Latest news with #waste
E&E News
2 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Interior push to fast-track minerals-from-waste projects faces backlash
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is moving to more quickly approve projects that extract minerals from mine waste by clawing back regulations and streamlining reviews, a move that stands to benefit a growing number of politically connected companies. Burgum in an order last week directed his agency to streamline federal rules for projects seeking to recover rare earths and minerals like cobalt, lithium and uranium from mining waste streams, tailings and abandoned mines. Citing President Donald Trump's declaration of an energy emergency, Burgum ordered the agency to update guidance to such projects eligible for federal funding and accelerate reviews, and he directed the U.S. Geological Survey to map and inventory federal mine waste sites. Advertisement 'By unlocking the potential of our mine waste, we are not only recovering valuable critical minerals essential for our economy and national security, but we are also leveraging groundbreaking research from the U.S. Geological Survey that identifies promising sources of these minerals,' Burgum said in a statement.
Times
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Times
How to make fruit, veg and other food last longer in your kitchen
Mindful about consumption and avoiding waste? There are so many little things we can do to make positive changes; I hope you find these suggestions helpful. I used to buy large packets of disposable sponges — the ones that had a yellow sponge and a scouring green side — without really thinking how bad they might be for the environment. What I didn't realise was that the sponges release microplastics every time they are used, they aren't recyclable and go straight to landfill, where they take up to 500 years (!) to degrade. I made a simple change to plant-based cellulose sponges (£2.20, They are much more durable than their plastic-based counterpart and last for months. You can compost them after you have finished using them. Many washing-up liquids contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment. If you have a local refill shop, use a glass bottle to restock the washing up liquid from an eco-friendly brand (such as Another option is to purchase a refillable foaming washing-up spray and powders (£12, or £18, Replace your plastic dish brushes with wooden alternatives that have Tampico natural bristles. You can find many brands that have replacement heads (£6, They should last for months. When I was a child, disposable kitchen towels were just an expense that my mum didn't buy into — as an adult I feel the same. We have a large basket of tea towels that we use as an alternative to oven mitts and dish towels, and for covering food and general cleaning or mopping up messes. If you are a fan of kitchen towels, you can buy rolls of machine-washable reusable towels, usually made of organic cotton, that you pop onto your kitchen towel handle (£28.70 for 12, • Read more expert advice on property, interiors and home improvement Disposable wipes are so wasteful. In our house we use cloths for cleaning and polishing, and I also use compostable Swedish dishcloths (£5.50 for four, a cross between a dishcloth and a sponge, made from plant-based cellulose and waste cotton. I have them in a number of colours and use a colour-coded system for the different jobs in our house. For on-the-go food storage, I tend to use stainless steel food containers (from £27.95, — they are durable, dishwasher-safe and resistant to scratches and rust. For food storage in the fridge, I have a collection of stackable glass containers with bamboo lids, which I love because I like to see the food inside (£6, I also reuse glass jars for smaller items. I have two favourite types for this purpose: a trusty jam jar and a large pickle jar. For the freezer, I favour silicone as a reusable alternative to standard freezer bags (£12.99 for two, I also freeze smaller amounts of food in glass jars, which requires a little preparation to avoid issues like jar breakage: • Make sure that any food that you freeze in jars is cool before freezing as rapid temperature changes can cause glass to crack.• Leave at least 3cm of headspace at the top of the jar to allow for expansion.• Do not fill past the shoulders of the jar and put on the lids loosely until fully frozen. Once the food is fully frozen, you can tighten the lid.• When you are ready to defrost the contents of a jar, defrost slowly, either in the fridge or at room temperature. I always wash and dry vegetables before storing them. Fill a sink with cold water, add 2–3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and give the vegetables a bath for up to ten minutes. Using a natural vegetable brush, gently scrub the surfaces to remove stubborn dirt. Add your veggies to a colander and rinse thoroughly. Pat them dry with a soft towel and allow to air-dry; they can now be stored. Leafy greensLine a large container with a damp, cotton towel. Place the leaves on top and place in the fridge. Root vegetablesRemove the leafy tops and store in a container in the fridge. Potatoes and sweet potatoesStore in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place. Refrigerating can affect the structure and taste of potatoes. • 6 essential home appliances to buy: from washing machines to air fryers Onions and garlicStore in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place. Refrigerating isn't recommended as it can affect the texture and flavour. Keep onions separate from potatoes, as they can spoil each other quickly. Broccoli and cauliflowerKeep in the fridge and only wash just before eating as the water can cause spoilage. TomatoesStore at room temperature until they are ripe. If you find you have more than you can eat, keep them in the fridge to extend their freshness; just make sure you take them out and bring to room temperature before eating, to maximise their flavour. Peppers, cucumbers and courgettesBest stored in the fridge to prolong their life. I have a cotton 'salad bag' that I use to store them. MushroomsKeep in a paper bag in the fridge. I avoid washing mushrooms before I store them as this leads to them becoming slimy. It's best to brush or wipe them just before use. AsparagusYou can store your asparagus like a little bunch of flowers. Trim the ends and place them upright in a jar with 3cm of water at the bottom. Change the water every few days. BananasStore separately from every other fruit or vegetable. Bananas produce ethylene, which is a plant hormone that accelerates its ripening process and can also ripen the fruit and vegetables around them more quickly. BerriesFind a clean container, pop a small dry towel or reusable kitchen towel in the bottom and place your berries on top. The towel will absorb any extra moisture that otherwise would spoil them. Don't wash berries until they are ready to be used. This is an edited extract from My Plastic-Free Home: Simple Steps to Live More Sustainably by Kate Jones (HarperCollins £12.99), out July 31. Buy from or call 020 3176 2935. Discount for Times+ members. Jones runs The Natural Living Shop in Mawdesley, Lancashire, and is on Instagram @my_plastic_free_home
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Inconsistent trash pickup plagues some Washington County residents
Some residents of Sycamore, Washington County, said there have only been eight garbage pickups this year. Marcia McConnell said she's fed up with her trash collection company, Triple H Disposal. She said it's been excuse after excuse since the beginning of the year. "In the middle of March, we had missed five out of 10 garbage pickups, McConnell said. "So, I called the office, spoke to them, and they said the truck broke down and they were delayed." At that time, McConnell sympathized with the company. But when April came around, it was deja vu. She called the company back and was told the driver quit, taking his routes with him and now they don't know where McConnell's is located. Triple H Disposal promised her that it would not happen again because it was merging with another company. "We did not get another pickup until July 2," McConnell said. McConnell sent email after email to the company, pleading for answers and asking for a refund. But she did not get a response. In the meantime, her garbage continued to pile up, attracting animals and emitting an indescribable stench. "They kept telling us to set it out and that somebody would come and get it. Every morning we'd go out and the animals in the neighborhood had tore it up," McConnell said. Triple H Disposal came through on Thursday and picked up the trash that had been out since July 2. At this point, McConell says it's not even about the money anymore, even though she's paid in full through the end of the year. The only thing she wants is for Triple H Disposal to pick up the trash every week. "I can guarantee in January, we will be looking for someone new," McConnell said. KDKA reached out to Triple H Disposal but did not hear back on Friday.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Binned batteries started bin lorry fire in the Arboretum
A lorry load of rubbish had to be dumped on a Nottingham street after binned batteries sparked a from London Road and Stockhill fire stations were called to a Nottingham City Council bin lorry that had caught fire in Hardy Street, in the Arboretum, on Thursday waste had to be emptied on to the road, said the fire service, so crews could work through it and fully extinguish the are urging residents to check with their local council or recycling centre for guidance on how to safely dispose of batteries to help prevent future fires
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Why I absolutely love a good dump
A friend of mine surprised me with the vehemence of his love for something. He's about my age, a highly successful maker of important television and avid consumer of Radio 4 and the Guardian. A keen thinker about things, he likes books and podcasts that are a little too advanced for me. All in all, he didn't seem the type to say what he said, over a pint in our local. Furthermore, there was even a slightly glazed, far-off look in his eye when he announced, with such great feeling rising from deep in his soul: 'I really love going to the dump.' It was only then that I realised I was free to admit to sharing this love. It was a moving, bonding moment between us. One love. For the dump. My dump visits had hitherto been shrouded in a mist of shame. Throwing things away is bad, not least because buying them in the first place was bad, or at least not entirely necessary, which may amount to the same thing. Also, isn't it all an exercise in shifting the responsibility for your junk on to someone – everyone? – else? This notion that it is magically being recycled, repurposed, reused is surely a fantasy, not much more than a veneer of righteousness to help those of us who feel guilty about it to feel less guilty about it. But what the hell – if one of my more sensitive, intellectual, environmentally conscious friends can be at peace with his dump-love, then so can I. It helps that our local dump is a very fine one indeed. Lying between Swansea and Mumbles, Clyne Gardens and Clyne Valley Country Park are both beautiful places and well worth a visit, but the Clyne Household Waste Recycling Centre runs them close. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have a home nearby. It pleases me that my cardboard may get smunched up with theirs. Unlike many municipal dumps, you don't need an appointment. Just turn up. And if you're in the area, you should do just that. Even if you've nothing to dump, it's worth a look. Swansea council should build a small viewing gallery for spectators to watch the perfection unfold. The entrance, as you'd expect from somewhere on the edge of a country park, is pleasingly verdant. A sign reads 'NO WOOD'. Perhaps this is in deference to the feelings of the trees all around. Thereafter, a symphony of efficiency unfolds. The containers are smartly lined up, clearly labelled, with the parking in front of them artfully angled. The service is very friendly. Admittedly, it's to my advantage that I am recognised as a former presenter of Match of the Day, but I was there long enough (the dump, that is, not MOTD) to know all-round good service when I see it. And it's not just the staff. The dumpers themselves – as at all dumps – are in noticeably good humour. Kids scurry around assisting parents. Older dumpers expel light gasps of pleasure as whatever they're disposing of is dropped into the abyss of these giant skips. We're in this together, enjoying the moment, the transition from being encumbered to disencumbered. We feel nothing less than cleansed. The relief and release is so intense that you can almost smell it. The longer you've delayed dumping whatever you're dumping, the greater the relief and release. But what is it, this thing from which we're being released? The deadweight of our worldly possessions? The crowding out of our very souls by the millstones of stuff we've been unable to resist accumulating? Or, God forgive us, the excitement of knowing space has been cleared to make way for the arrival of yet more stuff to be dumped in its turn. These are questions for later, or never. Let's just enjoy this moment. The angle of the parking spaces have us pointing at the exit, so, having said our cheery goodbyes, in vehicles sitting higher on their axles, and our spirits higher still, we sweep out, until next time. Adrian Chiles is a writer, broadcaster and Guardian columnist
