The world is garbage and we're talking trash in this week's episode. With so many people consuming so many products all across the world there's bound to be some questions about all that refuse we're creating. What really happens when you throw something away? Is recycling as green as we think it is? Just how much garbage are we making anyway? All this answered and so much more as we find ourself waist deep in the world of waste.

full transcript available

Subscribe now on: iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Spotify | RSS | or search "Ashes Ashes" on your favorite podcast app.

Chapters

00:31 Trash Opportunities

06:01 Trash Stories

17:10 Trash Stats

36:16 The Big Biz of Recycling

1:05:47 What Can We Do?

Important Info

What Listeners are Saying

Hey Dave & Daniel, You asked what your listeners are doing locally for their environment. I only started listening recently, but I recently decided to stop being annoyed by people’s poor recycling habits and resolved to start doing something about it! To that end, I’ve been removing non-recyclables from our single-stream recycling bins at my local university, where I teach. I’ve also started doing my own recycling at home, creating reusable shopping bags for people in my community, as well as using my position as an educator to teach students about proper recycling habits that are more important now than ever thanks to changes in the recycling market (because of course it’s a market, can’t do anything without someone making money, ugh). Thanks for the great content and the good work y’all do! Cheers, Tim

Sources

@misc{Albeck-Ripka_2018, title={Your Recycling Gets Recycled, Right? Maybe, or Maybe Not}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-landfills-plastic-papers.html}, journal={The New York Times}, author={Albeck-Ripka, Livia}, year={2018}, month={Oct} } @misc{Andrea Janus_2019, title={More than half of all food produced in Canada is lost or wasted, report says}, url={https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/food-waste-report-second-harvest-1.4981728}, journal={CBC}, author={Andrea Janus}, year={2019}, month={Jan} } @misc{Barboza_2007, title={China’s “Queen of Trash” finds riches in waste paper - Business - International Herald Tribune}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/worldbusiness/15iht-trash.4211783.html}, journal={The New York Times}, author={Barboza, David}, year={2007}, month={Jan} } @misc{BBC_2019, title={Dead whale “ate 40kg of plastic”}, url={https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47608949}, author={BBC}, year={2019}, month={Mar} } @misc{Bonnie Au_2019, title={Smuggled waste deported from China}, url={https://www.scmp.com/video/china/2188221/china-sends-smuggled-contaminated-waste-back-us-south-korea}, journal={South China Morning Post}, author={Bonnie Au}, year={2019}, month={Mar} } @article{Brooks_Wang_Jambeck_2018, title={The Chinese import ban and its impact on global plastic waste trade}, volume={4}, ISSN={2375-2548}, DOI={10.1126/sciadv.aat0131}, number={6}, journal={Science Advances}, author={Brooks, Amy L. and Wang, Shunli and Jambeck, Jenna R.}, year={2018}, month={Jun}, pages={eaat0131} } @misc{Brown_correspondent_2002a, title={EU law causes unwanted fridge mountain}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2002/jan/14/europeanunion.waste}, journal={The Guardian}, author={Brown, Paul and correspondent, environment}, year={2002}, month={Jan} } @misc{Brown_correspondent_2002b, title={Fridge mountain could cost £40m}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/jun/20/uk.greenpolitics}, journal={The Guardian}, author={Brown, Paul and correspondent, environment}, year={2002}, month={Jun} } @misc{Christensen_2018, title={Inglewood mayor’s role in $100-million trash hauling pact is questioned}, url={https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-butts-garbage-contract-20180201-story.html}, journal={latimes.com}, author={Christensen, Kim}, year={2018}, month={Feb} } @misc{Colin Staub_2018, title={Basel amendment proposed to cover scrap plastic}, url={https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2018/06/27/basel-amendment-proposed-to-cover-scrap-plastic/}, journal={Plastics Recycling Update}, author={Colin Staub}, year={2018}, month={Jun} } @misc{Corkery_2019, title={As Costs Skyrocket, More U.S. Cities Stop Recycling}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/16/business/local-recycling-costs.html}, journal={The New York Times}, author={Corkery, Michael}, year={2019}, month={Mar} } @misc{Darryl Fears_Kate Furby_2018, title={A giant wave of plastic garbage could flood the U.S., a study says}, url={https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/20/a-giant-wave-of-plastic-garbage-could-flood-the-u-s-in-10-years-a-study-says/}, journal={Washington Post}, author={Darryl Fears and Kate Furby}, year={2018}, month={Jun} } @misc{ENSSCPA_2017, title={The Waste Management, Inc. 1998 Fraud Scandal}, url={https://ensscpa.com/waste-management-inc-1998-fraud-scandal/}, author={ENSSCPA}, year={2017}, month={Sep} } @misc{Euractiv_2014, title={Waste business ‘very vulnerable to corruption’}, url={https://www.euractiv.com/section/sustainable-dev/news/waste-business-very-vulnerable-to-corruption/}, journal={euractiv.com}, author={Euractiv}, year={2014}, month={Mar} } @misc{Fahad Khan_2019, title={Marine Pollution: Types, Causes, Effects & Prevention}, url={https://www.earthreminder.com/marine-pollution-types-causes-effects-prevention/}, journal={Earth Reminder}, author={Fahad Khan}, year={2019}, month={Jan} } @misc{Gina Damron_Tresa Baldas_2015, title={Towns torn about using trash hauler Rizzo amid FBI corruption probe}, url={https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/10/21/rizzo-trash-macomb-county/92519050/}, journal={Detroit Free Press}, author={Gina Damron and Tresa Baldas}, year={2015}, month={Oct} } @misc{Jenna Jambeck_2019, title={Jambeck Research Group}, url={https://jambeck.engr.uga.edu/}, abstractNote={Jambeck Research Group - Faculty of Engineering, University of Georgia, Jenna Jambeck}, journal={Jambeck Research Group}, author={Jenna Jambeck}, year={2019} } @misc{Jens Thurau_2019, title={Nuclear waste in disused German mine leaves a bitter legacy | DW | 08.02.2019}, url={https://www.dw.com/en/nuclear-waste-in-disused-german-mine-leaves-a-bitter-legacy/a-47420382}, journal={Deutsche Welt}, author={Jens Thurau}, year={2019}, month={Feb} } @misc{Jiu-Liang Wang_2016, title={Plastic China}, author={Jiu-Liang Wang}, year={2016} } @misc{Laura Parker_2018, title={China’s ban on trash imports shifts waste crisis to Southeast Asia}, url={https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/china-ban-plastic-trash-imports-shifts-waste-crisis-southeast-asia-malaysia/}, journal={Environment}, author={Laura Parker}, year={2018}, month={Nov} } @misc{Lisa Sorg_2018, title={Two breaches in Sutton coal ash landfill, plus flooding at three inactive ash basins at Lee plant}, url={http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2018/09/17/two-breaches-in-sutton-coal-ash-landfill-plus-flooding-at-three-inactive-ash-basins-at-lee-plant/}, journal={The Progressive Pulse}, author={Lisa Sorg}, year={2018}, month={Sep} } @misc{McCarthy_2019, title={The World’s Worst Electronic Waste Offenders}, url={https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/02/27/the-worlds-worst-electronic-waste-offenders-infographic/}, journal={Forbes}, author={McCarthy, Niall}, year={2019}, month={Feb} } @misc{Michael Bieseckler_Alan Suderman_2018, title={North Carolina river swirls with gray muck near flooded coal ash dump}, url={https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/north-carolina-river-swirls-with-gray-muck-near-flooded-coal-ash-dump}, journal={PBS NewsHour}, author={Michael Bieseckler and Alan Suderman}, year={2018}, month={Sep} } @misc{Milman_2019, title={“Moment of reckoning”: US cities burn recyclables after China bans imports}, url={https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/21/philadelphia-covanta-incinerator-recyclables-china-ban-imports}, journal={The Guardian}, author={Milman, Oliver}, year={2019}, month={Feb} } @misc{Mosbergen_500, title={This Is What The Death Of Recycling Looks Like}, url={https://www.huffpost.com/entry/malaysia-plastic-recycling_n_5c7f64a9e4b020b54d7ffdee}, journal={HuffPost}, author={Mosbergen, Dominique}, year={500} } @misc{Phelps_2018, title={Mountains of paper stacks up at E.L. Harvey after China says no more}, url={https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/20180104/mountains-of-paper-stacks-up-at-el-harvey-after-china-says-no-more}, journal={MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA}, author={Phelps, Jonathan}, year={2018}, month={Jan} } @misc{ReportBuyer_2019, title={The global waste management market size is expected to reach $484.9 billion by 2025 from $303.6 billion in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2018 to 2025}, url={https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-waste-management-market-size-is-expected-to-reach-484-9-billion-by-2025-from-303-6-billion-in-2017--growing-at-a-cagr-of-6-0-from-2018-to-2025--300775611.html}, author={ReportBuyer}, year={2019}, month={Jan} } @misc{Reyes-Velarde_2019, title={California wastes most of its rainwater, which simply goes down the drain}, url={https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-rainwater-lost-wet-winter-california-20190220-story.html}, journal={LA Times}, author={Reyes-Velarde, Hannah Fry, Alejandra}, year={2019}, month={Feb} } @misc{Rohrlich_2002, title={Corruption Arrests in Carson}, url={http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/22/local/me-carson22}, journal={Los Angeles Times}, author={Rohrlich, Ted}, year={2002}, month={Nov} } @misc{Seibert_2017, title={Houston’s trash deal smells, wants probe into possible bid rigging, recycling inventor says}, url={https://texasmonitor.org/houstons-trash-deal-smells/}, journal={The Texas Monitor}, author={Seibert, Trent}, year={2017}, month={Jul} } @misc{Sky News_2018, title={Dirty Business: what really happens to your recycling}, url={https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRQLilXLAIU}, author={Sky News}, year={2018}, month={Jan} } @misc{Staff Repoorter_2018, title={Bin lorry sinks into road as street melts under soaring temperatures}, url={https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lorry-road-melt-sink-newbury-berkshire-uk-weather-heatwave-temperature-a8435136.html}, journal={The Independent}, author={Staff Repoorter}, year={2018}, month={Jul} } @misc{Tony Yu_2012, title={Turning trash papers into gold: Entrepreneurship and international coordination of China’s paper queen, Zhang Yin}, url={https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/17561391211200957}, journal={Journal of Chinese Entrepreneurship}, author={Tony Yu, Fu‐Lai}, year={2012}, month={Feb} } @misc{Waste Dive_2019, title={How recycling is changing in all 50 states}, url={https://www.wastedive.com/news/what-chinese-import-policies-mean-for-all-50-states/510751/}, journal={Waste Dive}, author={Waste Dive}, year={2019}, month={Mar} } @misc{Waste360 Staff_2018, title={U.S. Plastic Recycling Rate Projected to Drop to 4.4% in 2018}, url={https://www.waste360.com/plastics/us-plastic-recycling-rate-projected-drop-44-2018}, journal={Waste360}, author={Waste360 Staff}, year={2018}, month={Oct} } @misc{Whitaker_2002, title={Mayor and Trash-Hauling Operators Indicted in Bribery Case}, url={https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/22/us/mayor-and-trash-hauling-operators-indicted-in-bribery-case.html}, journal={The New York Times}, author={Whitaker, Barbara}, year={2002}, month={Nov} } @misc{World Bank_2018, title={Global Waste to Grow by 70 Percent by 2050 Unless Urgent Action is Taken: World Bank Report}, url={http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/09/20/global-waste-to-grow-by-70-percent-by-2050-unless-urgent-action-is-taken-world-bank-report}, journal={World Bank}, author={World Bank}, year={2018}, month={Sep} } @misc{Global waste could increase by 70% by 2050, according to the World Bank_2018, url={https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/world-waste-could-grow-70-percent-as-cities-boom-warns-world-bank/}, author={WE Forum}, journal={World Economic Forum}, year={2018}, month={Sep} }

Published 21-03-2019 01:07