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 […]
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 […]