Zero Waste Archives - KGNU Community Radio: Recent Episodes
Zero Waste Archives - KGNU Community Radio
An independent, noncommercial community radio station licensed in Boulder and Denver and dedicated to serving its listeners.
Electric vehicles aren’t all that new, but electric schoolbuses are. In Colorado, the Boulder Valley School District was the very first district in Colorado to get an electric bus. That was back in 2019. In the years since, they’ve gotten more electric buses — but also a few more diesel buses. KGNU and Report for America’s Jackie Sedley went down to the BVSD transportation terminal to ride one of the electric buses, and to speak with Andrew Thompson, the Fleet Manager at Boulder Valley School District. Take a listen to what they found out about the district’s electric plans moving forward:https://kgnu-org.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/04120727/01_04_24_BVSD_Electric.wavThe post BVSD wants more electric schoolbuses – but that doesn’t mean they’re getting rid of diesel yet. Here’s why appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
As battery-powered electric vehicles continue to make inroads in our transportation system, renewable transit advocates are also looking at hydrogen fuel cells as an additional option. Local advocates gathered Tuesday at Via Mobility Services in east Boulder. Via is a non-profit transit provider to people with limited mobility. They also run other transit services, including the HOP bus in Boulder. Via is in the process of converting much of their fleet to electric buses and they’re also looking at hydrogen vehicles as another option.
We spoke with one of the presenters at the Tuesday conference: Buford Barr, Chief Operating Officer for New Day Hydrogen
- play_arrowBoulder Buses May One Day Run on HydrogenSam Fuqua The post Boulder Buses May One Day Run on Hydrogen appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
Last month, we reported on the low and stagnant rate of recycling and composting in Colorado. It’s been stuck at about 16% for several years. That info comes to us from an annual report researched and written by Eco-Cycle, Boulder County’s nonprofit recycler and COPIRG the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.
Boulder County’s recycling and composting rates are better than the statewide average. To expalin why and describe some of the programs and initiatives in the county, we spoke with Eco-Cycle Deputy Director Marti Matsch and Executive Director Suzanne Jones. play_arrow*Eco-Cycle Update: The State of Recycling in Boulder County and BeyondSam Fuqua Download audio
The post Eco-Cycle Update: The State of Recycling in Boulder County and Beyond appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
Colorado’s recycling and composting rate has been stuck at half the national average for several years. That’s according to a new report released this week/last week/recently called The State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado.It’s put together every year by EcoCycle, a nonprofit recycler based in Boulder County, and COPIRG, the Colorado Public Interest Research Group. KGNU’s Sam Fuqua spoke with Rachel Setzke with EcoCycle, one of the co-authors of the report.
Listen:
- play_arrowColorado’s recycling and composting rate has been stuck at half the national average for several years.Alexis Kenyon The post Colorado’s recycling and composting rate has been stuck at half the national average for several years. appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
On today’s Morning Magazine, a look into the proposed merger between the country’s two largest grocery chains – Kroger and Albertson’s. Then, it’s Cannabis Report with Hannah Leigh Myers. And, we’ll wrap up with Radio Nibbles with John Lehndorff.
Listen:
- play_arrowrawJackie Sedley Download Audio
The post Should grocery giant Kroger be allowed to buy one of its biggest competitors? appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
On today’s Morning Magazine, a check-in over at CU Boulder ahead of election day. Then, a researcher on domestic violence shares her personal experiences as a survivor. After that, herbalist Brigitte Mars and her regular Wednesday feature, Naturally. And we’ll wrap up with Chris Mohr shares his weekly commentary, Make Them Hear You
Listen:
- play_arrowMorningMagazine_2023-11-01Jackie Sedley A content warning: This conversation contains adult themes and graphic descriptions of domestic violence.
If you – or someone you know – are in immediate danger due to domestic violence, please call 911. If you live in the United States, and you need anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
The post How CU students feel about the upcoming election; Domestic Violence Awareness Month is over, but advocacy efforts continue appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
On today’s Morning Magazine, we’‘ll hear about OmniSalud, Boulder County’s program that offers health insurance to undocumented individuals. Then, a spOooOooOoky CityCast episode about Colorado’s most haunted places., After that, have you heard that houseplants might be able to detect toxins in water? Scary cool, right? That and more on This Week in Water.
Listen:
- play_arrowMorningMagazine_2023-10-31Alexis Kenyon The post Haunted places around Colorado and houseplants that detect toxins? appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
On today’s Morning Magazine, an interview with two members of the NAACP’s Boulder Branch, honing in on a Boulder Deputy Chief’s involvement in the investigation into Elijah McClain’s death.
Police officers involved in the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain have spent much of the past month in court. McClain died in 2019 following a violent encounter with Aurora police, who were responding to a 911 call about a “sketchy” person in the area. McClain did not commit any crime.
Prosecutors say one officer put McClain in a neck hold that made him lose consciousness. Paramedics also came to the scene, and injected McClain with a powerful sedative that may have contributed to his death. The paramedics will be tried next month.
Boulder Deputy Chief Stephen Redfearn is one of many witnesses in the trials. He worked at the Aurora Police Department as a captain at the time of McClain’s death. The events he was involved in have set off alarms for community leaders and residents of Boulder.
Colorado Public Radio reports that during his testimony, Redfearn stated that he changed the notes in the call logs for the dispatch call from “suspicious person” to “assault on an officer.” Redfearn said he made those changes without investigating the incident, reviewing footage, or interviewing any of the officers on the scene. He went off of the information that was given to him from officers, and said he implemented proper Critical Incident Protocol.
I sat down with two individuals leading petitions and calls to action against Redfearn – Darren O’Connor, who is a local attorney and the NAACP Boulder County Criminal Justice Committee Chair, and Annett James, President of the NAACP Boulder County Branch.
We discussed Redfearn’s involvement in the investigation into Elijah McClain’s death, and the NAACP’s desire for widespread changes in policing. Here’s our conversation:
Listen:
- play_arrowMorningMagazine_2023-10-30Jackie Sedley The post One of Boulder’s Deputy Chiefs worked for Aurora PD at the time of Elijah McClain’s death. Hear why Boulder’s NAACP Branch wants him to resign. appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
On today’s Morning Magazine, Citycast Denver digs into History Colorado’s report documenting the history of Indigenous “boarding schools” across the state. Many elected officials are supporting it as a positive step toward reconciliation, while many Indigenous people say it is flawed and didn’t include enough partnership with their community. Then, a conversation about the importance of school board elections. And we’ll wrap up with Sports Talk, with Jimmie Searfoss.
Listen:
- play_arrowHistory Colorado’s report on “Indian Boarding Schools” faces criticism from Indigenous community; State school board elections underwayJackie Sedley The post History Colorado’s report on “Indian Boarding Schools” faces criticism from Indigenous community; State school board elections underway appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
On today’s Morning Magazine, you’ll get some insight on why two local non-profits – Cultivando and 350Colorado – chose to withdraw from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding for their respective air monitoring projects. Then we’ll hear about DIY repairs, from Frani Halperin, as part of KGNU’s Zero Waste reporting efforts – which have been made possible by a grant from Boulder County’s Zero Waste funding program.
Listen:
- play_arrowTwo Colorado non-profits received grants from the EPA – but aren’t taking them. Hear whyJackie Sedley The post Two Colorado non-profits received grants from the EPA – but aren’t taking them. Hear why appeared first on KGNU Community Radio.
Plastic is almost everywhere through its presence in packaging and all kinds of products. And little bits of it end up in our natural environment, including in the water. Scientists call them micro plastics. As part of our on-going Zero Waste series, Sam Fuqua brings us this report on research [...]
Images courtesy of Hanna Rose Shell and Pau Martin. On this week’s A Public Affair, KGNU and Report for America’s Jackie Sedley dives seam-first into the world of textiles. Sedley is joined in the studio by two textile aficionados: Pau […]
Perry’s shoe repair shop in Nederland. Photo by Sam Fuqua. Shoes are a big source of waste. Not when we’re wearing them, but before and after they come and go from our feet. As part of our ongoing Zero Waste […]
Pictured above are a several IS machine sections (mould side) moving the molten glass bottles from the mould via the “take-outs” and “sweep-outs” to the machine conveyor. The photo shows 3 quad IS sections moulding the bottles and moving them to […]
Image by Alexis Kenyon Via Dall-E On today’s A Public Affair, we gather Boulder’s waste experts and get answers to all your burning trash, recycling, and composting questions. Plus, what you should know about big changes in composting guidelines that […]
On Radio Nibbles, host John Lehndorff welcomes Eddy Connor, a founder of a new Boulder-born app, Goodie Bag, which offers discounted food from Boulder restaurants and food businesses. Don’t miss the March 16 Supersized Radio Nibbles during KGNU’s Spring Membership […]
A relatively new zero waste initiative aims to partner with restaurants in Boulder to develop an alternative to take-out trash through durable, reusable, returnable takeout containers. For KGNU’s Follow The Waste series, CU Boulder student Wyatt Brown reports. Listen: (Download […]
Repair it or replace it? Most of us face that choice at least a few times a year. When a home appliance, a mobile phone or another piece of technology stops working, we may not know how to repair it […]
Sometimes even small incentives – like free coffee – can help to form green habits. It’s estimated that in the U.S. more than 50 billion paper coffee cups with lids are thrown away every year. On the CU Boulder campus, […]
Over the past year, KGNU has been collaborating with contributors and independent producers across the region to track Boulder county’s goal of reducing waste to zero by the year 2025. On today’s program, we listen to some of our favorite […]
Over the past year, KGNU has collaborated with contributors and independent producers across the region to track Boulder county’s goal of reducing waste to zero by 2025. On today’s Morning Magazine, we have part 2 of our “Follow The Waste” […]
Colorado has the highest recidivism rate in the country. For the past decade, about 50% of inmates released from the state’s prison return within three years. A recent ProPublica investigation has uncovered that the state’s halfway houses may be a […]
(Photo credit: Venkat2336, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons) Look in the garbage in any city or town, and chances are, plastics make up a big part of what is in the waste. Some of that is due to people […]
The cannabis industry and its fans have a reputation for being treehuggers and earth lovers. Despite its green image, legal marijuana has a massive waste problem, but the industry’s unique passion for the environment may motivate cannabis businesses to inspire […]
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about your household trash and what do to with it. What gets tossed and what can be recycled? News Director Shannon Young hosts a call-in show with recycling expert, Rosie Briggs, EcoCycle’s Community Education […]
Food waste in the United States produces as much pollution as 37 million cars per year. That’s according to a report by the National Resources Defense Council which also found that redirecting just one-third of the country’s total food waste […]
Update: This story originally aired in December 2018 as part of our year-long series on zero waste issues. KGNU was just recognized by the National Recycling Coalition as part of their annual awards at the NRC conference in New Orleans. […]
We’re in the final few weeks at the state legislature and advocates for zero waste and recycling are hoping to see some legislation pass that will increase recycling rates in the state, which are actually far below the national average. […]
On January 31st KGNU hosted a community conversation on plastic waste at the Longmont Museum. The event was moderated by Maeve Conran and featured panelists Harlin Savage of Eco-Cycle, Vicki Goldstein of the Inland Ocean Coalition and Mike San Clemens, environmental researcher […]
Fairview High School has become the first full-size high school in Colorado to receive Green Star designation from Boulder-based Eco-Cycle. The nationally recognized zero waste education program helps schools become waste-free facilities while providing long-term education to students about the […]
Let’s talk about all those catalogues and special offers stuffed in your mailbox. Catalogues waste a lot of paper, and once you get on one list, then you’re apt to find yourself getting catalogues you never asked for. https://objects-us-east-1.dream.io/kgnu-news/2018/11/12-21-18%20EcoCycleHolidayRecyclingPart2.mp3 […]
The holidays are upon us, and with all of the gift giving, decorating, and parties, it can be challenging for even the most avid recyclers and Zero Waste advocates. Fortunately, Eco-Cycle’s new holiday recycling guide is now available and full […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Los días festivos están a punto de llegar, y con todos los regalos, las decoraciones, y las fiestas puede […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Al parecer, los días festivos son el momento perfecto para hablar sobre la comida, y específicamente, los desechos de comida. […]
Le pasa a todos. Usted acaba de comprar un nuevo colchón y nuevos somieres. Ahora la pregunta es, ¿qué hace con los viejos? Obviamente puede dejarlos en la vereda y llamar a su transportista de desechos para que […]
The holidays seem like the perfect time to talk about food and specifically food waste. Imagine this: You go to the grocery store and buy five bags of groceries for a holiday party. As you stagger across the parking lot, […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. El consejo de Cero Desperdicio del día tiene que ver con los desechos peligrosos del hogar, cuáles son, y […]
On November 15, millions of people across the United States took part in America Recycles Day, a day which was created to raise awareness about recycling and the purchasing of recycled products. As part of our year-long series on zero […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. https://objects-us-east-1.dream.io/kgnu-news/2018/11/ReSource%20Central.mp3 “Rechace, Reduzca, Reutilice, Recicle” es un mantra familiar de Cero Desperdicio, pero muy a menudo nos enfocamos en […]
As part of our series on zero-waste, produced in partnership with Boulder County and Eco-Cycle, KGNU’s Hannah Leigh Myers looked into the world of textile recycling and discovered, regardless of the sharp increase in textile waste, very little used fabric […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. ¿Sabían que la electrónica es el sector de más rápido crecimiento como fuente de desechos globales? Debido a que, […]
Today’s Zero Waste tip is about household hazardous waste, what it is, and how to dispose of it responsibly. If you’re like most Americans, then you regularly use hazardous substances in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates […]
It happens to everyone. You’ve just bought a new mattress and box springs. Now the question is what do you do with the old ones? Of course, you can drag them to the curb and call your waste […]
“Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a familiar Zero Waste mantra, but all too often we focus on “recycle” and forget the other R’s of sustainability: refuse, reduce, and reuse. Finding ways to buy used instead of new products and then […]
What to do with hard-to-recycle stuff? Do you have a pile of stuff in your garage that you think might be recyclable, but you have an inkling that the folks at the Boulder County Recycling Center would be might […]
Did you know that electronics are the fastest growing segment of the global waste stream? It’s not all that surprising given that the tech industry cranks out new products in the blink of an eye or so it seems. […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Hoy día vamos a revisar la última parte de la lista de docena sucia que es una lista de productos que […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Hoy día vamos a revisar la segunda parte de la lista de docena sucia que es una lista de productos […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Hacer composta es una de las mejores cosas que se puede hacer a diario para proteger al planeta […]
Es la hora del consejo semanal de cero desperdicio. Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Hoy vamos a revisar la primera parte de la Lista de […]
Eco – Cycle y KGNU están trabajando en colaboración para promover una campaña bilingüe de concientización del Cero Desperdicio. Es probable que casi la mitad de su basura sea material orgánico que puede ir en el compost. Si […]
Each day, Boulderites throw out approximately 175,000 single-use, plastic straws. That number comes from the local, grassroots “Suck the Straws Out” campaign. Graham Hill, one of the organization’s co-founders, says they arrived at that number by surveying the city’s 200-plus […]
Did you know that this month is Plastic Free July? Around the world, people are pledging to refuse to use single-use disposable plastics like plastic straws, plastic packaging, and take-out containers, many of which are easily replaceable with alternatives that […]
For today’s Zero Waste I’m going to dig into the story of polystyrene, a plastic that Eco-Cycle recommends avoiding entirely. In fact, the downsides of polystyrene are so great that Eco-Cycle is partnering with Environment Colorado in calling for a […]
Around the world, people are pledging to refuse to use single-use disposable plastics like plastic straws, plastic packaging, and take-out containers, many of which are easily replaceable with alternatives that are better for people and the planet. Why have a […]
A discussion of plastics with @ecocycle and @bcfm, part of KGNU’s ongoing collaboration with Ecocycle.
Most of the plastic we produce goes to the landfill where it sits in perpetuity or gets washed out to sea. A recent publication in the Journal Nature reports that a mass of plastic six times the size of […]
Composting is one of the best things you can do on a daily basis to help fight climate change and protect the planet. If you live in Boulder County, you may already be using a curbside compost collection service, […]
It’s spring in Boulder County and now that we’re past Mother’s Day and the last frost, it’s time to get back out in the garden. It’s also a good time for composting. Whether you already compost or are scratching […]