The next time you go to throw out a piece of plastic packaging, imagine it resting atop a pile containing the 10.8 trillion pounds of plastic trash we’ve produced in the last six decades. [More]
trash
Worms That Eat Through Plastic Bags Could Help Cut Down On Pollution
By 4.24.17
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]
We Throw $62 Million Worth Of Coins In The Trash Every Year
By 10.13.16 — Updated: 12.29.16
The ash that’s left after incinerating garbage is not pleasant to look at or smell, but it’s still very valuable. How? The massive furnace leaves behind metal, including coins. It turns out that we throw away a lot of coins, as well as the occasional diamond ring or Chuck E. Cheese’s token. [More]
What To Do With Your Pet’s Poop
By 6.21.14
A typical dog creates three-quarters of a pound of poop every day, or 274 pounds a year, according to the EPA. (I’d guess my pups are far over that estimate.) And how’s this for scale? In the two cities of Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, pups produce an estimated 20 million pounds of poop each year, while 200 million tons of kitty litter goes into landfills nationwide. You may not think the topic polite, but the reality is that all pet owners need to come up with options to manage their pet’s poop. So what’s the best way to deal with the stuff? [More]
During Shipping Frenzy, Amazon Limited Prime Memberships
By 12.26.13
Now that the Christmas shopping and shipping frenzy is over, Amazon is providing free extensions of their Prime no-limit free shipping service to shoppers whose packages didn’t arrive. Before the holiday, though, Amazon was actually limiting signups for Prime during peak periods. Maybe they didn’t want to clog up the shipping works with boxes containing single packs of cookies and other small impulse items. [More]
Scranton Finds Itself Strapped For Cash, Sends Out 10 Years’ Worth Of Garbage Bills
By 11.15.12
When we’re strapped for cash it’s time to dive for the couch cushions and stick to a ramen regimen, but when Scranton finds itself low on funds, it simply sends out 7,800 delinquent garbage bills, totaling about 10 years’ worth. It’s trying to boost revenue but many residents are ticked off at this trash collection. [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]
I Think Waste Management Actually Hates Me
By 5.3.12
A month ago, Richard signed up for trash pickup service from ubiquitous chain Waste Management. They have not, to date, delivered the WM-branded trash can that he’s supposed to get, or removed any of the trash he already has at the curb. Instead, the drivers pick up the can and place it in the middle of his driveway, so he hits it with his car when he tries to leave the house. Nice. If they did this once, it would be annoying, but they’ve now done it twice while also ignoring all of his complaint calls and e-mails. [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]
Judge Throws Out $4,000 Fine For Picking Up Free Air-Conditioner
By 7.15.10
Yesterday, we wrote about a New York City woman whose car was impounded and who was fined thousands of dollars after her nephew used her car to — horror of horrors — pick up an abandoned air-conditioner from a city curb. Good news: Both she and her nephew have had the ridiculous fines erased. [More]
Picking Up Furniture From The Curb Could Cost You Thousands
By 7.14.10
Walking the sidewalks of just about any city — especially one like New York where apartment turnover is at a high level — you’re likely to find at least one or two chairs, shelves, mirrors, dressers, etc., that are in passable, if not pristine, condition. But be warned before you go putting that side table in the back of a cab — it could end up costing you a lot of money. [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]
Your Bottlecaps Found In Dead Birds' Bellies
By 10.20.09
Every wonder what happens to the plastic trash in the streets after a big rain? Some of it gets washed out to sea and makes its way to the Pacific Trash Vortex, where it is fed to baby albatrosses by their confused parents. Photographer Chris Jordan took these pictures of their decomposed bodies, showing how they died with stomachs full of bottle caps, lighters and other plastic detritus. Irresponsible consumerism is deadly.
Documentary Looks At Compulsive Hoarders
By 6.30.09
Possessed, a short film by Martin Hampton, explores the lives of four people who obsessively collect consumer detritus of one variety or another. (You can view the full film below. It’s 21 min.)
Can Branding Sex Up Tap Water?
By 6.26.09
City officials in Venice have come up with a novel plan for getting consumers to break the bottled water habit: they’ve branded their tap water Acqua Veritas and created a slick ad campaign around it.
Woman Hides Life Savings In Mattress, Mattress Taken To Dump By Helpful Daughter
By 6.11.09
A woman in Israel hid her life savings—she says nearly $1 million dollars—in her mattress. Her daughter bought her a new mattress as a surprise upgrade and threw it out. Dump employees are now searching on behalf of the family while security has been hired to keep out treasure hunters, but they don’t know which of the two city dumps it was taken to. We imagine it’s the one where the rats are all wearing tiny gold rings and toasting each other with little glasses of champagne.
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.
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.”
