Julie McWilliams never liked the idea of buying a toy that her three young boys would outgrow in a matter of months. An environmentally-conscious mom (@climatephriendlyparent on Instagram), she had long struggled with the tension between providing her kids with enriching play experiences and her desire to reduce waste. That’s why, last December, she decided
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In last month’s issue, I wrote about how Philly could start a City-run composting drop-off program. Unfortunately, the City might not have the staffing to mount such an effort. Forty years ago, when the City was launching its recycling program, it had 23 employees in its recycling office. Today, the Department of Sanitation has two.
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Robert Amar had a solid business wholesaling seafood to some of Philly’s finest restaurants — until March 2020. As COVID-19 spread and city restaurants shuttered, Amar wondered what he could do. He had fresh fish on hand. Grocery stores were insane. He figured his Fairmount neighbors might appreciate some free seafood, so he sent a
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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
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Philly AIDS Thrift was born out of a love for junk and an activist spirit, says Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, cofounder and executive director of the nonprofit thrift store. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job creating this safe space for people,” Kallas-Saritsoglou says. “It’s a little bit more than a thrift store; it’s a real
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Philadelphia band Darling Damselfly wants their most recent album, “Galapagos,” to get listeners thinking about human’s relationship with the planet — in the hopes of saving it. “Being able to have a better understanding and appreciation of the wonder of [the environment] can help us be more connected and want to work harder to combat
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In 2024, there were 220 fatal shootings in Philadelphia, a sharp decline from 375 such deaths the previous year. While city leaders celebrated this improvement, professor and writer Julien Suaudeau, 49, wondered how the community could be satisfied with that number. “The fact that it was almost hailed as a miracle — like it was
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Have you ever watered a neglected plant only to find the water bouncing off the surface of the soil? If so, your potting soil likely has peat in it, which has been a go-to ingredient in potting soil since it’s been sold. Not only does peat require regular watering to keep its surface permeable, it
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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
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The attendees came out for the living birds at the September 22 “Little Sit” held by the In Color Birding Club, the Feminist Bird Club, Philly Queer Birders, Disability Pride Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports, but John Eskate showed up with dead birds in his bag. Eskate, the volunteer and civic engagement
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