Resources in Saint Mary's Libraries
The Future of Packaging: From Linear to Circular by
The Future of Packaging provides a straightforward solution to tackling the daunting issues of waste in the packaging industry by returning to a "circular economy." Beginning with a critique of the irresponsibility of the packaging industry and its contributions to wastefulness, Tom Szaky and his coauthors illuminate the path towards a waste-free future with lessons from the past. The goal of this book is to serve as a guide for designing a circular economy, showcasing how the world has moved away from circular systems of consumption (i.e. refillable milk/water/beer) to largely linear systems (i.e. milk bags/plastic bottles/plastic kegs). Objects were circular up until the 1940s, after which complex materials and a culture of consumerism began to create waste that nature couldn't handle. The way to get back to more circular systems starts with design and, after that, implementing systems. With the support and experiences of industry leaders in sustainable development, Szaky helps readers make the shift from a linear economy, which depends on extracting resources and overconsumption, to a circular economy that allows for growth.
Call Number: ebook; access using linkISBN: 9781523095506Publication Date: 2019-02-05
Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade by
When you drop your Diet Coke can or yesterday's newspaper in the recycling bin, where does it go? Probably halfway around the world, to people and places that clean up what you don't want and turn it into something you can't wait to buy. InJunkyard Planet, Adam Minter-veteran journalist and son of an American junkyard owner-travels deeply into a vast, often hidden, multibillion-dollar industry that's transforming our economy and environment. Minter takes us from back-alley Chinese computer recycling operations to high-tech facilities capable of processing a jumbo jet's worth of recyclable trash every day. Along the way, we meet an unforgettable cast of characters who've figured out how to build fortunes from what we throw away: Leonard Fritz, a young boy "grubbing" in Detroit's city dumps in the 1930s; Johnson Zeng, a former plastics engineer roaming America in search of scrap; and Homer Lai, an unassuming barber turned scraptitan in Qingyuan, China. Junkyard Planet reveals how "going green" usually means making money-and why that's often the most sustainable choice, even when the recycling methods aren't pretty. With unmatched access to and insight on the junk trade, and the explanatory gifts and an eye for detail worthy of a John McPhee or William Langewiesche, Minter traces the export of America's recyclables and the massive profits that China and other rising nations earn from it. What emerges is an engaging, colorful, and sometimes troubling tale of consumption, innovation, and the ascent of a developing world that recognizes value where Americans don't.Junkyard Planetreveals that we might need to learn a smarter way to take out the trash.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Lower Level ; 338.473637 M66ISBN: 9781608197910Publication Date: 2013-11-12
The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves by
Consuming less is our best strategy for saving the planet--but can we do it? In this thoughtful and surprisingly optimistic book, journalist J. B. MacKinnon investigates how we may achieve a world without shopping. We can't stop shopping. And yet we must. This is the consumer dilemma. The economy says we must always consume more: even the slightest drop in spending leads to widespread unemployment, bankruptcy, and home foreclosure. The planet says we consume too much: in America, we burn the earth's resources at a rate five times faster than it can regenerate. And despite efforts to "green" our consumption--by recycling, increasing energy efficiency, or using solar power--we have yet to see a decline in global carbon emissions. Addressing this paradox head-on, acclaimed journalist J. B. MacKinnon asks, What would really happen if we simply stopped shopping? Is there a way to reduce our consumption to earth-saving levels without triggering economic collapse? At first this question took him around the world, seeking answers from America's big-box stores to the hunter-gatherer cultures of Namibia to communities in Ecuador that consume at an exactly sustainable rate. Then the thought experiment came shockingly true: the coronavirus brought shopping to a halt, and MacKinnon's ideas were tested in real time. Drawing from experts in fields ranging from climate change to economics, MacKinnon investigates how living with less would change our planet, our society, and ourselves. Along the way, he reveals just how much we stand to gain: An investment in our physical and emotional wellness. The pleasure of caring for our possessions. Closer relationships with our natural world and one another. Imaginative and inspiring, The Day the World Stops Shopping will embolden you to envision another way.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Lower Level ; 339.47 M15ISBN: 9780062856029Publication Date: 2021-05-25
Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine: Sorting out the Recycling System by
Ecosystems require balance to survive, and when that balance is compromised, disaster can befall the whole system. To keep a balance in our global ecosystem, we need to use resources efficiently, equitably, and sustainably. In both nature and economics, we observe that when a healthy distribution of resources is achieved, systems can not only function but flourish. The United States recycles roughly 34% of its waste and has been stuck at this level for decades. Recycling brings a balance to our system by managing resources in a loop. When done well, it benefits communities and the environment. Individuals are a key part of connecting this loop because we provide a supply of materials and a demand for new recycled products. But many of us don't know what happens after those items leave our homes. We're confused by inconsistent rules of what we can and can't recycle. Our confusion has huge consequences and is a reason why our recycling is stuck. Throughout Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine, Beth Porter provides answers to clear up that confusion, and shares great resources about recycling, explaining the complexity, guiding individual action, and contextualizing its history. This book reveals how we arrived at this state of dysfunction, and what steps we need to employ to be an active participant in strengthening our recycling system. Nature knows how to recycle itself, decomposing waste back into the soil to continue the circle of growth. We should follow its lead.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Lower Level ; 363.7282 P84ISBN: 9781538105399Publication Date: 2018-11-15
Our Plastic Problem and How to Solve It by
Plastic pollution is a global problem that defies a singular solution. Our Plastic Problem and How to Solve It considers plastic's harm to the environment, from its production to its disposal, and offers a spectrum of solutions that require action by local and federal governments, businesses and non-profits, and individuals. Using specific examples and case studies, the book describes the history and chemistry of plastic, illustrates its harms, and points toward specific legislation and policies to offer concrete solutions. Plastic pollution is ubiquitous and has impacts on soil, food, air, and water. To solve our plastic problem, collaboration across disciplines will be critical; innovations in science, law, and design will be essential. The book demonstrates the need to approach environmental problems from an interdisciplinary lens, and will benefit anyone interested in learning more about the harms and solutions associated with plastic pollution.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library Lower Level ; General Collection - 363.7288 M24ISBN: 9781108841801Publication Date: 2022-03-24
Online Resources
- 'They Lied': Plastic Producers Deceived Public About Recycling, Report Finds (The Guardian)Plastic producers have known for more than 30 years that recycling is not an economically or technically feasible plastic waste management solution. That has not stopped them from promoting it, according to a new report.
- How Recycling Can Help the Climate and Other Facts (BBC)The precious metals in your pocket, how composting can help the climate and whether you should wash your recycling or not.
- Recycling Basics and Benefits (EPA)Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community, the economy, and the environment. Products should only be recycled if they cannot be reduced or reused. EPA promotes the waste management hierarchy, which ranks various waste management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred. The hierarchy prioritizes source reduction and the reuse of waste materials over recycling.
- Recycling Programs in Winona CountyWinona County is committed to continuous improvement and programs that will increase recycling rates and provide recycling opportunities for all county citizens. Of the waste generated by the county in 2021, 48% of it was recycled. Meaning, Winona County has exceeded the state mandated recycling rate of 35% by weight for counties outside of the metropolitan area! Currently, staff efforts are focused on cleaning up the recycling stream by reducing contamination of items such as plastic bags and Styrofoam.