Sheetal Bahirat was a graduate student studying to become a food researcher at the prestigious Drexel University Food Lab when inspiration struck. On a day Bahirat will never forget, the assignment was simple enough. She was tasked with making guacamole for her class to study the textures and tastes of the classic Mexican dish. But
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In my February Grid commentary on the glut of single use takeout food containers during the pandemic, I expressed hope that local innovators and entrepreneurs would develop reusable container systems. I’m excited to report that my hopes have been answered—or at least they were for a moment On March 22, 2021 Philadelphia-area Indian food chain
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When I was a kid—we’ll call this long ago time “the ’70s”—seatbelts hung unused while Mom’s arm reached across our bodies any time our car came to a sudden stop. Beer and soda were packaged in aluminum cans and had what was called a “pull-tab,” or “ring-tab.” You would put your finger through the ring
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In 2020 the failures of Philadelphia’s recycling and waste management were on spectacular display. Sanitary workers were seen throwing garbage bags and carefully sorted recyclables into the same truck, leaving environmentally minded onlookers appalled. The city blamed a depleted workforce, ravaged by COVID-19, and a significant increase in volume due to people staying home. But
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Trump sycophant and stooge Sebastin Gorka once said that the New Green Deal is like a watermelon: “It’s green on the outside but bright red on the inside.” As much as it pains me to give print space to someone like Gorka, this may be one of the best explanations of this aspirational legislation that
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“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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Connecting local dining establishments and grocery stores with eco-minded and bargain-hunting customers, Too Good To Go—an app designed to decrease food waste—will be available to Philadelphians starting February 23. Founded in Copenhagen in 2016 and currently available in 15 countries, Philadelphia marks the app’s third U.S. city expansion, following its rollout in greater New York
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When Emily Rodia and Jason Rusnock began pursuing a low-waste lifestyle, they started small. They replaced single-use items in their lives—trading up for things like reusable water bottles and bamboo toothbrushes. Before they knew it, the amount of plastic they put out on the sidewalk each week had dwindled. Three years after starting their zero-waste
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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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Altering one’s lifestyle to limit waste is by no means an easy life practice, according to Ron Whyte. Whyte, project coordinator of the Mural Arts Philadelphia program Trash Academy, says the difficulty comes from an oversaturation of consumer culture. “We live in a system of extraction, production and consumption, and waste comes at the end
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Before Melissa Torre brainstorms new scents and ingredients for skin care products, she thinks about food. Prior to founding Vellum St. Soap Company, in 2016, Torre spent about five years running her bakery, Cookie Confidential, as well as 10 years managing Tattooed Mom, on South Street. She credits her experience as a chef with sparking
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