Each year in the United States, over 39 million pounds of textiles such as clothing, sheets, and towels are sent to landfills and incinerators. The rate of production is increasing rapidly, partly due to the rise of “fast fashion” – inexpensive clothing produced quickly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.

Single-use foodware items, such as plastic and paper cups, plates, and utensils, have a short lifespan but a long-lasting negative impact on human health and the environment. Additionally, most of these single-use foodware items are neither readily recyclable nor compostable, and contaminate recycling and composting programs. Replacing single-use foodware with durable, reusable alternatives is essential to addressing these issues.

Despite the decreasing amount of food sent to the landfill, wasted food is still one of the largest components of the waste stream.  In addition to harmful greenhouse gases released when food decomposes in a landfill, all the resources that went into producing that food are also wasted, depleting finite resources and further contributing to climate change.

Unlike gas or traditional electric stoves, which generate heat and then transfer it to the pan, induction stoves use magnetic fields to generate heat directly in the cookware, making them safer, more efficient, and easier to use.

They are a great option for those who want to upgrade their kitchen cooktop, and rebates are often available for those switching from gas to electric appliances.

California’s schools produce over half a million tons of waste each year, with much of this waste coming from the cafeteria. While the majority of the waste stream in schools is comprised of organics, the rest is primarily from the single-use trays, disposable plastic utensils, and condiment packets. This trash often escapes campuses and ends up in storm drains and as litter in neighborhoods.

From uneaten leftovers to discarded wrapping paper, the holidays come with a lot of waste. In fact, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, Americans produce 25 percent more waste than average. But with a little planning and intention, we can reduce our footprint while still experiencing the joy of coming together with family and friends.

Over the last two decades, severe drought in California has increasingly threatened the state’s water sources. Outdoor landscapes are one of the biggest urban water users, and sustainable approaches can sharply reduce water demand while improving water quality, conserving energy, reducing emissions, and sequestering carbon.

California has increasingly been setting ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and slow climate change. To help the state meet its goals, local jurisdictions have outlined their own commitments to climate action locally in the form of Climate Action Plans (CAPs). Alameda County was one of the first California counties in which all jurisdictions have developed CAPs.

A new State law, SB 54, known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, sets new goals to reduce plastic packaging and requires that all forms of single-use products be recyclable or compostable by 2032. The law is the nation’s most comprehensive legislation to date to cut dependence on single-use products, while shifting plastic pollution responsibility to producers and manufacturers.

After over a decade of gathering backyard fruit in Alameda and donating it to the Alameda Food Bank (over 23 tons to date!), Alameda Backyard Growers decided it was time to begin nurturing and collaborating with other gleaning groups in the East Bay and beyond. The Bay Area is blessed with an abundance of backyard fruit, and, working in collaboration with StopWaste, we hope every community has the knowledge and opportunity to collect this fresh produce and help feed the hungry in their area.