As foraging worker bees flit around the neighborhood in search of nectar and pollen, they unwittingly pick up pollutants that then linger in the hive’s honey. Luckily, Hina Alam writes for the Canadian Press, trace amounts of lead, zinc and copper left by this process are too low to have much of an impact on […]

When you grow up in a hippie household, you learn a lot about eco-friendly cleaning. There was no bleach in my childhood home, and I’m pretty sure my mom doesn’t even know how to use it. And I honestly couldn’t have a named a conventional bathroom cleaner until well after college. All of this to […]

One year ago, China stopped accepting most American scrap plastic and cardboard, throwing a wrench into U.S. recycling programs. Now, cities and towns across the U.S. are dealing with piles of homeless plastic with no clear destination. Many have stopped recycling altogether or dramatically scaled back their recycling programs. Douglas County, Oregon, stopped accepting plastic […]

Just a few years ago, it looked as if humpback whale populations in the Pacific Ocean were booming. Receding sea ice due to climate change—though bad for polar bears and other wildlife—had lengthened the summer foraging season for hungry whales, and the U.S. government decided that certain populations had recovered enoughto be taken off the […]

Fort Collins residents and businesses can now recycle batteries, antifreeze, motor oil and paint free of charge. The city’s Timberline Recycling Center, 1903 S. Timberline Road, will take the items at its hard-to-recycle materials yard. That facility is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The city is offsetting the previous fee with […]

California has finally been declared drought-free after experiencing 7 years of alarmingly arid conditions – and it has resulted in a surge of butterflies and wildflowers. According to recent reports from the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center, California has been experiencing some form of drought since December 20th, 2011 – which is 376 consecutive weeks […]

Plastic pollution is becoming a major problem for ocean wildlife. Organisms that ingest plastics are subject to hormone disruption and issues with reproduction that affect their overall health, a new study finds. Wildlife around the world is exposed to plastic pollutants called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Not much is known about how these chemicals affect marine […]

Ever feel the need to crush things before you recycle them? Well, it’s often the right instinct, as it conserves space and is more efficient for pick-up by recyclers. Plastic bottles, for instance, are generally best crushed (and left with caps on) when thrown in the recycling bin. Aluminum cans, however, are a rare exception, […]

The EPA estimates Americans recycle about 90 million tons of material a year. But these days the stuff we recycle has to be purer than Ivory soap. That’s because China, the world’s largest importer of recycled materials, instituted strict new standards on the quality of the products they’ll buy, and the impact is being felt near […]

Olive Ridley baby turtles have officially returned to the beaches of Mumbai, and it is all because one of the world’s largest beach clean-up efforts. Last summer, conservationists watched as over 80 baby turtles made their way across Mumbai’s Versova Beach, which was previously home to a massive garbage heap. “I had tears in my […]