Chicago, IL launches recycling assistance app for residents
Chicago has introduced the Recycle Coach app to help residents manage waste and recycling more effectively. The app, available on Apple and Google Play stores, provides hyper-local waste management information, including schedules and a database on what can and cannot be recycled. This initiative is part of a broader partnership with the Illinois EPA and aims to reduce contamination at recycling facilities, increase landfill diversion, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Chicago, IL
United States
Surprise, AZ pilots 3D printing technology to reduce and reuse plastic waste
QBE North America has announced that the city of Surprise, Arizona, has been selected as the pilot site for an initiative aimed at helping cities and other sites reduce plastic waste. The initiative, developed by United Kingdom-based company Automedi, was the winner of the 2022 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, hosted by Boston-based Leading Cities in partnership with QBE North America.
Surprise, AZ
United States
Northern Beaches, NSW trials new methods for diverting engineered timber from local landfills
The one-year pilot with Kimbriki experimented with household collection, drop-offs, and manual recovery from landfills. Residents filled out a form requesting pick-ups for particle board, pallets, and other wood waste over 11 weeks. Kimbriki opened a source-separated collection point for discounted disposal and removed timber from their landfill. The gathered materials were sent to local manufacturer ReDirect for use in building materials and furniture.
Northern Beaches, NSW
Australia
Inner West, NSW aims problem waste disposal message at young residents with The CRC Rap
Council officials pursued a creative solution to the disproportionally low use of Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) by residents aged 18 to 34. A Recovery Projects Officer wrote lyrics for the song with staff from council teams participating in the rap. The CRC Rap highlights how the St. Peters and Leichhardt CRCs handle problem waste like electronic devices, paints, and batteries. Inner West placed the full song on its CRC page with a shorter version for social media posts.
Inner West, NSW
Australia
Oxfordshire County Council, GB addresses growing source of waste with Recycle Your Vape program
Oxfordshire, Oxford City, and Cherwell received £40,000 from Material Focus as part of the organization's Recycle Your Electricals effort. Residents can dispose of their single-use vaping products at 60 hot-pink collection spots in local shops and bars. The initiative adds dedicated bins for vape collection at seven household waste recycling centres. Recycle Your Vape also offers kerbside collection of vapes in Cherwell alongside rubbish and recycling.
Oxfordshire County Council, GB
United Kingdom
Cherwell District Council, GB
United Kingdom
+1Surprise, AZ turns recyclable plastics into useful products with a trial of Automedi nano machines
Automedi selected Surprise as the first municipal partner for its 3D product vending machines. Three nano units will circulate through the city's libraries, community centers, and public buildings during the pilot. Residents request free 3D-printed products like plastic containers, funnels, and utensils using the nano's simple interface. The project is funded by a $100,000 prize won by Automedi at the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge with no additional cost to the city.
Surprise, AZ
United States
Eurobodalla, NSW partners with Repurposing for Resilience on solar panel reuse project
A drop-off center at Moruya Transfer Station accepts panel drop-offs for free, thus eliminating the AUD 10 fee charged at other stations. RfR's volunteer engineers and electricians evaluate panels for potential reuse or recycling. Panels meeting the standards for reuse are distributed or sold at steep discounts with warranties to low-income households. The group repurposes non-functional panels into products like outdoor furniture and dog kennels.
Eurobodalla, NSW
Australia
Penrith, NSW completes a first-in-Australia recycled road project using single-use coffee cups
City officials worked with State Asphalts NSW on incorporating locally gathered cups for two roadway projects. The company's PAK- PAVE process combined 136,000 cups gathered by the Simply Cups initiative with 1.2 million glass bottles and other materials. Repaving projects on Jamison Road and Swallow Drive covered 740 meters with more than 50% of the new surface made from recycled materials. This initiative reduced carbon emissions from construction while improving road durability.
Penrith, NSW
Australia
North Sydney, NSW trains residents on sustainable living with Imperfect Low Waste Living Program
The four-week program begins with an in-person workshop at the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability. Thirty participants per cohort complete one virtual course per week led by low-waste expert Sarah Tait. Module tasks identify low-waste or no-waste methods for home cleaning, skincare, and food preparation. Additional program components include two online tutorials, a final case-study project, and a self-guided waste audit.
North Sydney, NSW
Australia
South Stormont, ON collaborates with Amb.AI on smarter approaches to waste collection
Ninety percent of complaints received by town officials involve missed trash collections. The town and Amb.AI are partnering on an AI-powered system for optimized waste management. Amb.AI will turn data on fleet availability and the number of stops into a map of the shortest and most cost-effective routes. The platform's waste management focus will expand to other town fleets including snow plows and public works trucks.
South Stormont, ON
Canada
Port Alberni, BC and North Island College train students on sustainable building deconstruction
Port Alberni's 43-acre Somass Lands project will turn a former sawmill into housing and storefronts with abundant green space. Twelve NIC students learn how to salvage materials from the sawmill for new buildings during this program. Hands-on experiences bring lessons on safety protocols, hazardous material handling, and construction tool use to life. Port Alberni, NIC, and Synergy Enterprises received a provincial grant covering the program's costs for students.
Port Alberni, BC
Canada
Exeter City Council, GB converts hard-to-recycle plastic waste into park benches
Exeter collects plastic waste including bags and films from household collections, street cleaning, and beach sweeping. The city's Materials Reclamation Facility granulates the plastics and delivers materials to Circular11 for the construction of park benches. City officials note that the benches can be recycled at the end of their useful lives. This project introduces low-value waste into Exeter's circular economy efforts and offers a blueprint for other councils.
Exeter City Council, GB
United Kingdom