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Materials for the Arts is a program of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs that provides free "new and gently used donated supplies to artists, nonprofit groups, and public schools."[1] Its current Executive Director is Harriet Taub.
Established in 1979 by artist Angela Fremont, it was described by The New York Times as "like a Kmart reimagined as Pee-wee's Big Adventure."[2] Located in a 25,000-square-foot warehouse in Long Island City, its shelves are "stocked with things like toaster ovens, rugs, theater curtains, yarn, paint and toothbrushes."[3] Considered to be one of the largest reuse centers in the country, the program redistributes more than $6 million in supplies a year, gathering "donations from fashion houses, television production companies and big-name corporations like Estée Lauder."[4][5] According to its website, the program also removes "hundreds of tons from the waste stream every year and [keeps it] out of landfills, which helps sustain our environment, promote reuse, and reduce waste."[6]
Dumpster diving is salvaging from large commercial, residential, industrial and construction containers for unused items discarded by their owners but deemed useful to the picker. It is not confined to dumpsters and skips specifically and may cover standard household waste containers, curb sides, landfills or small dumps.
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the properties it had in its original state. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. It can also prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy use, air pollution and water pollution.
Freeganism is an ideology of limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources, particularly through recovering wasted goods like food. The word "freegan" is a portmanteau of "free" and "vegan". While vegans avoid buying animal products as an act of protest against animal exploitation, freegans—at least in theory—avoid buying anything as an act of protest against the food system in general.
Garbology is the study of modern refuse and trash as well as the use of trash cans, compactors and various types of trash can liners. As an academic discipline it was pioneered at the University of Arizona and long directed by William Rathje. The project started in 1973, originating from an idea of two students for a class project. It is a major source of information on the nature and changing patterns in modern refuse, and thereby, human society.
Zero waste is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerators or the ocean. Currently, only 9% of plastic is actually recycled. In a zero waste system, material will be reused until the optimum level of consumption. The definition adopted by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) is:
Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of all products, packaging, and materials, without burning them, and without discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health.
Pay as you throw (PAYT) is a usage-pricing model for disposing of municipal solid waste. Users are charged a rate based on how much waste they present for collection to the municipality or local authority.
Reuse is the action or practice of using an item, whether for its original purpose or to fulfill a different function. It should be distinguished from recycling, which is the breaking down of used items to make raw materials for the manufacture of new products. Reuse – by taking, but not reprocessing, previously used items – helps save time, money, energy and resources. In broader economic terms, it can make quality products available to people and organizations with limited means, while generating jobs and business activity that contribute to the economy.
TerraCycle is a private U.S.-based recycling business headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey. It primarily runs a volunteer-based recycling platform to collect non-recyclable pre-consumer and post-consumer waste on behalf of corporate donors or municipalities to turn it into raw material to be used in new products. The company licenses its name to manufacturers of roughly 200 products made using its raw material. TerraCycle also manages Loop, a consumer-products shopping service with reusable packaging.
Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value.
Covanta Holding Corporation is a public company headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. It provides energy-from-waste and industrial waste management services. Most of its revenue comes from operating power plants that burn trash as fuel. Covanta charges a fee for waste disposal, sells electricity produced in the process, and recovers metal for recycling.
National Green Week is an annual campaign, started by the Green Education Foundation (GEF), that kicks off during the first week in February and lasts through the end of April. Schools and groups are encouraged to take this opportunity to spend time with students discussing sustainability topics and exploring ways they can make a difference. Participants select one of GEF's six sustainability themes to be their Green Week theme. Each program includes free lessons, activities, audits and contests. Free sustainability themed programs include I Ride Green, Green Energy Challenge, Green Thumb Challenge, Sustainable Water Challenge, Waste Reduction Challenge and the Green Building Program. In 2013, National Green Week is sponsored by the Sprint Foundation.
Recology, formerly known as Norcal Waste Systems, is a waste management company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company collects and processes municipal solid waste, reclaiming reusable materials. The company also operates transfer stations, materials recovery facilities (MRFs), a number of landfills, and continues to spearhead renewable energy projects. Recology is the largest organics compost facility operator by volume in the United States.
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is the department of the government of New York City dedicated to supporting New York City's cultural life. Among its primary missions is ensuring adequate public funding for non-profit cultural organizations throughout the five boroughs. The Department represents and serves non-profit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary and performing arts; public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens and historic and preservation societies; and creative artists who live and work within the City's five boroughs.
The San Francisco Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance is a local municipal ordinance requiring all persons located in San Francisco to separate their recyclables, compostables and landfilled trash and to participate in recycling and composting programs. Passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2009, it became the first local municipal ordinance in the United States to universally require source separation of all organic material, including food residuals.
Harriet Taub is the Executive Director of Materials for the Arts, one of the largest reuse centers in the U.S.
Rob Greenfield is an American environmental activist and adventurer. He has "made it his life's purpose to inspire a healthy Earth, often with attention-grabbing tactics".
Waste management in Taiwan refers to the management and disposal of waste in Taiwan. It is regulated by the Department of Waste Management of the Environmental Protection Administration of the Executive Yuan.
Recycle Track Systems (RTS) is an environmentally-focused waste and recycling management company. RTS uses a software platform and a proprietary tracking system to provide hauling services for businesses. A patent is pending. RTS tracks materials as they travel to recycling or composting facilities and provides companies with reports that show how much material was recycled or composted. The customer experience has been compared the app-based car service, Uber.
New York City's waste management system is a refuse removal system primarily run by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The department maintains the waste collection infrastructure and hires public and private contractors who remove the city's waste. This waste, created by New York City's population of more than eight million, can amount to more than ten thousand tons a day.
Asim Waqif is an Indian artist based in New Delhi, whose work is influenced by interdisciplinary fields of art, architecture, ecology and design. He makes site-specific or interactive installations and sculptures, which are often made out of discarded or reclaimed waste materials, like bamboo, rope, tar or trashed metal.
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