Complete coverage on

Waste and Recycling

This month Road to Rio -- a Green City Journey stops off in the world's second most populated country, India. Sara Sidner, Mallika Kapur and Nick Glass meet in the capital city New Delhi, to explore how carbon cuts are being made.

Latest Stories

Recycling the world's trash into cash updated: Mon Oct 10 2011 06:35:00

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure and for Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, that couldn't be more true.

Cashing in on Rugbyupdated: Thu Sep 22 2011 12:20:00

Seamstresses in South Africa turn recycled materials into rugby balls just in time for the World Cup.

Turning the ghetto greenupdated: Fri Jul 22 2011 12:58:00

Majora Carter recounts her remarkable journey from penniless student to green pioneer.

Fortune: The trouble with green product ratingsupdated: Wed Jul 13 2011 11:14:00

Two years ago this month, Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke dropped a bomb on the retailing world by announcing that the company would spearhead an audacious effort to create a "sustainability index" that would reassure the environmental and social impact of every product sold in its stores. Though the move was generally praised by environmentalists, Wal-Mart had not suddenly turned green -- it turns out a vast amount of money is to be made by reducing energy and waste up and down the supply chain. As the world's largest company, Wal-Mart had the clout to enforce its implied threat, later made explicit by Duke's lieutenants: Treat the planet well and get prime access to its 200 million customers each week; pollute and despoil, and you will be shunned.

Pitching plastic for goodupdated: Wed Jul 06 2011 17:51:00

Cradling your heap of plastic, you approach the bins, hastily inspecting each item for the number molded on the bottom.

At Earth Day tire roundup, rubber hits the road to recyclingupdated: Fri Apr 22 2011 22:54:00

It's like an Easter egg hunt for grownups.

Prom dress made from Starburst wrappersupdated: Fri Apr 22 2011 13:02:00

A Wisconsin mother spends six years creating a prom dress made out of Starburst wrappers for her daughter. KARE reports.

Recycle sandwich bags, dry-cleaning bags and moreupdated: Wed Apr 20 2011 08:37:00

In February, we learned that Ziploc and RecycleBank have joined forces for a recycling program for Ziploc bags. I knew that Ziploc and other sandwich bags were recyclable, but I didn't know how easy it was.

Promises made, promises brokenupdated: Wed Apr 20 2011 05:49:00

Soledad O'Brien reports on where things stand on the eve of the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.

Oil 'matriarch' takes trouble in strideupdated: Wed Apr 20 2011 05:49:00

Mayor Melissa Blake's favorite spot in this oil sands boomtown used to be an island at the convergence of two rivers.

Why are Michigan's bottle deposits so high?updated: Thu Apr 14 2011 17:02:00

The classic "Seinfeld" episode "The Bottle Deposit" will be 15 years old in May. In honor of Kramer and Newman's ill-fated trip to Michigan in a mail truck full of bottles and cans they hoped to redeem for dimes, let's take a look at why Michigan's bottle deposit is so high.

The seven stones of simpler livingupdated: Thu Apr 14 2011 14:00:00

When I was a kid, my parents would sometimes take us to a campground called Paradise Park. It was a little camp in the California foothills: a woodsy reserve dotted with old oak trees sloping down to a well-shaded river.

Slum village puts trash to good useupdated: Wed Apr 06 2011 07:41:00

Nairobi slum residents burn trash for cooking and hot water. CNN's Isha Sesay reports.

In Africa's largest slum, a cooker that turns trash into fuelupdated: Wed Apr 06 2011 07:41:00

On the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, mountains of trash are piling up along the dusty streets and footpaths of Africa's largest slum.

Help your dog become a composterupdated: Sat Feb 26 2011 01:16:00

Long before I was dispelling eco-advice, I worked as a dog walker while in graduate school, and one of my charges was a Great Dane -- so I know how big a task cleaning up after your pooch can be. Pooches produce an average of 274 pounds of waste a year. (I'm guessing that amount is doubled for bigger dogs like Great Danes.)

Keep your eyes on solar companiesupdated: Tue Jan 04 2011 08:17:00

Being environmentally friendly is the de facto mindset of most people today. Many cities provide recycling bins for their residents. Gym goers carry around reusable water bottles instead of disposable plastic ones. Businesses proudly tell their customers that their shopping bags are made from 100 percent recycled material. As a whole, we've all gone green.

Greeting card project helps slum womenupdated: Wed Dec 22 2010 06:02:00

In the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya, some of the community's poorest women are taking part in project that is spreading the true meaning of the holiday season. In 2001, an Anglican missionary from Australia started the Kibera Paper Card Project to help disadvantaged women in the sprawling Kibera slum.

Season's greetings from Kenyan slumupdated: Wed Dec 22 2010 06:02:00

Women living in a Kenyan slum are making and selling greeting cards, CNN's David McKenzie reports.

CNNMoney: Ultimate electric car challenge: Dead batteriesupdated: Mon Dec 20 2010 17:29:00

We've all had to get rid of spent lithium-ion batteries from laptops and cell phones so it's natural to worry about the ones in electric cars.

CNNMoney: Dreaming of a trashy Christmasupdated: Fri Dec 17 2010 15:13:00

'Tis the season to be jolly, and unfortunately, to toss also out a lot of trash.

The best of South African cultureupdated: Mon Dec 06 2010 11:47:00

Trevyn McGowan of "Source Design" is on a mission to bring South African design to the rest of the world.

Fortune: Waste Management's new directionupdated: Mon Dec 06 2010 06:21:00

Reusable grocery bags. Online media. Concentrated laundry detergent in small packages. All are good for the environment because they reduce waste, but they're a threat to the business of collecting and disposing of garbage.

CNNMoney: Starbucks: Turn used cups into new cupsupdated: Tue Nov 30 2010 12:58:00

Starbucks may soon serve your morning coffee in a used paper cup that has been recycled into a new paper cup, as the coffee chain aims to ensure that 100% of its cups are reusable or recyclable by 2015.

Quebec City: Europe without the carbon footprintupdated: Mon Nov 29 2010 07:56:00

Cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafes and public art have helped Quebec City earn the moniker, "Paris without the jetlag." The thriving urban agriculture scene, local boutiques and restaurants, electric buses and green hotels should inspire a new nickname: "Europe without the carbon footprint."

CNNMoney: Daylight saving check-upupdated: Fri Nov 05 2010 15:24:00

Daylight savings rolls around again this weekend.

Report: Prison recycling program posed health threat for yearsupdated: Thu Oct 21 2010 11:54:00

An electronic waste recycling program, designed to provide inmates in federal prisons with jobs and skills, posed a serious health threat to inmates and prison staff for several years, a new Justice Department report says.

Audit: Military using potentially harmful methods of burning trashupdated: Fri Oct 15 2010 12:10:00

Military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to use waste methods that expose troops to potentially toxic emissions without fully understanding the effects, according to a new government audit obtained by CNN.

How to make your cell phone greenerupdated: Fri Sep 24 2010 10:39:00

Cell phones have become one of the most ubiquitous hallmarks of life in the 21st century, but they aren't necessarily good for the environment.

California bill to ban plastic bags goes to Senate voteupdated: Tue Aug 31 2010 16:14:00

The California State Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on a bill that would ban the use of plastic bags by retailers in the state, including grocery stores, convenience stores and drugstores. This year's Senate session ends Tuesday, so it's the last opportunity for the Senate to pass the bill.

Good News for the environment is good news for people in needupdated: Tue Aug 31 2010 07:35:00

A few years ago, the folks at the Good News Project were looking for another fundraiser that would bring them some needed cash.

Why I sold my used iPhone to Gazelle.comupdated: Thu Aug 19 2010 09:19:00

I'm one of those people who won't throw out electronics just because they're outdated.

Outrage over BP oil waste dumpingupdated: Fri Aug 06 2010 10:45:00

Oil dumped at a landfill in Harrison County, Mississippi, is drawing controversy. WLOX's Dave Elliott reports.

Trashing tar balls on the Gulf: Is there a better way than dumping it?updated: Fri Aug 06 2010 10:45:00

When Mississippi attorney Tim Holleman was approached by furious community officials in Gulfport to stop BP and its contractor from dumping tar balls and oil-stained byproducts into a local landfill, he sent out an e-mail asking if there were alternatives to deal with the waste.

BP dumping waste in Mississippi?updated: Tue Jul 27 2010 20:25:00

CNN's Randi Kaye reports BP is dumping spill waste at a Mississippi landfill against a town's wishes.

Mississippi county fights BP over oil spill waste being dumped in landfillupdated: Tue Jul 27 2010 20:25:00

What happens to all the tar balls, oily sand and vegetation, and soiled gloves and suits from the thousands of temporary BP workers who've been working to clean up beaches along the Gulf of Mexico?

Archaeologists unearth ship at WTC siteupdated: Thu Jul 15 2010 20:39:00

Archaeologists unearth an 18th century ship in lower Manhattan. CNN's Mary Snow goes to the scene of the discovery.

Pieces of ship made in 1700s found at ground zero building siteupdated: Thu Jul 15 2010 20:39:00

The hull of a ship likely made in the 1700s was discovered at the World Trade Center site Tuesday. Archaeologists say that it probably was sunk there in the effort to add land to Manhattan in the early 19th century.

CDs create shimmering sea of lightupdated: Fri Jul 02 2010 08:48:00

A field in the heart of the English countryside has been transformed into a sea of shimmering light thanks to one designer and 600,000 unwanted CDs.

CNNMoney: Where old iPhones go to dieupdated: Fri Jun 25 2010 15:16:00

In the wake of Thursday's iPhone 4 launch frenzy lies as trail of unloved, no-longer-needed iPhones cast off by owners trading up for the shiny new model.

Plastic bag use under scrutiny in many U.S. locationsupdated: Thu Jun 24 2010 14:41:00

Shoppers in Austin, Texas may wind up losing the right to use plastic at the checkout line -- and that doesn't mean credit cards.

Smart ways to ditch your old phoneupdated: Wed Jun 23 2010 11:54:00

Whether they're waiting in line Thursday for a new iPhone 4 or grabbing other recent smartphone offerings such as the Droid Incredible or Microsoft's Kin, plenty of folks will be saying goodbye to their old phones in coming days.

Can plastic forks and plates be recycled?updated: Tue Jun 22 2010 14:45:00

Question: My office serves catered lunches every day, and the company provides plastic plates and cutlery. I've been eating the lunches for years, and yesterday, when I walked out of the conference room where the food is kept, I noticed the overflowing garbage can in the corner stuffed to the gills with plasticware.

An eco-friendly family adventure across the worldupdated: Wed Jun 09 2010 06:23:00

Traveling around the world with children is difficult enough, but attempting it without using motorized transport is even more of a challenge.

Sewage ... a solution for 'peak phosphorous'updated: Wed Jun 02 2010 12:12:00

Believe it or not, climate change and "Peak Oil" are not the biggest problems facing the 21st century.

Pre- or post-consumer recycling?updated: Wed May 05 2010 12:40:00

Question: I'm relatively new to the green product scene and have a question that might seem eco-elementary but has never really been explained to me. What's the difference between pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content?

Clothing made from recycled materialupdated: Thu Apr 22 2010 12:25:00

CNN's Stephanie Elam shows us a young designer who turns old duds into eco-friendly fashion.

'Clever Little Bag' sends shoebox packingupdated: Tue Apr 13 2010 13:56:00

Spending 21 months redesigning a shoebox might not seem like the most effective use of a person's time, let alone a multinational company.

Swimming in Stuffupdated: Wed Mar 10 2010 03:35:00

A critical look at what we consume, where it comes from and where it goes after we are done with it.

Report: Airline recycling in 'sorry state'updated: Wed Mar 03 2010 07:48:00

Mark Ashley watches with a weary eye whenever flight attendants walk up and down the aisles of a plane to collect the trash on his flights.

Can e-waste be turned to gold?updated: Wed Feb 24 2010 12:32:00

The champions at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver can stand on the podium proud of their achievements, but the eco-minded among them can be extra proud that their medals are made with traces of precious metals recovered from e-waste.

Be a green Santa with these holiday giftsupdated: Fri Dec 18 2009 10:08:00

If you ask someone if they want something green for Christmas, they're likely to ask for tens and twenties. But some of us wouldn't mind getting gifts that are good for the planet as well as our lifestyles.

Fortune: Best Buy wants your electronic junkupdated: Tue Dec 01 2009 08:57:00

At a Best Buy store in Roseville, Minn., the traffic in electronics travels a two-way street. Out the door go flat-screen TVs, netbooks, and iPhones. In comes junk -- and plenty of it: TVs that can't decode digital signals, outmoded desktop computers, even the occasional eight-track tape player or ham radio.

Couple's accidental trash becomes their treasure againupdated: Thu Nov 12 2009 02:14:00

A Morris Plains, New Jersey, woman got an early birthday present on Monday when local sanitation workers found her wedding and engagement rings after sifting through 10 tons of garbage.

Recycling facts that may surprise youupdated: Tue Oct 06 2009 07:05:00

This primer reminds you of what you can and can't recycle -- and why.

FSB: A better way to cash in cansupdated: Thu Aug 27 2009 15:35:00

Even in this enlightened age of recycling, a majority of all bottles and cans end up in landfills. More than 200 billion beverage containers are sold each year in the U.S., says the nonprofit Container Recycling Institute, but fewer than 75 billion are recycled. That isn't just bad for the environment -- it's money left on the table.

CNN Heroes: Jude Ndambukiupdated: Fri Aug 14 2009 13:28:00

Jude Ndambuki's Help Kenya Project sends discarded computers to Kenyan students, who plant trees in exchange.

Dumpster diving + computer = 100 treesupdated: Fri Aug 14 2009 13:28:00

Jude Ndambuki teaches high school chemistry, but when he's not in class, you might find him Dumpster diving for discarded computers.

Gold from recycled electronicsupdated: Mon Aug 10 2009 04:58:00

CNN's Anna Coren visits a recycling plant outside of Tokyo to see what happens to your old mobile phone.

Sifting through the mounting problem of e-wasteupdated: Mon Aug 10 2009 04:58:00

Clouds of black smoke from burning plastic hang over the sites of Nigeria's vast dumps, as tiny figures pick their way through slicks of oily water, past cracked PC monitors and television screens.

Philadelphia workers file racial discrimination caseupdated: Fri Jul 31 2009 20:58:00

Black employees at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, waste transfer plant were harassed, humiliated and discriminated against by their supervisor for decades, says an attorney representing two workers who filed a complaint against the city.

Danny Seo's top green home appliancesupdated: Mon Jul 27 2009 22:17:00

Danny Seo is a green lifestyle expert who champions green consumerism.

FSB: Garbage in, profits outupdated: Mon Jul 06 2009 09:37:00

One FSB 100 company has grown by grabbing a giant share of something almost nobody else wants to touch -- garbage. Not just any trash, but gooey oil-refinery sludge, contaminated Superfund mystery material and radioactive protective clothing. American Ecology specializes in processing (and in some cases recycling) some of the nastiest hazardous waste there is, including low-level radioactive waste and PCBs.

Fortune: The Fortune 40: How we picked themupdated: Thu Jun 11 2009 10:26:00

Weeping. Wailing. The fetal position. Any of those would have been a fitting response to the collapse of equities -- and virtually every other asset class -- in 2008 and early 2009. For many, the S&P 500 index's most recent crater on March 9 took on near-talismanic significance. You could almost hear the pleading: Please let that be the bottom. Please let that be the bottom. For now, the spring rally has held, with a euphoric 40% jump in the S&P from its March low to June 1.

Tel Aviv search for mattress containing $1M life savingsupdated: Wed Jun 10 2009 22:22:00

It was supposed to be a pleasant surprise, but turned into the shock of a lifetime.

Million-dollar mattressupdated: Wed Jun 10 2009 22:22:00

A woman in Israel unknowingly throws away her mom's mattress filled with nearly a million dollars.

Ocean trash problem 'far from being solved,' U.N. saysupdated: Mon Jun 08 2009 13:03:00

The world's oceans are full of trash, causing "tremendous" negative impacts on coastal life and ecology, according to a U.N. report released Monday.

Can green cellphones ring the changes in mobile industry?updated: Tue Apr 28 2009 02:42:00

The next time you go to throw away your old mobile phone, Gert-Jan van Breugel hopes you bury it in a garden instead of tossing it in a garbage can.

Downtown Atlanta recycles self into a Zero Waste Zoneupdated: Thu Apr 23 2009 10:39:00

Last year, downtown Atlanta lost a convention to another Southern city because the visiting group perceived the other city as "greener" than Atlanta. The loss propelled Holly Elmore into action.

City aims for zero wasteupdated: Thu Apr 23 2009 10:39:00

CNN photojournalist William Walker takes us the city that many hope will one day have zero waste.

Have a green stayupdated: Tue Apr 21 2009 10:45:00

In the lodging world, green has gone mainstream. Once chided for being wasteful, the big hotel chains are now constantly trying to one-up each other with smart eco-design upgrades and stringent water and energy conservation policies.

'Serious contamination' threat from Africa's mounting e-wasteupdated: Thu Apr 09 2009 03:33:00

The truck driver kept his hand on the horn, but resorted to shifting into first gear and used the full weight of his container truck to force his way through the over-crowded and narrow market street.

E-waste in Africaupdated: Thu Apr 09 2009 03:33:00

Environmentalists warn of a mounting environmental disaster from e-waste sent to Africa, CNN's Christian Purefoy reports

Reduce, reuse, recycleupdated: Wed Apr 08 2009 06:39:00

CNN's Richard Quest previews the environment special Business Traveller show.

On Business Traveller in April...updated: Wed Apr 08 2009 06:39:00

In April, CNN Business Traveller examines the impact of the global economic downturn on the travel industry's efforts to go green.

FSB: Save cash by going greenupdated: Fri Mar 27 2009 12:31:00

In early 2008, Sander Coovert was feeling pretty good about his business, Absolute Tile and Stone. The previous year had ended with sales up 27%, to $2.8 million, at the St. Louis company, which cuts tile and slabs of marble and granite and installs them in residential kitchens and bathrooms. That year Coovert, 40, saw his largest profit ever. But by the end of 2008, as the housing bubble burst and the recession hit, revenue dropped to $2.1 million and the company lost money.

FSB: Garbage mogul makes millions from trashupdated: Wed Mar 25 2009 12:32:00

In a sprawling former suitcase factory in New Jersey, a camera crew is filming entrepreneur Tom Szaky and his company, TerraCycle, for a new reality TV show. Ten of the recycling firm's 46 employees sit around a table awaiting Szaky's next challenge. "So, guys," says Szaky, reaching into the pocket of his corduroy jacket and tossing a used toothbrush onto the table. "What are we going to do with this?"

The polar explorer searching for green warriorsupdated: Sun Mar 22 2009 21:58:00

Robert Swan's life reads like a boy's own adventure tale with a modern eco-twist.

Recession squeezes recycling programsupdated: Thu Mar 19 2009 09:12:00

When Lynn Heinisch and her neighbors in Atlanta's Lake Claire neighborhood take their recycling to the curb for pickup each Thursday, they cross their fingers and hope for the best.

We recommend

From around the web