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Ellen Hunter Gans
Ellen Hunter Gans has been writing for RecycleReminders since the blog’s inception. She is passionate about words, new media and, of course, recycling.
Ellen Hunter Gans's Latest Posts
Seattle to enforce mandatory composting
Seattle is known as a pioneer when it comes to sustainability efforts. And yet, they’re having a hard time motivating citizens to compost their household food scraps. Their solution? Give people a choice: keep compostable food scraps out of the garbage, or be hit where it hurts—in the pocket book. Per a brand new policy, […]
Innovative map displays solar potential of individual buildings
When it comes to sustainability-focused design and business models, it probably takes a whole lot to impress the folks at Fast Company’s Co.Exist. Eduardo Berlin, an architect and designer from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has done just that. Berlin’s project, dubbed Mapdwell, plots “the solar potential of every individual roof in cities like Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, […]
Innovative venture brings vegetable oil recycling to Brazil
Today’s post starts with a Portuguese lesson. (We thought you needed a little shot of culture.) Recolher is a verb that means: “To collect.” Oleo means “Oil.” Combine those two words, and what do you get? Recoleo. That’s the name of an innovative venture that aims to collect vegetable oil from homes and businesses in […]
Nanotech “lily pads” are a new way to purify water
If Mark Owen’s invention becomes as ubiquitous as he hopes, there will be some very confused frogs in our lakes, ponds, and rivers. Mark Owen developed the LilyPad water purifier. At a full meter in diameter and coated in white plastic, the LilyPad water purifier doesn’t look like any lily pad I’ve seen—nor does it […]
What happens to aluminum cans?
For many of us, we can’t get through the day without that 2:00 p.m. shot of caffeine via a can of soda. (Not to mention the 3:00 shot of caffeine. And the 3:30 shot of caffeine…and the 4:00…) Needless to say, those cans add up quickly. It’s fairly commonplace to recycle aluminum cans, but what […]
Off-the-grid solar light production
Solar lights present an incredibly promising method for bringing electricity to areas of the world that are off the traditional electric grid. However, it’s not as simple as shipping solar panels and lights to remote and developing areas. For one thing, these communities need training and human capital in order to set up and maintain […]
Old landfill sites become solar panel farms
We frequently write about efforts to keep waste out of landfills. But what if the landfill is already full? Now what? A relatively recent trend highlights a very bright solution: installing solar panels on landfill sites. There is very little that you can safely and practically do with an old landfill site. The combination of […]
California legislature passes plastic bag ban
After months—make that years—of rumblings, it’s official: California’s legislature has passed a bill that bans single-use plastic bags throughout the entire state. Individual municipalities throughout the state (and around the country) have already implemented bag bans on single-use plastic bags, but if California governor Jerry Brown signs the bill, it will be the first time […]
Wealthy Californians find ways to skirt drought regulations
In a lot of ways, forces of nature are great socioeconomic equalizers. A tornado doesn’t care what you do for a living, and a hurricane doesn’t care what kind of car you drive. And yet, as some California residents have found, money actually can trump nature—or at least buy a modicum of comfort and/or fund […]
Denver Arts and Venues commits to composting
It’s official: Composting is the new black. There is a reason we’ve repeatedly written about composting initiatives over the last few months. That’s because the composting movement is rapidly gaining momentum, with more and more people, businesses, and municipalities getting on board. The latest story comes from none other than the mile-high city. Denver’s “Arts […]
New self-dimming light bulb conserves energy
Now here’s a bright idea: A light bulb that dims itself, thereby conserving energy and helping keep electric bills under control. Until now, homeowners had to install special dimmer switches in order to be able to control the brightness of lights. Romantic dinner? Turn ’em down low. Performing surgery in your kitchen? Leave ’em blazing. […]
