Plastic bags clog up our gutters, landfills, and waterways, but researchers hope that plastic-munching worms may hold a secret to making these messes more manageable. [More]
garbage
Seattle Will Start Charging $1 Compost Fee For Too Much Food Waste In The Trash
By 9.24.14
The residents of Seattle will soon be busy staring intently into their trash cans. Or at least that’s what I’d be doing if I lived there, because the Seattle City Council just okayed a new rule that amounts to $1 fines for anyone chucking away too much food waste or compostable paper products. [More]
Man Bikes 3,000 Miles Across Europe, Eating Only What He Can Salvage
By 6.23.14
Riding a bike 3,000 miles sounds daunting enough, but one man added an extra element of discomfort into his already arduous journey but decided to eat only what he could salvage from the garbage along his chosen route. The whole idea behind his effort is to call attention to the problem of food waste in Europe, he says. [More]
When You Cut Trash Collection To Every Two Weeks, Parents Will Still Find A Way To Get Rid Of Dirty Diapers
By 5.20.13
In Oct. 2011, Portland, Oregon, switched from weekly trash pickups to an every other week system, which is fine for many people who probably just needed to invest in another garbage can or two to hold that additional refuse. Additionally, the city had a weekly pickup for recycling and its new composting program, so smelly bottles, cans, and food scraps were being hauled away every seven days. But some parents of babies with stinky diapers are not waiting for that next garbage truck to swing by, and are instead tossing out the dirty diapers with the recycling. [More]
How Early Should You Be Able To Put Out Your Garbage Without Getting Fined?
By 8.28.12
Though most people think of “Trash Day” as the day of the week on which their garbage is collected, many of us place our refuse on the curb the night before. But how early is too early to put out the trash? [More]
Judge: Return $1 Million Lottery Ticket Found In Trash To Original Owner
By 5.2.12
If you found a million dollars sitting in a convenience store trash can, would you take it? In that case, it’s probably better to call the police. But when an Arkansas woman scanned her lottery ticket and learned it was a loser, she tossed it in the garbage. Another customer who likes to check discarded tickets for small winnings found the ticket and learned that it was worth one million dollars. [More]
D.C. Residents, Recycle Your Cat Litter Or Face Garbage Snooping, Fines
By 12.14.11
The Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works is apparently so dedicated to enforcing recycling laws that they’re willing to dig through trash to find evidence to issue fines. A resident says she’s been stuck with $2,000 worth of fines, some of which come from a government employee who admits to discovering her violations by snooping in her garbage. [More]
Tossing That Newspaper In A Trash Can Could Cost You $100
By 12.8.10
What one elderly woman in NYC thought was a good deed was actually a violation worthy of a $100 ticket from the Dept. of Sanitation. [More]
Giant Mass Of Garbage Found Swirling In Atlantic
By 3.5.10
Giant garbage vortexes aren’t just for the Pacific anymore, scientists reported there’s one in the Atlantic Ocean too. East side! [More]
What To Do When You Don't Know Whether Something Should Be Recycled
By 1.20.10
If your city has a recycling program but you keep forgetting how it works, Slate has some tips for you. The best solution is to print out a copy of your city’s approved items and stick it to your fridge (doh), but the general rule of thumb is: “If in doubt, throw it out. Meaning don’t recycle.” [More]
Recycle Those Electronics The Right Way With These Tips
By 12.24.09
The holiday influx of shiny new gadgets pushes your old devices out of your hands, creating a number of potential pitfalls, such as possible identity theft fueled by info on abandoned hard drives. [More]
Trash Crew Helpfully Hauls Away Brand-New Dryer
By 11.22.09
It’s rather nice to live in a city or town where municipal trash pickup will haul away your old, unwanted appliances. When they haul your brand-new appliances away, though, you’ve got a problem. That’s what happened to a West Virginia couple, whose dryer disappeared from in front of their house before they had a chance to install it—at the same time the city hauled away their old washing machine.
Maybe Those Domino's Dorks Can Get Jobs In This McDonalds
By 4.15.09
Lots of readers have been sending us this clip today. It’s called “The Filthiest McDonalds in the World,” and yes, it pretty much is. On the plus side, you don’t have to send your kids to the ball pit—you can just place them on the floor and watch them sink out of sight.
CareerBuilder's Free Resume Review Is Bot-Driven Junk
By 3.7.09
Sometimes”‘free” means “wow what a great bargain,” and sometimes it just mean worthless. CareerBuilder offers a free resume review on their site—enter your email address, upload your resume, and “we’ll email you the results of your free evaluation, including tips on writing a resume that will help you land the interview.” All it really does is collect your address so it can send you unsolicited email (we got spammed 30 minutes later), and your “review” is just a boilerplate page of generic advice.
Say Goodbye To KB Toys And Hello To Their Huge Pile Of Garbage
By 1.30.09
KB Toys is leaving us forever, but their mess can still be seen on the streets of Brooklyn, says reader Dave.
Even Garbage Bags Are Not Immune To The Grocery Shrink Ray
By 6.4.08
Now that you have to buy more packages of your favorite orange juice, ice cream, and butter to get the same amount of the product as you used to get in one package… you’re bound to have more garbage, right? Just a little bit more?
Disney Employees Dig Through Trash To Find Couple's Lost Wedding Rings
By 4.24.08
While on vacation at Walt Disney World, Paul and Karen (well actually just Paul) accidentally threw out their “engagement, wedding and five-year-anniversary rings.”
By 7.8.07
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Listen up, KFC: a Queens inventor is selling rat-proof garbage bags. Initial studies show that the eucalyptus-scented bags are up to 89% effective at keeping vermin out of our precious, precious garbage.
