Zero Waste Archives

Jan 09, 2026

Judge Rejects Proposed Juniper Ridge Landfill Expansion

This decision sends a powerful message: the lived experience of the Penobscot Nation matters, and environmental justice cannot be ignored.

A sprawling landfill under a bright sky, with piles of mixed waste. A bulldozer sits atop the waste, processing the layers. The scene conveys the scale of waste disposal and the potential for strong smells often associated with landfill operations and the mix of garbage.

Sep 24, 2025

Environmental Justice Starts with Community Power

In South Providence and across New England, neighbors are proving that environmental justice starts with community power. From blocking polluting projects to shaping new laws, families and advocates are shifting the balance of power – building healthier, fairer futures for everyone.

Aerial view of the Port of Providence in Rhode Island, where industrial facilities sit near neighborhoods and green spaces, highlighting local environmental justice issues.

Sep 23, 2025

New Bedford Residents Win Fight Against Waste Transfer Station

After years of organizing, New Bedford residents won a major victory: the Board of Health rejected a massive waste transfer station that threatened public health and piled pollution onto already overburdened neighborhoods. Their persistence shows the power of community to stop harmful projects — and win environmental justice.

View of New Bedford harbor with a white lighthouse in the foreground, sailboats on the water, and the city skyline with colorful buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Jul 09, 2025

Two Stories, A Scent of Déjà Vu

Across regions, people are standing up for their health, culture, and environment – pushing back on unjust waste infrastructure and reclaiming power over their communities’ futures. In Old Town, Maine, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, residents are confronting a familiar pattern – and showing what it takes to break the cycle and build lasting change.

Aerial view of Juniper Ridge Landfill in Maine, central to ongoing environmental justice concerns.

Jul 07, 2025

Bottle Return Programs in New England: A Report Card

How does your state stack up in this report card? Could your elected officials be doing more to cut litter and keep bottles out of landfills?

Photo of hand putting empty plastic bottle inside bottle return program machine.

Jun 11, 2025

Maine Passes Law to Stop Food from Going to Waste

The Maine Legislature has passed LD 1065, a new law that will help large food institutions – from grocery stores to college cafeterias – keep food out of landfills and incinerators.

Jun 04, 2025

Why is Composting Important? (Hint: It Will Help Solve Our Trash Crisis)

The uptick in composting is a huge step forward in combatting our trash crisis. But we can’t do the hard work on our own. We need cities, towns, and states to invest in infrastructure that will make composting easy and affordable for everyone.

Apr 22, 2025

The Truth About Plastic

Big Plastic has sold us on these easy-to-use plastic products and packaging, even though their effects, in the long run, are neither quick nor easy. In fact, the intrusion of plastic into every conceivable corner of our lives is contributing to the degradation of not only the planet but of our very own bodies.

Apr 07, 2025

Eight Earth Day Activities to Make an Impact

Learn some of the most impactful activities you can do this Earth Day.

Apr 04, 2025

How Plastic is Made Is Harmful to People and the Environment

Plastic is everywhere – even in the places you’d least expect, like chewing gum, tea bags, wet wipes, receipts, and microwaveable popcorn bags. Yet, manufacturers continue to make more and more plastic each year – even though how plastic is made fuels a toxic cycle of production, consumption, and disposal.