Island expert: The Pacific Daily News profiles Guam’s “recycling lady,” who runs a program called i*recycle, which raises money through recycling to benefit local schools.
Audio aid: Utilizing Amazon’s Alexa voice system, plastic bag brand Glad has released a program that provides information about whether an item is recyclable, according to its program description. The effort is similar to another Alexa skill recently profiled by Resource Recycling, which set its aim specifically on Tampa, Fla. rather than the whole country.
Dedication: A new study has found more than two-thirds of millennials would give up social media for a week if it would get all of their coworkers to start recycling. The research by Lightspeed on behalf of Rubbermaid Commercial Products suggests employers should keep these attitudes in mind when looking to attract and maintain millennial talent.
Sustainable shopping: Sweden has the world’s first recycling mall, where customers can drop off recyclable materials and buy products made from recycled content. According to the sustainability-focused Make Wealth History blog, the mall includes 14 shops selling different types of recycled products, which are made from the materials shoppers drop off.
Investment report: An Iowa county has reported a substantial increase in recycling participation one year after a nearly $11 million investment that included money from the county as well as the Closed Loop Fund. An update from Closed Loop Fund details the key takeaways from the first year of the effort in Scott County, Iowa.
Behind the scenes: The Columbus City Council in Ohio approved a contract for recycling and yard waste service with Rumpke, but not without some trepidation due to the substantially higher cost than the previous contract. Now, the Columbus Dispatch reports details from the contract negotiation process that took place prior to approval, including which services were proposed for cuts to save costs.
Making a case: Citing the economic benefit an increase in recycling could provide, a new report has called on Baltimore to take steps that would increase its recycling rate. The report, authored by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, notes that nearly 600 jobs would be created with a higher recycling rate, including employment opportunities in the building, deconstruction, reuse, manufacturing and composting sectors.
Compost comes curbside: Green carts for compostable materials have been delivered to 21,000 single-family and duplex homes in Chilliwack, British Columbia. According to a press release, organics from the green carts will be collected weekly beginning in May.
