food waste in the u.s. and what to do about it

food, sustainability

Americans generate a lot of trash–a whopping 292 million tons in 2018. What can you do to reduce waste? Go with reusable instead of disposable bags, buy in bulk to reduce excess packaging, be more proactive about recycling, etc. But sometimes, you can’t...

what is composting and why should i care?

sustainability

Composting—you might have seen a food scrap drop-off at a local farmer’s market or a garbage can labeled for composting at the Whole Foods store. It involves collecting your old food scraps to do…. what, exactly? And for what purpose? what is composting?...

what is a carbon footprint?

sustainability

These days, you may be hearing about carbon footprints a lot — how to measure them, how to reduce them, etc. What is a carbon footprint? It’s basically a way to assess the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated; this can be by a person, a company, or...

the great pacific garbage patch: a floating landfill

sustainability

Most of us are familiar with landfills—sites where our household trash is dumped after being collected from our homes. But have you heard of another landfill that is in the ocean? It’s been dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), and it’s a floating...

spotlight: brooklyn’s green greenpoint library

green architecture, sustainability

The Greenpoint branch of the Brooklyn, NY Public Library is like no other, and it is truly green. Like most libraries, it’s a place where anyone can read, learn, and work; but unlike most libraries, this branch also serves as an environmental education hub. (Its full...

reducing your food waste

food, sustainability

Food waste is a pressing issue today. The U.S. alone generates roughly 38 million tons of food waste each year! This contributes to global warming, as food dumped at landfills creates the greenhouse gas methane. And it also puts a dent in your pocketbook due to...