Neil Seldman, Ph.D., co-founded the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and serves as its President. He specializes in approaches to municipal and commercial solid waste management based on environmental quality entrepreneurial opportunities for small businesses, community organizations, and cities.
Dr. Neil Seldman was interviewed on Voice of America Urdu’s Paak Pakistan with Amina Khan about recycling and economic development best practices. Presented in English with translation in Urdu. Continue reading
The recycling movement is yielding excellent results throughout the United States. In a range of innovative new ways, local governments are connecting the dots between resource conservation, sustainability, and local economic development. They are saving money, increasing local self-reliance, creating local jobs, and strengthening their local economies through recycling, reuse, composting and local food initiatives. Read on for success stories from communities across the country, and how you can follow their lead. Continue reading
Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2012 Neil Seldman, ILSR president, and Bob Gedert, Director of the Department of Resource Recovery, Austin, TX, were interviewed at length for a front page Cleveland Plain Dealer article on the city’s proposed waste-to-energy pelletization and gasification plant. Read the full article here. Seldman and Gedert have made presentations to… Continue reading
Recycling was an important practical and psychological weapon on the US home front during World War II, 1941-45. Recycling practices died out by the late 1950s. Mayor Yorty in Los Angeles campaigned in 1960 on a platform that called for the end of curbside recycling. This phase of US recycling lasted for less than 10… Continue reading
The City of Reading, PA, and Greys Paper Recycling Industries of Edmonton, Canada, have agreed that Reading will be the first city in the U.S. to host the company’s small scale, 40-ton-per-day paper mill. The facility will use 36 tons of high-grade paper per day, plus 4 tons of old cotton per day to make… Continue reading
Amy Westervelt has written two recent articles on why recycling is failing and how corporate America can save recycling. (“Can Recycling Be Bad for the Environment?” and “How Corporate America Might Just Save Recycling”) The articles present anecdotes as facts and facts without proper analysis. Much like the recent book Recycling Reconsidered by Samantha MacBride, Westervelt… Continue reading
Zero Waste Zone, April 14, 2012 In perfect timing with Earth month, The City of Chattanooga is exploring how to bring zero waste practices to the residential and corporate community. The main ingredients for success are in place: 1) solid local government support, 2) corporate community enthusiasm, and 3) strong local markets for recyclable material. Chattanooga Director of Sustainability… Continue reading
In the 1980’s Cleveland considered garbage incineration. It was rejected, but no positive action was taken. For thirty years Cleveland’s valuable materials flowed to low-cost area landfills. This left the city vulnerable to the next push for incineration. The push came three years ago; this plan fell to pieces a few days ago. What will the City do now? Continue reading
Proposals for large-scale garbage incineration are proliferating throughout the US, just as they did 30 years ago. They claim to be new and improved with some companies offering ‘state-of-the-art’ technologies such as plasma arc, gasification, and pyrolysis. Once again citizens, small businesses and elected officials are saying “No.” Continue reading
Forbes, February 29, 2012 Alameda County recently passed a mandatory recycling ordinance in a bid to divert 90 percent of its “readily recyclable and compostable materials” by 2020. Alameda County includes much of the east San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland and Berkeley. The county is following in the footsteps of its ambitious neighbor across… Continue reading
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