Sustainable Living Stack Exchange
Sustainable Living Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [waste]

materials which the initial user wants to dispose. For questions about [reuse] or [recycling] waste use those tags.

  • Materials, which the initial user wants to dispose. The term might be inaccurate, because waste to one person is not waste to another.
  • The handling of materials after they've reached the end of their useful life - managing waste and waste recovery (see and ) help to minimize environmental and economic costs resulting from wastes.
135 questions
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How to unsubscribe from junkmail and circulars?

I use Catalog Choice to unsubscribe from catalogs. However, I'm not sure how to stop receiving other junkmail and circulars that routinely come in the mail, such as ValPak coupons, ClipperMagazine, and also solicitations from utilities companies…
lemontwist
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(Non-compost) uses for egg-shells?

Like many families, we eat eggs and this produces egg shells. While I am aware that composting is a possibility I am wondering if there are other things we can do with them. We are not raising chickens of our own yet so feeding them back to…
Chris Travers
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12
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2 answers

Which funeral methods are more sustainable than burial or cremation?

All living things die. I will die. What are some sustainable options for handling dead bodies?
Gavin Palmer
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12
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3 answers

What is the most efficient way to deal with electronic waste?

What is the most efficient way to deal with electronic waste like old computers, TVs, etc? More specifically, I have some old CDs and DVDs. I don't want to just dump them. What should I do with these old CDs, DVDs, and ancient floppy disks?
Son of Earth
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8
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2 answers

What are the environmental effects of discarding radioactive smoke detectors?

I called Kidde about mailing back their radioactive smoke detector now that it has exceeded its usable life. It is labeled that it contains 0.9 micro curies of Americium 241. They claimed over the telephone that the device is safe to discard in…
glenviewjeff
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2 answers

How do I dispose trash without using plastic bags?

Everyday, we dispose of our trash using plastic bags. This prevents the trash (especially liquids) from leaking out and contaminating our garbage disposal systems. Obviously, things such as paper bags can't be used for liquids, and cloth bags may…
YJJcoolcool
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Why do island nations generate so much garbage?

THelper's excellent answer to the question "What is current best practice for setting up recycling?" includes a chart showing that New Zealand sends nearly 100% of its garbage to landfills. In a follow-up, THelper shared this link: "Countries Who…
LShaver
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Research on consumer behavior and waste management

I am teaching a class on waste management to students who are primarily environmental management masters students. For one of the sessions I plan to discuss the role of consumer/waste generator behavior in the waste management system. A colleague…
orschiro
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Is there such a thing as safe and green incinerators?

Is there such a thing as safe and green incinerators? Do those cutting-edge incinerators in developed countries like Sweden emit pollutants in quantities that can negatively affect human health and deteriorate the environment (GHG aside)? If it's a…
Sergey Zolotarev
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4
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3 answers

Is manual sorting of household waste more effective than mechanical separation?

In theory people can separate waste much better than a machine, since they have more knowledge about the waste itself. In practice, with all my good will, I find that following the directions for separating is very difficult, since (just one…
FarO
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Are there any insect-based waste-separation techniques?

I'm learning about how black soldier flies and insects in general are used to turn organic waste into more insects, which are then harvested for protein-heavy feed for poultry and fish. A lot of places do waste separation at source but in the…
Peeyush Kushwaha
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Is garbage separation beneficial, if yes, how beneficial is it?

I would have a question. I lived till now in a number of Eastern and Western European countries. With time I saw that the states/cities in which I lived made provisions (most recently in Poland-Warsaw), that garbage needs to be separated. Myself…
Noir
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Relationship between number of public rubbish bins and MSW(municipal Solid Waste) among countries and areas

Is there any research really about the relationship between the number of public rubbish bins and MSW? Any studies about it? Do municipalities with less public rubbish bins tend to produce less MSW? Due to the "Culture of Convenience". Any examples…
伍柒貳
3
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1 answer

Can I prevent hazardous medicine leaving my body from entering the biosphere?

I read a lot about the amount of medicine found in the environment is ever increasing. This attributes to resistance to antibiotics for example. Can these chemicals be prevented from entering the environment. And which medicines are most…
iDeveloper
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Is litter better than an unmanaged landfill?

In landfill conditions, it takes everything forever to decompose, especially plastics. Proper lining, methane capture, it's what developed countries have, and most countries are not developed. So could litter be better than an unmanaged…
Sergey Zolotarev
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