What is Pay-as-You-Throw/Unit-Based Pricing? August 16, 2016 Pay-as-You-Throw/Unit-Based Pricing is a system of waste management where residents pay for the removal of refuse based on its weight rather than at a fixed fee. In most communities that use this system, pay-as-you-throw programs allow for an increase in recyclable and organic refuse items by only placing a small fee on waste items, promoting a more sustainable form of refuse removal. Pay-as-you-throw programs support sustainable living by providing a benefit to recycling and composting refuse. Because there…

What is Paper Pollution? August 16, 2016 Paper Pollution is refuse created in pulp and paper mills and paper that is discarded into landfills. In Canada and the United States, paper and pulp are the third largest industrial pollutants, paper making up 35 percent of municipal solid waste that goes to the landfills. Once used as a communication tool, the paper has become material for packaging, consuming 42 percent of the world’s harvested wood. The production of paper today has been leaving a strain on…

What is Ozone Depletion? August 11, 2016 Ozone Depletion is the steady thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer in the stratosphere. The ozone layer is necessary for shielding the Earth from the extra ultraviolet B radiation. While ozone depletion occurs on a seasonal basis, the release of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has caused the ozone layer to deplete in larger amounts, allowing ultraviolet B to enter the Earth, which has been linked to higher rates of skin cancer, cataracts, plant damage, and reduction of plankton in bodies…

What is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA)? August 11, 2016 The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) was legislation introduced by the United States Congress that aimed to prevent oil spills, ensure clean up, restore environments damaged by spills and strengthened the Environmental Protection Agency’s powers to prevent and respond to spills. In this law, oil storage facilities and vessels must submit to the US government their plans to responding to large spills should they happen. At the same time, the OPA also…

What are Non-Renewable Resources? August 11, 2016 Definition Non-renewable Resources are resources that will deplete over a lifetime. They are consumed at a rate faster than they can naturally reproduce; many of these resources take millions of years to replenish. Examples of non-renewable resources are coal, oil, and materials used for nuclear energy. Want to Know More? The use of nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels as an energy source dates to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. During this period, numerous developments occurred including the…