The New ULS (Use Less Stuff) Report
Helping People Conserve Resources and Reduce Waste
Environment, Food Waste, Packaging, Sustainability
How Packaging Can Help Reduce the Biggest Source of Food Waste in America The National Resources Defense Council recently reported that much, if not most, food waste is fresh food purchased for home use. According to the USDA, American families throw away up to 40% of the fresh fish, meat, and poultry; 51% of the […]
Written by Dr. William (Bill) Rathje, this article appeared in the March-April, 1996 issue of The ULS Report. Bill was Professor of Archaeology at The University of Arizona and Director of The Garbage Project. He also co-authored Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are with Bob Lilienfeld, and wrote the best seller […]
Reprinted from the March-April 1996 ULS Report, this article is as relevant today as it was over 20 years ago. Let’s say that you’ve just finished having lunch at your favorite fast food place. You get up from the table and take the tray to the trash receptacle. As you open the little swinging door […]
Eco-friendly. Good for the planet. Recyclable. Compostable. Biodegradable. What do these terms mean? Are they legitimate? Who’s watching out for me? According to the law, each of the claims just mentioned is not only meaningless, but possibly illegal. In fact, the rules governing the use of advertising claims have been around almost 100 years: The […]
When the sun set last night, a gentle breeze started to blow. I went outside to enjoy the Phoenix weather and to listen to the sounds of early Autumn. Those sounds were made mostly by air conditioners kicking on and off. A bit later, I picked up my teenage daughter and one of her friends. […]
For years, I’ve reminded people that the best way to conserve resources and eliminate waste is to practice the 3 Rs in order - reduce, reuse and then recycle. After all, it’s better to prevent waste than figure out what to do with it. It struck me that this doesn’t just make environmental sense. It […]
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spends $7,000 on food annually. The Department of Agriculture estimates that at least 25% of this food is wasted, and the learned garbologists at the University of Arizona Garbage Project say it’s closer to 50%. Let’s use 33%. That means each of our families […]
Much is being written about Sainsbury’s introduction of intelligent packaging for sliced ham in the UK. According to an article in Sustainable Brands, “The label works by changing color from yellow to purple the longer the package has been open, indicating the freshness — and the edibility — of the product inside. The rate of […]