Small Trash, Big Problems: Surprising Facts About Litter You Didn’t Know

By Beth Rush

Trash left in public or open spaces is considered litter. It can include anything unwanted, like tobacco products, papers, plastics, or cans, and is irresponsibly discarded. 

Some may believe that leaving a piece of trash behind here or there is harmless. However, even the smallest bits of trash can have a massive, compounded impact on the environment we share. 

Here are several littering facts and statistics that may surprise you.

1. Littering is Illegal

In addition to having negative environmental consequences, littering is illegal — it goes beyond personal morality and ethics. States implement fines to discourage residents from littering because it hurts both the people and wildlife in their community. 

There are different consequences for littering, ranging from paying fees to completing community service to serving jail time. 

In the United States, fines can range from $25 in Massachusetts to $30,000 in Maryland. Some states charge based on the weight of litter, while others charge based on its type. 

Under Section 144A of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act), a penalty fee can range from $160 to $100,000 based on the extent of the crime. 

2. Trash Endangers Marine and Wildlife

Litter can be detrimental to the health and well-being of animals and wildlife. Experts estimate that there are about 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, and this makes up about 80% of the globe’s total plastic pollution. 

If the litter rate is not soon under control, plastic in the ocean could outnumber fish by 2050. Ocean life can consume these plastics, leading to potential illness and injury. 

While plastic is a major danger to animal and plant life, other types of litter pose a significant threat, including aluminum cans, glass, and cigarette butts.

3. Litter Impacts Human Health

When waste is not disposed of correctly, the mismanagement can cause health issues, especially in poorer areas. Between 400,000 and one million people die annually from diseases linked to mismanaged waste. When trash and plastic are burned in open areas, the toxic fumes emitted can lead to respiratory and other health issues. 

An estimated 42% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are caused by waste disposal. The average U.S. household accumulates up to 100 pounds of hazardous waste annually. These numbers seem small, but the impact is significant when you combine all the household waste. 

Emissions are just one way litter can contribute to poor health. Another is road and walkway safety. Trash can cause unnecessary—and potentially dangerous—obstructions, unsafe road conditions, and increased chances of a driving mishap. 

Programs like Adopt-a-Highway are amazing for combating litter on our roadways and maintaining a safer, cleaner environment for travel. This initiative promotes public awareness about roadside trash and works to reduce litter on New Jersey’s highways. 

4. Decomposition Can Take Years

Decomposition is another important consideration regarding litter. Tossing a can, fast food package, water bottle or cigarette butt out the window takes only a second, but those materials may not decompose fully for years!

Did you know that cigarette butts are one of the biggest forms of litter on highways and roadways in the world? Despite their small size and the commonality of tossing these butts out the car window or down to the sidewalk, cigarettes are very harmful to the environment. They contain dangerous chemicals and can take up to 10 years to decompose naturally. 

Other commonly littered items, like food wrappers, can take decades to decompose. Plastic bottles can take hundreds of years to fully deteriorate. This means your litter could be a problem far after you have left it behind, impacting generations after you. 

5. Litter Has Expensive Consequences

Litter cleanup costs in the United States total more than $11.5 billion annually. One example of big spending is in Texas, where taxpayers pay $50 million annually for litter to be removed from their local roadsides. 

In addition to the high costs of cleaning up litter, states with significant trash-related problems are also not attracting as many visitors or tourists. Less tourism causes them to lose out on valuable income that could go towards improving the state. 

Litter-related sickness also translates to higher medical spending. These hidden costs of littering cannot be understated. 

The bottom line here: litter is an expensive problem, one that everyone has to pay for. 

Clean Up Your Mess

At a glance, the decision to dispose of waste incorrectly takes only a moment and can have decades and millions of dollars in consequences. From harming animals to impacting roadway safety, littering is not a minor offense — it is a serious one that should not be overlooked or taken lightly. 

To make a difference, support organizations that combat litter. Consider participating in local clean-up events. Encourage your friends, family members, and neighbors to practice proper waste disposal and follow local recycling guidelines. 

Cleaning up after ourselves is truly the least we can do to help our communities thrive. 

About the author: Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind, where she covers topics like the power of climate consciousness at all stages of education. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!

7 Strategies to Eliminate Office Food Waste

By Beth Rush

Reducing food waste at your office is great for cleaning your break room and the work kitchen, but it can also help people in need and the environment. When somebody throws away those unwanted items from a meal, they often end up in a landfill, contributing to harmful methane emissions. If more people do the same, it generates even more greenhouse gas. 

The most suitable way to eliminate food waste at work and help the environment is through strategizing to quickly and seamlessly reduce office waste. Incorporating these ideas could help do so.

1. Highlight the Need to Reduce Food Waste

Hold a special lunch “power hour” to highlight the environmental hazards of wasting food at the office. With everybody gathered, you can highlight this importance and propose steps for improvement. An organized lunch, while enjoying a healthy, catered meal, provides sufficient time to brainstorm ways to approach the problem and get everyone’s buy-in. 

Use your lunch meeting, or designate another time, to set SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound — goals to reduce food waste. For example, suggest realistic ways to control food inventory management or devise portion control methods to eliminate a percentage of organic waste within a set time frame. Involve kitchen staff and other stakeholders to collaborate effectively to reach your goals.  

2. Avoid Buying The Wrong Food

Guessing what everybody in the office enjoys and making a shopping list accordingly is easy. Consider taking a little extra time before doing so by seeking feedback from your co-workers. 

Devise a questionnaire offering various food choices they can check off to give you a more accurate idea of how to cater for office lunches. You’ll have a more customized lunch menu with a well-rounded array of food options. 

Go further by designing food stations with your checked-off food supplies. This will enable your colleagues to choose the meal ingredients that best suit their dietary requirements and tastes. Shopping according to your coworkers’ feedback will reduce office food waste.

3. Don’t Buy Too Much Food

Buying food that some of your staff do not enjoy encourages unnecessary leftovers, and purchasing more food than people will eat also contributes to food waste. Adopting more customized processes will give a better idea of the quantities of specific foods people eat. Based on any leftovers from meals after this adoption, this knowledge allows you to plan for future food shopping to reduce lunch food waste further. 

4. Incorporate Separate Trash Bins

You’ll still end up with some perishable waste even if you adjust and refine your office food-buying habits — coworkers could be absent or not eat their usual lunch amount. Catering to this waste by adding extra bins allows you to distribute it more accurately and reduce landfill methane generation. 

Instead of throwing everything into one trash container, your colleagues can throw recyclables into designated separate bins. Together, they keep trash and their leftover food in another bin.

Throwing aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles, newspapers, paper towels, packaging material, and scrap office paper into relevant recycling containers keeps them away from incinerators and landfills. A perishables bin for food waste does the same, allowing other environmentally friendly disposal options.

5. Compost Your Office Food Waste  

One eco-friendly option for food waste is composting. Initiate your company’s membership in a community composting project that returns organic materials to the soil and benefits the environment. Alternatively, sign up with a composting business that collects organic waste in provided bins. 

A business contract will likely cost something, but your company will save on landfill costs, build sustainable credibility, and convert food waste into soil and plant-nutritional fertilizer. If your office has an accessible outside space, you could even start a DIY composting area. 

6. Contact Caterers and Food Redistributors

Another way to dispose of office lunch leftovers is through a food redistribution service. This service collects excessive waste after large corporate and office lunches and delivers it to community members who need food. 

In the U.S., one in seven people lacks reliable access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate meals. Using a food distributor can help your edible food waste reach the mouths that will value it most. 

Many catering companies provide custom meals for office parties, luncheons and similar staff gatherings. Your coworkers must choose their meals from preset menus and mark any dietary preferences.

The caterer can deliver the exact numbers of each before the event, meaning everybody has a meal they want and will likely leave less waste. Whatever leftover food remains afterward, a food redistributor can use it to provide for the less fortunate within the community.  

7. Incorporate Technology

Technology assists us in many ways, including controlling food waste. Food waste management software helps large office environments manage food inventory by tracking usage and stock-on-hand, offering actionable insights to streamline existing food waste-saving approaches. 

Many mobile apps allow you to enter the purchase dates of specific products and sell-by dates, where applicable. You’ll receive a reminder to use those remaining potatoes, for example, according to the app’s preset period for acceptable use. These reminders help reduce food waste by prompting necessary preparation times for more effective fresh product utilization.

Eliminate Food Waste to Save the Environment and Expense

Incorporating the above strategies can substantially reduce food waste and save on the expense of replacing spoiled items in office pantries and fridges. 

By strategizing to decrease leftovers and other food waste at office mealtimes and functions, you can do your part to redirect food waste from producing greenhouse gases in landfills to feeding those in need or creating wholesome fertilizer.

About the author: Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind, where she covers topics like the power of climate consciousness at all stages of education. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!

How To Maintain Your Hotel’s Water Tank Sustainably

Many hotels use water tanks to supply water, so they should be in good condition. Water tank maintenance goes beyond checking for leaks; it also involves adopting practices that combine functionality with eco-consciousness. If you’re looking for ways to protect your water supply while minimizing the environmental impact of hotel operations, discover how to maintain your hotel’s water tank sustainably. 

Conduct Regular Inspections  

This may sound obvious, but you need to inspect the water tank regularly. Frequent checks help you identify leaks, cracks, or contamination before they worsen. Addressing minor faults saves money and reduces water waste.

Consider partnering with sustainability-focused service providers for inspections. They may use environmentally friendly materials and methods that align perfectly with your green goals.  

Use Durable and Eco-Friendly Tank Liners  

Invest in high-quality tank liners to extend the lifespan of a water tank. Tank liners prevent leaks and protect the tank’s contents from contaminants. 

Looking for a greener solution? Choose liners made from eco-friendly and non-toxic materials. Whichever liner you choose, make sure to regularly inspect the tank liner for wear and tear to guarantee it remains effective and prevents water loss.  

Implement Water-Saving Practices  

Go beyond basic maintenance with efficient water-saving systems. For example, install water level sensors to prevent overfilling, and use rainwater harvesting to supplement your water supply. Inside your hotel, you can install water-efficient fixtures and reuse greywater for non-potable purposes.  

With these simple changes, you can reduce water consumption at your hotel and run a more sustainable operation.  

Train Your Staff on Maintenance  

Provide regular training sessions to ensure all staff members understand the importance of sustainable practices and how to implement them effectively. Encourage them to identify and report inefficiencies or maintenance issues that could lead to resource waste. By building a team committed to sustainability, these practices will become the norm in your hotel.  

Sustainable water tank maintenance enhances your hotel’s reputation among eco-conscious travelers. By understanding how to maintain your hotel’s water tank sustainably, you can contribute to resource preservation without compromising efficiency. Start adopting these strategies to make a positive impact today!

Preserving Urban Green Spaces: Precision Equipment Solutions for Maintaining City Trees and Vegetation

Parks, tree-lined streets, community gardens, and pockets of vegetation are vital for creating livable, resilient cities. These spaces enhance air quality, offer critical wildlife habitats, and improve the well-being of nearby residents. 

However, maintaining healthy trees and vegetation in busy urban green spaces has certain challenges. Precision equipment allows cities to manage green areas more effectively and increase preservation.

The Need for Precision in Urban Landscaping

Urban landscapes are intricate ecosystems with specific maintenance needs. They must live amid compacted soil, limited root zones, pollution, and foot traffic. Traditional maintenance approaches can fail in such environments, leading to overuse of resources or damage to vegetation.

Precision landscaping offers a more innovative way forward. Equipment and tools help city maintenance teams target problem areas and optimize resource utilization while reducing environmental impact. Rather than treating all green spaces the same, precision approaches allow for care tailored to specific tree species, local conditions, and seasonal needs.

As cities work toward greener infrastructure and climate resilience, precision landscaping ensures urban vegetation remains healthy and integral to sustainable development.

Precision Equipment Making a Difference

Innovative tools are helping cities care for their trees and green spaces. These precision solutions help urban forestry teams work more efficiently with key equipment.

1. Skid Steer Mulchers

Compact and highly maneuverable, these machines can accurately clear brush and manage overgrowth in tight spaces. They reduce manual labor and can process organic waste on-site, helping cities maintain tidy, healthy green spaces.

2. Tracked Lifts

Tracked lifts are lightweight and come equipped with rubber tracks, minimizing disruption to soil and vegetation. They also provide stability while allowing access to hard-to-reach areas, so cities can navigate uneven terrain and reach tall trees.

3. Drones

Drones with high-resolution cameras or multispectral imaging can assess tree health and detect early signs of disease. They offer a bird’s eye view of city vegetation, enabling faster, data-driven decisions.

4. Specialized Tools and Machines

Poe saws, chainsaws, and hedge trimmers let crews carry out maintenance with greater precision when trimming urban trees and cutting large branches. Battery-powered, electric, and hybrid equipment are also available to keep operations quiet in urban areas.

Other machinery — such as feller bunchers and tree trimmers — can take on more intensive jobs like removing invasive species or thinning overgrown areas. These machines offer the power and reach for large-scale vegetation management.

5. GIS and Mapping Technology

Geographic information systems (GIS) offer mapping of tree inventories and help cities identify problem areas. They can also use this technology to plan for future planting. When integrated with other smart tools, GIS can lead to resource efficiency and support long-term sustainability.

Cities Leading the Way With Precision Equipment

Across the globe, various cities are adopting precision tools to manage their green spaces better.

New York City: Advancing Urban Forestry

New York City is actively working to expand its tree canopy to 30% coverage as part of its Urban Forest Plan. This initiative employs precision equipment and data-driven strategies to improve the surrounding environment. 

The city uses smart systems and satellite imagery to map its green spaces for better tracking and planning. Previously, it used traditional satellite analysis, which often left out approximately 37% of its vegetation during mapping efforts.

Singapore: Integrating Technology for Urban Tree Care

Singapore’s urban care and management involve maintaining nearly two million trees across its landscapes. The city-state employs drones, smart sensors, and data analytics to inform maintenance schedules and ensure the health and longevity of its green environment. Precision equipment enables the “Garden City” to implement its urban forestry practices accurately and efficiently.

Melbourne: Strategic Urban Forest Planning With Precision Mapping

By using precision mapping technologies, Melbourne aims to increase canopy cover from 22% to 40% by 2040. These innovations — from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to 3D scanning — allow the city to assess existing tree coverage and identify optimal locations for new plantings. Its mapping strategy also allows it to keep track of trees by age and genus, allowing for greater resilience against environmental stressors and enhanced stability.

Benefits and Challenges of Investing in Precision Urban Forestry

Adopting precision equipment offers substantial environmental and economic advantages for cities. However, several considerations must be made before modernizing landscaping efforts.

Benefits of maintaining green spaces with precision equipment include:

> Improved tree health and longevity: Early detection tools and targeted care reduce disease risk and structural damage. By maintaining trees and vegetation, cities can keep their landscapes green and urban environments cooler, providing more comfortable living for city dwellers.

> Resource optimization: Smart irrigation systems and electric tools reduce water and energy use.

> Lower environmental impact: Battery-powered and low-emission equipment decreases pollution in city neighborhoods.

> Cost savings over time: Reduced labor, water, and fuel costs lead to long-term financial benefits.

> Enhanced public safety: Tools can spot potential hazards before they pose a danger to passersby.

Challenges of implementing precision equipment include:

> Upfront costs: Equipment and software investments can be expensive, especially for smaller municipalities.

> Training and workforce readiness: Teams may need new skills to operate advanced tools and interpret data correctly.

> Integration with existing systems: Legacy infrastructure may require upgrades to be compatible with newer technology.

> Maintenance and upkeep: Precision tools can require specialized maintenance or replacement parts, which may not be readily available.

> Data privacy concerns: Some tools may raise questions around surveillance and privacy in public spaces.

Enhancing Equipment for Greener Cities

Precision equipment is an excellent way to combat climate change and enhance sustainability efforts. It helps cities care for their trees and vegetation more efficiently, improving their planning, maintenance, and growth efforts. Investing in these smart solutions builds healthier communities in the long term.

From Waste to Resource: Recycling and Repurposing in Heavy Equipment Life Cycles

Heavy equipment is essential in construction, agriculture, and infrastructure development, but once these rigs reach the end of their life, they usually end up as waste. However, this approach is changing. Recycling and repurposing are gaining traction as companies and advocates recognize the value of extending the life cycle of heavy equipment.

What Is the Heavy Equipment Life Cycle?

The heavy equipment life cycle refers to the entire lifespan of a piece of heavy equipment—from the time an organization gets it until its disposal. It involves different phases, each essential to maximizing the equipment’s usefulness, safety, and compliance with industry regulations.

Here’s how a standard equipment life cycle works:

> Planning: The organization sees a need that a piece of heavy equipment can fulfill. They decide on essential criteria and parameters such as budget, usage, and performance requirements.

> Procurement: The team researches various vendors and manufacturers. They collect bids and select vendors with the most suitable equipment and favorable terms.

> Preparation: Once the machines arrive, the staff prepares them for operation. This phase may also involve staff training, which helps ensure safety on the construction site.

> Usage: Trained operators receive and operate the gear as necessary for the organization’s projects.

> Maintenance: Proper handling, storage and upkeep can affect the lifespan of construction equipment. For example, a well-maintained telehandler may last 7,000 to 10,000 hours, while a wheel loader may last 12,000 hours, a backhoe loader 8,000 hours, dozers and excavators about 7,000 to 10,000 and skid steers over 5,000 hours.

> Retirement: When the rig becomes outdated or repairs and maintenance no longer work, it is time to retire or dispose of it.

Why Recycling and Repurposing Matter in Heavy Equipment Life Cycles

The construction industry, especially with its use of heavy equipment, is one of the world’s largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Inefficient equipment use, such as through long idling times, can especially influence these emissions. Additionally, retiring heavy equipment is especially challenging, as they are often made from heavy-duty, non-biodegradable materials. 

Recycling and repurposing construction gear is a more sustainable alternative than simply discarding it in landfills, helping to prevent pollution. 

Repurposing also gives these materials and resources a new life, increasing their usefulness and helping more people. A recent report found the recycling and repurposing industry created around 681,000 jobs that paid $37.8 billion in wages in the U.S.

Ways to Repurpose or Recycle Outdated Heavy Equipment

Reusing or recycling is a responsible way to minimize the ecological footprint of heavy equipment. Here are five ways businesses can explore to make the most of and extend the lifetime of their current resources.

1. Parts Reuse and Removal

Salvaging used or broken equipment for parts is a common practice. While the broken vehicle or instrument is no longer useful, its parts can help people repair other damaged equipment and appliances.

Aside from being more sustainable, salvaging parts from old materials is also a more cost-effective way to repair existing equipment or create new items. Buying used parts is also a lot cheaper than purchasing brand-new ones.

2. Conversion for New Applications or Environments

With some tweaking and mechanical knowledge, teams can transform decommissioned equipment into something new. For example, an old excavator can turn into a soil mixing unit or a material processor.

If a piece of equipment still works well but doesn’t have a place in construction anymore, staff can transport it to agricultural sites where it can stay useful. For example, loaders can use farm equipment attachments to harvest, level, and mow.

3. Training and Educational Use

Schools and equipment training facilities can use old equipment as educational materials. Old gear is an affordable yet effective way to train students to operate or maintain it effectively.

Though some rigs might not work as intended, their parts and structure can help students understand safety precautions, repair procedures, or maintenance tasks. Several studies have already explored the effectiveness of experiential learning — seeing and working with a real piece of machinery helps trainees grasp concepts more easily. 

4. Artistic or Recreational Applications

With some creativity, heavy machinery and scrap parts can go beyond the construction site and into art exhibits. Many artists use reclaimed metal and old equipment as materials, transforming presumed junk into works of art.

Take American artist John Lopez, for example. He creates unique sculptures using scrap iron and recycled equipment. He takes these old machines apart and uses their components to form interesting shapes and new structures.

5. Recycling

When repurposing isn’t an option, construction businesses can always recycle scrap metal, which is a relatively straightforward process. It involves placing metal scraps into a furnace, where they burn and melt. Technicians then pour the molten metal into molds to create ingots. 

These metal bars can then begin a new life cycle, where they can turn into new parts or objects for various purposes.

Heading Toward Equipment Sustainability

Recycling and repurposing heavy equipment allows companies to minimize waste and recover useful materials, making their practices more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. As more organizations embrace this approach, the industry might head toward a more efficient and sustainable future.