Skip to main content

Waste

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Urban Sustainability in the US
  • 534 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter discusses waste and recycling efforts in US cities. We begin by exploring the scope of the issue around waste and recycling. Cities are increasingly setting ambitious targets, such as zero waste goals. We begin by discussing ways that cities are taking action to reduce waste and to reuse items that are often destined for landfills. We explore the rise of composting programs. We then examine what cities are doing around recycling, and examine innovative programs that help cities increase recycling rates. We found that waste and recycling is not prioritized within most plans, but it is integrated into multiple plan sections including those dealing with the environment, buildings, green space, and others.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    US EPA, “Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures,” US EPA, September 22, 2015, https://www.epa.gov/smm/advancing-sustainable-materials-management-facts-and-figures.

  2. 2.

    Nate Seltenrich, “Incineration Versus Recycling: In Europe, A Debate Over Trash,” Yale E360, August 28, 2013, https://e360.yale.edu/features/incineration_versus_recycling__in_europe_a_debate_over_trash.

  3. 3.

    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “Single Stream Recycling: What Questions Should You Be Asking?,” accessed April 4, 2018, https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/081211rust.pdf.

  4. 4.

    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

  5. 5.

    United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Sustainable Materials Management Basics,” November 2, 2017, https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-management-basics.

  6. 6.

    City of Palm Springs, “The Palm Springs Path to a Sustainable Community Draft,” March 25, 2009, 39, http://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showdocument?id=5610.

  7. 7.

    William McDonough and Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (New York: New York Point Press, 2002); Janine Benyus, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (New York: Harper Collins, 1997).

  8. 8.

    The City of New York, “Final Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan,” September 2006, http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/docs/about_swmp_exec_summary_0815.pdf.

  9. 9.

    Ashley Milne-Tyte, “Carting New Yorkers’ Trash to Landfills Is Expensive. One Solution: Make Less of It.,” August 4, 2017.

  10. 10.

    Chicago Department of the Environment, “Waste Characterization Study,” April 2, 2010, https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/doe/general/RecyclingAndWasteMgmt_PDFs/WasteAndDiversionStudy/WasteCharacterizationReport.pdf.

  11. 11.

    Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, “Sustainable Santa Fe Plan,” April 2012, 9.

  12. 12.

    Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, 9.

  13. 13.

    Charleston Green Committee, “Charleston Green Plan,” 2007, http://www.charlestongreencommittee.com/charlestongreenplan2010.pdf.

  14. 14.

    Jennifer Fairchild et al., “Sustain Charlotte 2014 Sustainability Report Card,” 2014, http://www.sustaincharlotte.org/reportcard2014.

  15. 15.

    The City of New York, “PlaNYC A Greener, Greater New York,” 2011, 137, http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc/downloads/pdf/publications/planyc_2011_planyc_full_report.pdf.

  16. 16.

    The City of San Jose, “San Jose’s Green Vision,” 2007, 1, http://www.globalurban.org/San_Jose_Green_Vision.pdf.

  17. 17.

    CalRecycle, “AB 341 Goal: 75% Recycling by 2020,” 2013, www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Actions/Document.ashx?id=3172.

  18. 18.

    BlueGreen Alliance, “Increasing Recycling Will Create Nearly 1.5 Million Jobs, Reduce Pollution,” accessed February 3, 2018, https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/the-latest/increasing-recycling-will-create-nearly-1-5-million-jobs-reduce-pollution/.

  19. 19.

    The City of New York, “PlaNYC.”

  20. 20.

    The City of New York.

  21. 21.

    City of Portland, “The Portland Plan April 2012,” 2012, 25, http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/index.cfm?c=58776.

  22. 22.

    Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, “Sustainable Santa Fe Plan,” 25.

  23. 23.

    City of Palm Springs, “The Palm Springs Path to a Sustainable Community Draft,” 39.

  24. 24.

    City of Portland, “The Portland Plan April 2012,” 47.

  25. 25.

    Sustainable DC, “Sustainability DC,” July 2011, 91, https://sustainable.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/sustainable/page_content/attachments/DCS-008%20Report%20508.3j.pdf.

  26. 26.

    Lucy Bayly, “Ban the Bag? Why Plastic Bag Taxes and Bans Don’t Always Work - NBC News,” NBC News, May 28, 2016, https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/ban-bag-why-plastic-bag-taxes-bans-don-t-always-n580926.

  27. 27.

    Bayly.

  28. 28.

    City of Tulsa, “City of Tulsa Sustainability Plan: Resource Efficiency, Clean Energy, and Leading Growth in the New Economy,” October 27, 2011, 93, http://cdn.cityoftulsa.org/parks/COT%20Sustainability%20Plan_FINAL.pdf.

  29. 29.

    NYC The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, “Environmental Preferable Purchasing,” accessed February 6, 2018, https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mocs/resources/environmental-preferable-purchasing.page.

  30. 30.

    The City of Portland, “Building Community through Repair,” accessed February 3, 2018, https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/655757.

  31. 31.

    The City of New York, “PlaNYC,” 138.

  32. 32.

    Charleston Green Committee, “Charleston Green Plan,” 131.

  33. 33.

    The City of Portland, “History of Portland’s Garbage and Recycling System,” accessed April 3, 2018, https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/109782.

  34. 34.

    The City of New York, “PlaNYC,” 139.

  35. 35.

    City of Portland, “The Portland Plan April 2012,” 49.

  36. 36.

    City of Newport News, “Roadmap to Sustainability,” February 2013, https://www.nngov.com/DocumentCenter/View/1586.

  37. 37.

    City of Philadelphia, “Greenworks Philadelphia,” 2009, 34, https://beta.phila.gov/documents/greenworks-progress-reports/.

  38. 38.

    City of Philadelphia, 34.

  39. 39.

    The City of New York, “PlaNYC,” 139.

  40. 40.

    City of Philadelphia, “Greenworks Philadelphia,” 38.

  41. 41.

    Charleston Green Committee, “Charleston Green Plan,” 134.

  42. 42.

    The City of Austin, “Rethink For A Bright Green Future,” 2008, 15.

  43. 43.

    Emterra Environmental USA, “Garbage & Recycling Services for Multi-Unit Residences,” accessed February 3, 2018, http://www.emterrausa.com/multi-residential-waste-management.

  44. 44.

    The City of New York, “PlaNYC,” 139.

  45. 45.

    The City of New York, 139.

  46. 46.

    City of Chicago, “2015 Sustainable Chicago Action Agenda,” September 2012, 29, https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/progs/env/SustainableChicago2015.pdf.

  47. 47.

    Sustainable DC, “Sustainability DC,” 92.

  48. 48.

    Sustainable DC, “Sustainability DC,” 92.

  49. 49.

    City of Chicago, “2015 Sustainable Chicago Action Agenda,” 30.

  50. 50.

    California Department of Resources Recycling and CalRecycle, “Zero Waste Communities,” accessed February 3, 2018, http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ZeroWaste/Communities/.

  51. 51.

    Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, “Plastics Pile Up as China Refuses to Take the West’s Recycling,” The New York Times, January 11, 2018, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/world/china-recyclables-ban.html.

  52. 52.

    Elizabeth Daigneau, “China’s Foreign-Waste Ban Could Have Recycling Repercussions in America,” Governing, accessed April 5, 2018, http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/gov-china-ban-scrap-paper-plastic-recycling.html.

  53. 53.

    Jason Margolis, “Mountains of U.S. Recycling Pile up as China Restricts Imports,” USA TODAY, accessed April 5, 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/02/mountains-u-s-recycling-pile-up-china-restricts-imports/995134001/.

  54. 54.

    Arizona State University, “About Resource Innovation and Solutions Network,” Resource Innovation and Solutions Network (blog), accessed April 5, 2018, https://sustainability.asu.edu/resourceinnovation/about-us/.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Keeley, M., Benton-Short, L. (2019). Waste. In: Urban Sustainability in the US. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93296-5_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93296-5_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-93295-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-93296-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics