We ’ ve ordered more takeout , with more unrecyclable plastic spoons and forks and Styrofoam , than ever before . We added medical-grade waste to our single-use repertoire ( and we strolled by it as litter , terrified to pick it up ).
The last 365 days in America have been bad for a lot of reasons , and trash is one of them . Our commercial waste took a nosedive — thanks , stay-at-home order ! — but , in the thick of the pandemic , residential waste volume spiked as much as 25 percent , according to the trade group Solid Waste Association of North America .
Thankfully , there are scores of innovative Rhode Islanders making it easier for us to reduce , reuse , recycle and rot our way to less trash and more sustainability in the Ocean State .
EDITED BY CASEY NILSSON ● ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE F . BAKER III
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MARCH 2021 39