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#006 August 2009/Circular Economy/Environment/Guides/Recycling

Recycling Challenge: Air Conditioner

by Samantha WittchenPhiladelphians have been conditioned to prepare for a typical hot and humid summer. Windows are filled with those ubiquitous boxes that crank out cold salvation for us city dwellers. Perhaps this is the year you decided to upgrade your old energy-sucking air conditioner to a newer, Energy Star-rated unit. According to their website

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August 1, 2009
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🧵 After learning to sew in middle and high scho 🧵 After learning to sew in middle and high school and studying fashion design at Thomas Jefferson University, Itohan Asemota learned the ins and outs of apparel product development. Working with regional brands such as Grant Blvd, Asemota identified a growing need in this sector: independent fashion houses had trouble finding manufacturers that would work with them when they wanted a small run of items produced. “Large manufacturers often require minimums that a lot of small startups can’t reach,” Asemota says. “They might have a minimum of 300 pieces, but I realized I could make 20 or 30 tops for them.” This was the jumping off point for HNI Collective, Asemota’s fashion service agency, founded in January 2024. Through HNI, she brings her expertise in product development to clothing businesses, helping with small batch production and fabric and material sourcing. In addition to being an extra set of (very skilled) hands, Asemota also offers plus-sized fit assistance to brands, ensuring that their collections are actually accessible. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Emily Kovach 📸 Tetsu Digital #philadelphia #inclusivefashion #sizeinclusive #sustainablefashion #sustainableclothing #slowfashion
🪡 Shari Hersh trained as a painter in the 1970s 🪡 Shari Hersh trained as a painter in the 1970s and ’80s. At that time, classical fine arts emphasized personal practice: picture a solitary artist holed up with an easel in a studio. Through her work with Mural Arts Philadelphia and a years-long participation in workshops, readings and discussions that Hersh undertook with her best friend, Beth Enson, Hersh evolved her art to focus on socially-engaged and cross-disciplinary, collaborative projects. This became the foundation for Home Studio Lab, Hersh and Enson’s joint art project. “Collaborations and projects can disrupt patterns of hetero-patriarchy capitalism,” Hersh says. “So much of Home Studio Lab is grounded in alternative economies and regenerative practices — a kind of active noncapitalist, non-individualistic relationship with the arts and the globe.” Over the years, Home Studio Lab’s work has taken many shapes, often centered around relational connections through participatory needlework projects, such as “Home Sweet Home,” a series of workshops in which participants research and share their family homes and histories, investigating how redlining and other government interventions shaped those histories. Participants sew a picture of their family home based on photos and stitch in captions verbalizing three things they learned. Each sewn piece is added to a book that Hersh stewards until the next workshop. “[Through these workshops] we’re exploring how humble domestic art practices can have relational, political and environmental value,” Hersh says. “Changing the self to change and repair the world: this is at the core.” ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Emily Kovach 📸 Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #artcommunity #politicalart #ethicalfashion #sustainableclothing #slowfashion
👖 Are you tossing those pants because you wore 👖 Are you tossing those pants because you wore them out, or just because you don’t wear them anymore? The modern fashion industry treats clothing as disposable, and it is tempting for us to do the same. Big box stores and multinationals make money selling you way more than necessary. Really, how many pairs of pants do you need? A select few clothiers have stuck with an older, more sustainable plan of a slower churn, selling fewer of items made to last for years. Sure, it costs more each time you buy a pair of these more responsibly-crafted pants, but if they last many times as long as the cheaper fast fashion pair, you come out ahead. And they can last even longer than you might think. That proverbial “stitch in time” might save the pants for another year, or it might save them for another wearer, perhaps one who wears a size that no longer fits you. Maybe a thrift store can generate a little money for a good cause in the process of making the exchange. Shopping for quality clothing, mending what you love and finding a new home for unwanted items, can be powerful — even subversive — actions. ➡️ Visit gridphilly.com to read the full Fashion Issue now! 📸 Cover photo by Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #circularfashion #sustainability #sustainablefashion #sustainableclothing #sustainablestyle #slowfashion #zerowastefashion
Events happening in and around Philadelphia this w Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend! ➡️ SBC Planet Day Conference: Many sustainability advocates see 2025 as a critical inflection point for climate action, and this year’s Planet Day conference is all about rising to meet the moment. Hosted by Wharton’s Sustainable Business Club, the event brings a hopeful lens to how innovation and strategic thinking can drive real solutions to today’s sustainability challenges. When: Friday, March 28th (9:00 AM - 3:00 PM) Where: Jon M. Huntsman Hall 3730 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 ➡️ Germantown Art & Sound: Join us for Germantown Art & Sound, a kickback for local creatives with an art show highlighting local artists. Complete with complimentary wine, live music and a playlist that is uniquely curated by our guests, we deliver your Friday night vibes just right. When: Friday, March 28th (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Where: Our House Culture Center 6380 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA ➡️ Saturday Wildflower Walk - Early Spring Edition: Join wildflower expert Dick Cloud on an informative two-hour hike that takes you through meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside. Although the focus is on plants, we will talk about whatever we might see while we are out! In March, we will look for newly emerging spring ephemerals as we listen to the chorus of frogs and birds during the warming spring days. When: Saturday, March 29th (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Where: Tyler Arboretum 515 Painter Road Media, PA 19063 #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #eventsinphilly #phillyevents #phillyevent #philadelphiaevents
Several key Philadelphia projects are now in limbo Several key Philadelphia projects are now in limbo due to Trump’s federal funding freezes. Those impacted? The Philly Tree Plan, Schuylkill River Trail expansion, and EV charging network infrastructure buildout. ➡️ Learn more at gridphilly.com #philadelphia #sustainability #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalissues #politics
SEPTA wants to go zero emissions by 2040. Will the SEPTA wants to go zero emissions by 2040. Will their newly unveiled Zero Emission Bus Program get them there? ➡️ Learn more at gridphilly.com #philadelphia #electricvehicle #electricvehicles #publictransportation #sustainabletransportation #cleanenergy
🍰 What became “The Year of the Cake” starte 🍰 What became “The Year of the Cake” started innocently enough. In October 2023, Sandi Pierantozzi and her husband, Neil Patterson, ordered a slice of pistachio torte from a bakery in Sicily. It was love at first bite. The couple returned to the shop each of the five days they spent in Taormina, always savoring the torte and other freshly-baked pastries featuring pistachios harvested from the shop owner’s family farm. Pierantozzi set herself the challenge of replicating that beautiful, nut-studded, not-too-sweet cake back home in their Fairmount kitchen. Baking was not entirely new to Pierantozzi. Growing up in Roxborough, she had baked bread and focaccia with her mother. She remembers that her mom always had a homemade cake on hand, housed on a glass cake stand protected from snacking children by a metal dome. But cake baking was not Pierantozzi’s thing. She has perfected countless variations of biscotti, Christmas pizzelles and an annual carrot cake for her husband’s birthday. Making 2024 “The Year of the Cake” has sent her on an exciting new baking adventure. ➡️ Read the full story (pistachio torte recipe included!) at gridphilly.com ✍️ Marilyn Anthony 📸 Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #baker #baking #bakingchallenge #recipe #recipeoftheday
👞 For Philadelphia startup Coblr, reducing cons 👞 For Philadelphia startup Coblr, reducing consumption is more than just the latest social media trend: empowering consumers to repair rather than buy new is their entire mission. Cofounded by Emily Watts and Leslie Bateman in 2023, Coblr’s online store offers mail-in repair services for a variety of footwear and leather goods. Watts and Bateman, who are based in Boston, met in 2022 and bonded over a shared love of repair. As frequent secondhand shoppers and cobbler patrons, they grew frustrated by a decline in options and accessibility in the repair industry. “It’s hard to find repair people, not just shoe repair, but tailors and specialty artisans,” says Watts. “And then, once you do, it’s an industry that has been untouched by technology.” With their experience at technology startups — Watts was the COO of employee scheduling app Sling until it was acquired by Toast, while Bateman spent a few years at Uber — the pair brought Bateman’s “crazy idea” to start an online repair business to life. After securing a partnership with a cobbler in Boston, they launched coblrshop.com. Now headquartered in Philadelphia, the business was named “Most Innovative Fashion & Apparel Reuse Company” at the 2024 Reusies. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Julia Lowe 📸 Photo courtesy of Coblr #philadelphia #waste #reducewaste #sustainabilitymatters #repair #repairservice
Events happening in and around Philadelphia this w Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend! ➡️ Craft Supply Swap at STITCH AND DESTROY: Love crafting but hate the waste? Too many art supplies?? Visit STITCH AND DESTROY for their first Craft Supply Swap. Give, take and swap your pre-loved or unused art and craft supplies, and become inspired to make more art! When: Saturday, March 22nd (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Where: STITCH AND DESTROY 523 South 4th Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 ➡️ UC Green x Tiny Trekkers PHL Women’s History Month Trail Walk: Join UC Green x Tiny Trekkers for a healing walk in nature to celebrate Women’s History Month! When: Saturday, March 22nd (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Where: Whitby Meadows 5922 Whitby Ave Philadelphia, PA 19143 ➡️ Women’s History Month Open House at Founder’s Hall: In honor of Women’s History Month, join us at our March Open House as we highlight the contributions of women at Girard. Find out how the Pennsylvaia ERA led to Girard College becoming co-ed. Learn about our amazing alumnae, as well the women who have shaped Girard since 1848. When: Saturday, March 22nd (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) Where: Founders Hall at Girard College 2101 South College Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19121 #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #shopphilly #phillynews #philadelphianews #eventsinphilly #phillyevents #phillyevent #philadelphiaevents
📚 A half dozen three- and fouryear- olds wave “adios!” to their moms and younger siblings, then pile into the little bus, “el Busesito,” parked on a street corner in Frankford. Inside the 24-foot van, repurposed as a mobile preschool classroom, the Spanish-speaking children grab puzzles, blocks, stuffed animals, papers and crayons and settle on a rug patterned with trees and animals in vibrant colors. Begun in 2023 by Xiente, a North Philly grassroots nonprofit, the Busesito is an outgrowth of the bilingual preschool programs at Xiente’s Escuelita (little school), formerly the Children’s Center. The school’s curriculum has earned four stars — the highest rating — from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, but it serves only certain zip codes. The Busesito, modeled after a program for lower-income Spanish-speaking families in Colorado, allows Xiente to cast a wider net of early learning. “The Busesito gets children ready for kindergarten,” says Sarah Clemency, the lead teacher, program coordinator and bus driver, explaining that there’s often a gap between what children from low-income areas know and what’s expected of them in kindergarten. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Constance Garcia-Barrio 📸 Solmaira Valerio #philadelphia #education #educationmatters #educationforall #earlychildhoodeducation #prek
♻️ I started Bennett Compost 16 years ago with ♻️ I started Bennett Compost 16 years ago with the goal of making composting easy and accessible for Philadelphians. From the moment we started, people asked, “When do you think Philly will offer composting to every household like trash and recycling?” I used to say, “Ten years at the earliest.” Sixteen years later, my answer hasn’t changed. It doesn’t have to be this way. Composting has been happening in West Coast cities like San Francisco and Seattle for 20 years, and East Coast cities like New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., have launched citywide drop-off programs, large-scale pilots or full-scale curbside programs in the last decade. So, Philly, what gives? ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Tim Bennett 📸 Jordan Teicher #compost #composting #foodwaste #zerofoodwaste #zerowaste #sustainability
🚮 We’ve all had the frustrating experience of 🚮 We’ve all had the frustrating experience of seeing a plastic bag caught in a tree or a plastic bottle lying in the gutter. We’ve seen the jarring images of seabirds caught in six-pack rings or turtles with straws up their noses. Sadly, these images shouldn’t be surprising. Over 35 million tons of plastic waste is discarded every year in the United States, but less than 6% gets recycled. Almost all of the plastic we use ends up in a landfill, burned in an incinerator or — worse — littered directly in our environment. Last month, Montgomery County’s Abington Township passed a ban on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene foam plates, cups and containers. Abington is the first Pennsylvania municipality to pass a plastic bag ban in 2025, and, excitingly, the Keystone State has reached a tipping point: 20% of the state’s residents now live where a ban on plastic bags is in place. That’s incredible progress, especially considering that just five years ago the state legislature attempted to make it illegal for Pennsylvania’s municipalities to ban plastic bags. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Faran Savitz #philadelphia #waste #wastemanagement #zerowaste #reducewaste #wastefreeliving #plasticbags #plasticbagban
🚌 Last year, SEPTA officially retired its last 🚌 Last year, SEPTA officially retired its last diesel-powered bus, evidence of a long-term commitment to sustainability. Currently, all of SEPTA’s 1,400-strong fleet consists of diesel-electric hybrid buses, which have lower emissions than their diesel counterparts. This year, SEPTA has ordered 10 new buses with hydrogen fuel cell drivetrains (FCEBs) as part of a pilot program investing in full electrification and zero emission buses. Next year SEPTA will start testing battery electric buses (BEBs), which operate using large lithium ion batteries similar to the consumer EVs seen in increasing numbers. So how do these two newer technologies stack up compared to traditional diesel and diesel hybrids? And, how might they stack up against each other? ➡️ View the full infographic at gridphilly.com ✍️ + ✏️ Bryan Satalino #philadelphia #electricvehicle #electricvehicles #publictransportation #sustainabletransportation #cleanenergy
🚜 Sustainable agriculture projects on 143 farms 🚜 Sustainable agriculture projects on 143 farms in the mid-Atlantic region have ground to a halt after a climate resiliency grant was paused by the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze. The Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Pasa is administering a $59 million United States Department of Agriculture grant to develop climate-smart practices and increase revenue streams to hundreds of farms across 15 states. But Pasa’s executive director, Hannah Smith-Brubaker, says that the sustainable agriculture organization has lost access to those funds and is out of money to disburse to farmers who have begun projects. “We didn’t want any of our farmers to not get reimbursed for their expenses, so we used our last $500,000 from that [grant money disbursed in advance of the quarter] to make sure that all of our farmers were made whole who were owed any money,” she says. That doesn’t account, however, for more than 650 other farms with projects either shovel-ready or in the contract procurement process that now cannot move forward with plans, according to an impact statement from Pasa. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue 📸 Photo courtesy of Pittsburgher Highland Farm #philadelphia #agriculture #urbanfarming #urbanfarmers #sustainableagriculture #supportfarmers
Events happening in and around Philadelphia this w Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend! ➡️ Raise Up: Learn how to Raise money for your Non-Profit without grants from local fundraising professionals. When: Saturday, March 15th (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Where: Masterminds Daycare Center 6154 Ridge Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19128 ➡️ A Deeply Rooted Trolley Tour by Harriett’s Bookshop: A deeply rooted Trolley Tour is our three hour, hop on-hop off tour that celebrates local food, culture, history, music, and deeply rooted tradition by visiting new and seasoned spaces throughout Philadelphia. When: Saturday, March 15th (11:00 AM or 3:00 PM) Where: Harriett’s Bookshop 258 East Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19125 ➡️ Now + Then Marketplace’s Late Blooming Lovers Market: Love really did hurt this Valentine’s Day after we had to cancel our annual Make Love Market, because in this city, we’re eagles fans first and lovers second. If you’re like us and blooming a little late in celebrating love this year, we invite you to join us at Love Park for a Late Blooming Lovers Market. When: Saturday, March 15th (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Where: JFK Plaza (Love Park) Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #shopphilly #phillynews #philadelphianews #eventsinphilly #phillyevents #phillyevent #philadelphiaevents
Expanding electric vehicle infrastructure isn’t Expanding electric vehicle infrastructure isn’t the only Philadelphia initiative that’s taking a hit from the Trump administration’s halt to federal funding, the ultimate ramifications of which are being worked out in courts across the nation. Key projects tackling climate change, public health and even the City’s program to eliminate traffic deaths are now in limbo, awaiting word on how to continue. We’ve compiled updates on projects from: 1️⃣ Philadelphia Parks & Recreation | Goal: Restore Philadelphia’s tree canopy through the 2023 Tree Plan 2️⃣ PA Flax Project | Goal: Reestablish the state’s fiber flax industry 3️⃣ Schuylkill River Development Corporation and Philadelphia Department of Streets | Goal: Close critical gaps in the Schuylkill River Trail 4️⃣ The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers | Goal: Train underserved, overburdened communities Learn more at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue #philadelphia #sustainability #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalissues #politics
🚨 JOB OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Circular Philadelphia 🚨 JOB OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Circular Philadelphia is seeking an Executive Director to drive its next phase of growth as it builds the organization’s capacity and impact, and expand its role as a leader in Philadelphia’s circular economy. Circular Philadelphia’s next leader will: • Increase the visibility and credibility of CP’s impact in and for the city • Increase Circular Philadelphia’s funding, solidify the funding model, and increase memberships/sponsorships, • Ensure the circular economy serves the entire city through the creation of an environmental justice framework for our work and engagement with Black and Brown communities, and • Grow staff capacity ➡️ Visit https://tinyurl.com/CP-job-openings to learn more and apply #philadelphia #phillyjobs #circularphiladelphia
When president Donald Trump signed an executive or When president Donald Trump signed an executive order to halt federal spending on January 27, its impacts hit close to home. Despite the decision being rescinded two days later, the fate of funding for environmental work remains murky due to the vague language and unclear legality of the sweeping order. It left sustainability-focused groups, including the Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council, unsure of what’s to come, whether their work can continue and if previously agreed-upon contracts will be fulfilled. As of February 24, federal funding due to Pennsylvania was restored after Governor Josh Shapiro sued the administration, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Yet leaders like Clean Air Council’s executive director Alex Bomstein are still concerned for the future of their work. Bomstein sat down with Grid on February 6 to explain what it has actually been like for the nonprofit — which focuses on protecting and preserving air and water quality, public health, environmental justice and clean energy and transportation — to weather the decisions made in Washington. ➡️ Read the full interview at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue 📸 Photo courtesy of Clean Air Council #philadelphia #sustainability #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalissues #politics
📝 Publisher’s Notes: Speak Up 📝 Grid is a 📝 Publisher’s Notes: Speak Up 📝 Grid is a monthly magazine, so we are not equipped to report news. Sure, we occasionally cover some stories as they happen, but mostly we stay away from breaking stories — especially national news. However, the dramatic changes at the federal level deserve at least some commentary. I think just about every Trump-related story can fall into one of three buckets. First is the consolidation of power. President Trump has systematically removed, or attempted to remove, every mechanism our government has to prevent autocratic rule. If he has his way, which is a very distinct possibility, his power will be unchecked and without balance. The Great Experiment of a government based on democratic principles is on the ropes. ➡️ Read the full note from our publisher at gridphilly.com ✍️ Alex Mulcahy #philadelphia #politics #socialjustice #climatechange #diversity #diversitymatters
🐝 There aren’t as many American bumble bees ( 🐝 There aren’t as many American bumble bees (Bombus pensylvanicus) as there used to be in the state the insect is named after. The big black and yellow bees are in decline, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature rating the species as vulnerable. Although the American bumble bee might need protection in Pennsylvania, there is currently no government agency able to coordinate its conservation, or that of any other land-dwelling invertebrate (animal without a backbone). This could change if legislation introduced by Chester County State Representative Chris Pielli becomes law. House Bill 441 would task the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) with conserving and protecting Pennsylvania’s “wild native terrestrial invertebrates.” DCNR would also be required to investigate the status of these invertebrates to determine whether they need protection. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Bernard Brown 📸 Photo courtesy of USDA #philadelphia #endangered #endangeredspecies #bees #bumblebees #savethebees
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