Ecosense for Living

Talking Trash

If you're an "average American," you produce about 4.4 pounds of trash per day (the global per person average is 2.6 pounds). The good news is that the average American also now composts and recycles about 1.5 pounds per day. Even though recycling is at an all-time high, we still lag far behind other developed countries - and many undeveloped ones - when it comes to landfill wastefulness. Orlando, Florida hosts more visitors that any place on the planet, around 72 million guests each year. In spite of that challenge, or maybe because of it, the mayor's office has made some impressive and progressive strides in sustainability. They've found creative ways to keep trash out of landfills including restaurant and residential composting, and a simple, easy-to-understand recycling program. Beyond that, they're recycling the compost into soil amendments and biofuels to close the circle. In this episode of EcoSense, we explore creative ways that people and organizations are upcycling, reducing, or transforming trash, from food to packaging to clothing. We ferret out the most creative solutions out there that revolutionize our thinking and our habits around trash - from upcycling excess material into beautiful products that employ refugees to rebuilding oyster beds.