Trash Talk : Recycling in Philadelphia

Yesterday evening, a colleague and I attended a lecture held by Young Involved Philadelphia at WHYY on Recycling, Composting and Disposal in Philadelphia. I was very impressed by the event, as they broached a wide range of topics including curbside recycling, material recovery facilities, composting services, and landfills. Waste is something that we all generate (according to the EPA, the U.S. averages 4.4 pounds/day/person), but many people have never visited the magical place where all of their materials ends up.... whether it's a landfill or a recycling facility.

I really do think that landfills are magical places; I have never been to a place more effective at convincing people that their efforts to recycle and compost matter. They are humbling, sobering, and tragic all at once, a perfect reminder that our consumption has a collective impact. Conversely, recycling facilities are magical because they hold so much potential for creating something new, and give us another chance to use the materials more wisely. Visiting either of these places can make you far more thoughtful about your own waste stream, but it's pretty rare that someone would call up their local landfill or material recovery facility and ask for a tour (although you definitely can and should).

The good news is that the representative from Waste Management showed this wonderful little video at the event last night, which I am very pleased to share with you here. It allows for the best of both worlds... a great overview of recycling in Philadelphia without any of the smell. I'd love to hear your reaction- please leave a post below!!!!

Sustainability Spotlight : Taking a Look at Patagonia

Don't believe in love at first sight? Allow me to introduce you to Patagonia. They're an outdoor clothing company with this central mission: "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." The company is 40 years old, and has integrated environmental considerations into countless aspects of their business, with impressive results. Some of many things that the company does includes donating 1% of sales towards preservation and restoration of the natural environment on an annual basis, managing a recycling program for worn-out Patagonia products, and most recently, building a Gold LEED Certified Service Center in Reno.

The guiding force behind the values that Patagonia seems to intrinsically embody is Yvon Chouinard, a 74 year old "Conquerer of the Useless", and self-described climbing dirtbag. He never meant to be in business, but ended up there, and has been using his company to make a world of difference in the lives of his employees and his customers. Chouinard is known for the "Let My People Go Surfing" policy, and even lets his employees participate in an Environmental Internship program where they can lend their skill to an environmental cause for up to two months while still earning their full salary and benefits.

The company received a large amount of publicity on Black Friday, when they placed an ad in Times Square urging consumers to take a pledge to reduce consumption. Many articles talked about the "marketing genius", even calling it a PR stunt. But anyone who has been exposed to the company knows that they are not trying to drive short term profits, and they don't need stunts, because they have put their values before profit for the past 40 years. Simply put, they have a loyal customer base because they are authentic, and make high quality gear that survives for a very long time. If you're thinking about purchasing some outdoor gear in the future, you should consider them, but at the very least, I would encourage you to do some more reading about the company. Whether it's about their environmental or management philosophies, we could all learn a lesson or two from Patagonia.