’s allies including the MD-DC Compost Council, the American Biogas Council, the Maryland Horse Council, the Chesapeake Foodshed Network, the Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Council.… Read More

5 May 2017

ILSR’s response to Washington Times Article: A more complete assessment of burning garbage

by Neil Seldman | Date: 5 May 2017 | posted in: Media Coverage, waste - anti-incineration, Waste to Wealth | 0

In response to an article in The Washington Times on the “efficiencies” and “benefits” of burning trash, our co-founder Neil Seldman responded with an editorial piece about how helping communities with recycling-based economic development makes them more vibrant and dynamic.… Read More

5 May 2017

ILSR Testimony on Cuts in DC’s Recycling Budget: Poor Timing in the Face of Opportunities

by Neil Seldman | Date: 5 May 2017 | posted in: waste - recycling, Waste to Wealth | 0

Letter submitted to Washington D.C. Council Member Mary Cheh: May 4, 2017 Dear Council Member Mary Cheh, Unfortunately I was not available to testify in person on the fiscal budget for 2018 budget for recycling. I hope you will consider my comments on the recycling component of that budget. ILSR is opposed to the Mayor’s proposed … Read More

4 May 2017

Creating Community Wealth Through Compost (Episode 19)

by Nick Stumo-Langer | Date: 4 May 2017 | posted in: Building Local Power, Composting, waste - composting, Waste to Wealth | 0

In Building Local Power this week, we’re delving into the potential community-based composting holds to empower historically marginalized communities in cities across the United States. … Read More

3 May 2017

Two Alerts from Global Anti-Incineration Alliance, May 2017

by Neil Seldman | Date: 3 May 2017 | posted in: waste - anti-incineration, Waste to Wealth | 0

Opposition to credits for burning garbage California Assembly Bill 655 (AB 655) would allow the state’s waste incinerators to qualify as renewable energy, giving these polluting facilities a financial bailout. The state RPS will not work if it includes facilities that create pollution. See http://www.no-burn.org/oppose-california-ab-655-no-rps-for-burning-waste/. California’s carpet recycling law California’s Carpet Stewardship Law is the first and … Read More

3 May 2017

Large Incinerator Being Fought in Puerto Rico

by Neil Seldman | Date: 3 May 2017 | posted in: waste - anti-incineration, Waste to Wealth | 0

Claims of Corruption and Danger to the Island from Garbage Incinerator Planned for Arecibo The Coalition of Anti-Incineration Organizations (prohibidoincinerar.org, Facebook, & Twitter) is battling against a ‘mega incinerator’ similar to the one proposed for the Curtis Bay community in Baltimore. (See, Activists Win The Day: Huge Grassroots Victory Over Curtis Bay Incinerator) Like the proposed … Read More

2 May 2017

Garbage Incineration in the People’s Republic of China

by Neil Seldman | Date: 2 May 2017 | posted in: waste - anti-incineration, Waste to Wealth | 0

Lawsuits and protest demonstrations confront proposed garbage incinerators in China as they have around the world from the US to the Philippines, to India, to Mexico. According to the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, China will be experiencing more anti garbage incineration activism as officials plan to burn 1/3 of the country’s municipal … Read More

25 Apr 2017

The Community Compost Cooperative at the Howard University Community Garden

by Linda Bilsens Brolis | Date: 25 Apr 2017 | posted in: Composting, waste - composting, Waste to Wealth | 0

The DPR Compost Cooperative at the Howard University Community Garden in NW Washington, DC (Shaw/Howard area), which just celebrated its two-year anniversary, showcases what a collaboration between a local government department, non-profit organizations, small businesses, institutions of higher education, and members of the community can accomplish for composting efforts.… Read More

21 Apr 2017

Press Release: Composting Builds Soil Health, Earth Day 2017 Resources Available

by Nick Stumo-Langer | Date: 21 Apr 2017 | posted in: Composting, Press Release, waste - composting, Waste to Wealth | 0

The first Earth Day in 1970 sparked not only the beginning of the environmental movement, but also the birth of the modern recycling movement. Today, recycling of paper, bottles, and cans is the norm, but food waste recovery remains paltry. Less than 5% of food thrown away is recovered. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), almost half of typical garbage could be converted into compost (Source: ILSR’s Infographic).… Read More