Dumpster dive: July 29, 2024

Image source: The Garbage Lady

• One thing leads to another: I was looking into which butter wrappers have plastic coatings and learned that the wrappers for many brands, including beloved Kerrygold, also have PFAS, aka "forever chemicals." Read about the study commissioned by Mamavation and see which brands ranked worst to best.

• PFAS contamination affects way more than just butter wrappers. Mamavation has commissioned similar PFAS studies on a wide range of consumer products so we can make better, safer choices. Also check out their studies that found phthalates in olive oils and coconut oils.

• Not familiar with PFAS? Here's the lowdown on how awful these forever chemicals are and why we should be concerned. (GIC)

• How-To Geek gives us 13 things to do with an old Android phone, and the suggestions are actually pretty good: storage device, mini smart speaker, and webcam, to name a few.

• Seriously, why is composting in the US decades behind recycling? Less than 5% of US households compost, so most food waste ends up in landfills, where it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. That wasted food is also a wasted opportunity to boost soil and reduce dependency on fertilizers and pesticides. (CNBC)

• To help keep food out of landfills, Whole Foods has partnered with Too Good To Go, a food rescue app that connects customers to restaurants and markets that have leftover food at the end of the day. The "Prepared Foods Surprise Bags" are offered at $9.99 and feature soups and other ready-to-eat items valued at $30, and the "Bakery Surprise Bags" are offered at $6.99 and feature cookies, scones, breads, and muffins valued at $21.

• In case you were wondering, here's a ranking of America's largest landfills. Nevada's Apex Regional tops the list by a land(fill)slide. (Visual Capitalist)

• The average wedding produces 400 pounds of waste and 63 tons of carbon dioxide. Read how this couple created a wedding without waste, part of the My DIY climate hack series from the Guardian.

• More Perfect Union asks and answers: "It's not just Shein: Why are ALL your clothes worse now?" The 20-minute video explains why "50 years of fast fashion and ultra fast fashion has completely changed our relationship with clothes. Instead of being something to cherish and care for, they're now just another cheap and disposable plastic consumer good."