Talking Trash: The Truth About Landfills
Trash in landfills contaminates soil and water. That’s because all landfill sites will leak sooner or later.

Trash in landfills contaminates soil and water. That’s because all landfill sites will leak sooner or later.

All landfills leak – some over time and some from day one of operation – leaching toxic chemicals into the ground and the water supply. Despite state and federal regulation, landfills are harming the health and environment of communities in New England.

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.

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

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.

We have a food waste problem. Each year, the U.S. trashes about 125 to 160 billion pounds of food. And while several factors play into our increasing wastefulness, the good news is, we have readily available solutions at hand.

Several studies have emerged challenging the effectiveness of plastic bag bans. These studies and their coverage in the media are causing some confusion among consumers and legislators. We want to set the record straight, as studies critiquing plastic bag bans don’t account for the broader scope of plastics.

Incinerator companies have done a great job green-washing their true impacts on communities by implying that so-called “waste-to-incineration” facilities are good neighbors offering a safe process that eliminates waste, allows for robust recycling programs, and generates renewable energy. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is burning waste harms the health, environment, and economy of many communities. The perceived benefits simply aren’t worth the risk.

Food waste can be terribly damaging to the environment. CLF’s Zero Waste Project has some tried and true tips for minimizing your food waste this holiday season.

On Halloween, U.S. consumers spend over $10 billion on decorations, plastic-wrapped candy, costumes, and more. Many of these items will eventually find their final resting place in landfills and incinerators. But fear not! Here are 5 tips to celebrate a Green Halloween without sacrificing your fun.
