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Waste
In 2018, municipal solid waste (MSW) or consumer waste totaled 146 million tons of trash. Once thrown in a landfill, trash goes through aerobic decomposition. After the first year of being in a landfill, anaerobic conditions are established and bacteria begin to release methane as they decompose. Waste can release a significant amount of toxins and can be extremely dangerous to the surrounding environment by polluting the air, soil and waterways.
Gardens, zoos and museums have an opportunity to reduce their personal, packaging and product waste significantly by reducing the amount of single-use items purchased, composting organic materials and recycling products as much as possible.
Click below to read more about each goal and explore further resources. If you need more support, please email the Climate Toolkit at climatetoolkit@phipps.conservatory.org.
Resources:
- National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling
- Wastes
- Landfill Gas
- Single-Use Plastics 101
Institutions Pursuing Waste Goals:
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
California Academy of Sciences
California Botanic Garden
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Zoo
Duke Farms
Ganna Walska Lotusland
Green Bay Botanical Garden
Holden Forests and Gardens
Horniman Museum and Gardens
Houston Botanic Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Madison Square Park Conservancy
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Morton Arboretum
Museum of Discovery and Science
New York Botanical Garden
Norfolk Botanical Garden
North Carolina Botanical Garden
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University
Science Museum of Minnesota
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