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We need public policies to incentivize a circular economy, where both customers and businesses turn to reusable packaging

“What do you mean you can’t recycle this?” This is a question I get from my 6-year-old son all too often, especially when we’re bringing new items into our home. I want to tell him that we need to figure out an economy that can thrive without such an outsized focus on consumption. But he’s

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5 mins read
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Single-use to-go containers create more household trash. Should Philly incentivize restaurants to switch to reusables?

Supporting local restaurants during the pandemic is a double-edged sword. With inconsistent and insufficient federal, state and local government intervention, many of our favorite eateries are barely able to keep their doors open (if they haven’t shut already). Although, Philadelphia’s government deserves praise for the expedited expanse of outdoor dining during the pandemic, the prime

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4 mins read
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Why doesn’t Philly focus on building a circular economy? We could design out waste and invest in circular businesses.

I left my position as Zero Waste and Litter Director with much unfinished business. But the most regrettable was the incomplete transition of the Cabinet’s focus on Zero Waste to a more expansive vision of a circular economy in Philadelphia. Don’t get me wrong, a Zero Waste goal was an important first step. Although Zero

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4 mins read