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Earth911 Podcast: Beat Wishcycling Habits with Lauren Olson of World Centric

Earth911 Podcast: Beat Wishcycling Habits with Lauren Olson of World Centric

FromEarth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear


Earth911 Podcast: Beat Wishcycling Habits with Lauren Olson of World Centric

FromEarth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear

ratings:
Length:
14 minutes
Released:
Nov 28, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Wishcycling, tossing something that can't be recycled into the blue bin, is the bane of recycling programs because it can contaminate other materials in the system. Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe talks with Lauren Olson, Zero Waste Manager at compostable tableware maker World Centric in Rohnert Park, California, about building simple habits that prevent wishcycling. Simply keeping up with your local recycling program's rules is the best step you can take, but with rules changing so often consumers need to build a habit of checking with their recycler's website frequently.Wishcycled materials, which can include many types of plastic, glass, and electronics, among other materials, can lead to injuries in the materials recovery facility (MRF, or "Murph") where recyclables are sorted. Machines can be jammed by styrofoam and plastic film, for example, and when workers try to pull the jam out they can be injured. Lauren also discusses how compostable and recyclable products companies like World Centric must engage with local solid waste authorities to get new materials included in the recycling stream. Without a national standard for recycling, it's tough for everyone, from product makers to citizens who buy those products, to successfully recycle materials. If you'd like to see local restaurants and grocers using compostable plastic and fiber containers for to-go food and other packaging, tell them about World Centric's wide range of Earth-friendly packaging. 
Released:
Nov 28, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Each week, Evelyn Lopez and the Earth911.com team talk sustainability news, interview sustainability leaders, and answer your questions about how to recycle and buy responsibly. You have more power to improve the world than you know! Listen in to get started saving the planet!