Recycling | Grist

Bring It On

Ask Umbra on her hotness, corporate gift baskets, and more 6
Posted 6 days, 9 hours ago One question at a time wasn't enough for our dear Umbra Fisk, who debuts a multi-question column this week with advice on taking climate action, greening corporate gift baskets, and recycling receipts.
Mountain climbing for CEOs

Green-biz pioneer Ray Anderson says sustainability literally pays for itself 7
Posted 2 weeks, 5 days ago Ray Anderson set out to make his business sustainable long before green was the flavor of the month. Reading Paul Hawken's The Ecology of Commerce in 1994 literally changed his life, inspiring him to overhaul his carpet company, Interface, and aim for zero environmental impact. Now, with his new book Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, he wants to spur other business leaders to "climb Mount Sustainability."
How much energy does the U.S. waste? 14
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Any increase in our efficiency of energy conversion is implicitly a reduction in our energy waste.
Ask Umbra’s video advice on greening your campus 3
Posted 2 months ago
Pop: The Question

Ask Umbra on bubble wrap 6
Posted 2 months, 1 week ago
When a recently married fellow wonders what to do with the acres of bubble wrap now surrounding him, Umbra jumps in with a few suggestions.
Think Fast

Your greenest Ramadan 1
Posted 2 months, 1 week ago
The Islamic month of fasting and feasting is not just a religious observance -- it's a chance to make a real and meaningful planetary impact.
Throw the book at 'em

Is it time to get rid of phone books? 9
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Five million trees are cut down every year to produce U.S. phone books. Do we really need them dumped on every doorstep? Some states, cities, and phone companies are reconsidering.
Tune in

Dave Matthews Band offers free music downloads for eco-pledges 1
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Take an eco-pledge to download a free album featuring the Dave Matthews Band and supporting acts from their tour like The Avett Brothers, Gomez, and more.
Prison Break

Washington state prisons pursue sustainable practices, green-collar job training 5
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Can prisons save money and the environment while rehabilitating lives? Washington's Sustainable Prisons Project aims to find out.
It's Pat

A test of six recycled-paper napkins 1
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Yes, we know, paper napkins are evil and all true greens use cloth napkins or a hankie to wipe up messes. But on the off chance that you keep some disposables around, here's a rundown of which recycled options work best.
Silk Ilk

Ask Umbra on corn plastic 19
Posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago
You've probably seen corn plastic sprouting up as an alternative to regular plastic -- but do you know which eeeevil company makes it? Umbra puts her ear to the ground to dig up the truth.
Don't Drink the Water

‘Tapped’ documentary pulls plug on bottled water craze 3
Posted 3 months ago
"Tapped," a new documentary about the bottled water industry from director Stephanie Soechtig and the producers of "Who Killed the Electric Car?", is a pretty damning look at how consumers have been tricked into spending too much money on water packaged in plastic and quite often not as clean as what's available from the faucet.
Same as the Old Toss

Ask Umbra on (gasp) throwing stuff out 10
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
It's been a year since today's letter-writer switched to less-toxic cosmetics, but she still can't figure out how to get rid of the old ones. Umbra advises.
Steel Yourself

Ask Umbra on paperback writers 10
Posted 4 months ago
Should Danielle Steel, Tom Clancy, and other popular authors take blame for the trash they create? Or are they heroes of the reuse movement? Umbra Fisk covers the possibilities.
Contain Your Excitement

Ask Umbra on moving boxes 2
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
When it comes time to pack your priceless treasures for the big move, are liquor-store castoffs your only option? Umbra flaps her gums.
Sunday on Bourne Street

Getting to know the neighborhood — through its trash 0
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
What do the contents of curbside trash bins say about a place's past, its present, its future? Plenty -- you just have to know where (and how) to look.
It Might as Well Be Spring

Ask Umbra on sparkling water 7
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Two gals from Alabama love to drink bubbly water -- but a little guilt is beginning to soak into their souls. Can Umbra quench their thirst for knowledge about the eco-effects of their fav bev?
Not so bright

Why you shouldn’t recycle that bright-orange paper 6
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
One of the thorniest questions I used to get as a recycling educator was why 'astrobright' papers weren't recyclable. You know this stuff: the super-dyed paper used by everyone from bands to Girl Scouts to make posters announcing their bake sales and death-metal guitar battles.
Talking Trash

‘Garbage Dreams’ explores life in Cairo’s garbage villages 3
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
Winner of the Al Gore Reel Current award for film, Mai Iskander's new documentary film, "Garbage Dreams," explores the world of the Zaballeen -- a group that makes its living recycling the trash of Cairo.
One Word, Infinite Possibilities

Plastic bags get a new life in Jerusalem 1
Posted 6 months ago
When Eric Pallant showed a group of teachers how to make a fused-plastic fabric, he never imagined the creations that would result.