Environment & Outdoors
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Stroud Water Research Center Reveals the Impact of Road Salt on Local Waterways
A new study by Avondale’s Stroud Water Research Center has revealed the significant impact of road salt on local waters, writes Susan Phillips for WHYY. Completed this past October, Stroud’s recent study examined the salt content in over 1,200 locations, mostly local streams. Citizens and community partners conducted the research, which marked the fall first…
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Some of Philadelphia’s Trash Goes to Chester. That Could Be Ending
Philadelphia’s solid waste and recycling contracts are ending in June 2026. One of those contracts allows its trash to be burned at the Reworld (formerly Covanta) waste-to-energy facility in Chester. Now, Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has introduced a bill, The Stop Trashing Our Air Act, that would ban the city from incinerating any of its…
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Southwest Philadelphia Slated for Three Nonprofit-Run Trash Disposal Sites
Southwest Philadelphia has long faced the problem of residents and others dumping old furniture, tires, construction debris, and other waste across the neighborhood, writes Sophia Schmidt for WHYY. “It’s just horrible,” said resident Gloria Renee Kellam. “No matter how many times we call to the city … we get ignored.” A local nonprofit is now…
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King of Prussia’s Clean Earth Sells in Massive Deal to French Company
French waste-management giant Veolia announced plans to purchase King of Prussia’s Clean Earth, writes Joseph N. DiStefano for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The $3 billion acquisition of the waste recycler will expand Veolia’s U.S. operations, positioning the company as one of the largest players in the industry. Clean Earth employs roughly 1,800 people and handles contaminated…
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Bennett Compost Evolved From Small, Unique Idea to Citywide Composting Force
Bennett Compost in Philadelphia has evolved from a simple, unique idea into a full citywide composting movement that now serves more than 6,500 customers and continues to grow, writes Holly Quinn for Technical.ly. Tim Bennett launched the company in 2009 after seeing that Philadelphia lacked any service to help residents compost their food and reduce…
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Philadelphia Podcast Tackles Environmental Issues From Local to Global
Planet Philadelphia, a local podcast that explores global environmental issues and their impact on daily life in the city, continues to grow after ten years, writes Daniel Sean Kaye for the Grid Magazine. Kay Wood, an accomplished painter for three decades, created the biweekly sustainability radio program after a herniated disc affecting her dominant arm…
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Penn State Brandywine Garden Takes First in Delaware County Contest
The Penn State Brandywine Campus Garden, led by Garden Manager Emily Dozor, continues to be a growing success as it recently won first place in the Advanced Community Garden category at the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Delaware County’s 34th annual garden contest. Established in 2014, Brandywine’s garden began as a small honors project…
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Odor Alert. Delaware County’s Smelling Bad Again
The authorities have been alerted. The county’s 911 center received multiple reports about a gas odor that has returned to Delaware County. The county’s Emergency Services Department is investigating, according to FOX29. Over at the Springton Reservoir on 252, a Reddit user described a diarrhea smell. County residents from Clifton Heights to Marcus Hook are…
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Birchrunville Native Scores Resalable Treasures Among Trash from Wealthy Shore Towns
Tucker Upper, a Birchrunville native known to his scores of followers by that name, discovers resaleable treasures among trash from wealthy Jersey Shore towns, writes Lini S. Kadaba for The Philadelphia Inquirer. James Graeff, his given name, films GoPro videos of his trash picking and posts them on his YouTube channel with over 220,000 subscribers,…
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Former Pennhurst Site in East Vincent Considered for Data Center, Plant Development
East Vincent Township officials and activists are looking at the potential for the former Pennhurst State Hospital property to be developed as a data center or tire-burning plant, writes Evan Brandt for The Daily Local News. During a recent special town hall meeting, officials said that the property owners have suggested both potential uses, but…
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PECO Green Region Grant Fuels Accessible Family Fun in Lower Makefield
Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County, a two-time winner of PECO Green Region grants, used its most recent award to improve accessibility at Five Mile Woods Preserve, including the installation of more than 700 linear feet of accessible boardwalk and new ADA-compliant parking. These upgrades addressed long-standing barriers for individuals with mobility challenges, many of…
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How PECO Green Region Grants Help Sustain Wissahickon Valley Park
For two decades, the PECO Green Region Open Space program, powered in partnership with Natural Lands, has helped transform the region’s parks, trails, and public green spaces. That impact is seen vividly through organizations like Friends of the Wissahickon, the nonprofit steward of Philadelphia’s treasured Wissahickon Valley Park. Since 2007, Friends of the Wissahickon has received multiple PECO Green…
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Washington Post: Summers Have Gotten Longer in Recent Decades, But Why?
Summer heat has been arriving earlier and ending later in recent decades, write Kasha Patel and Naema Ahmed for The Washington Post. A recent analysis of weather patterns conducted by climatologist Brian Brettschneider examined the hottest 90 days of the year between 1965 and 1994 in comparison to 1995 to 2024. In the analysis, he…
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Drexel, Penn Partner with Waste Management Startup Rego to Reduce Move-Out Trash
Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania have partnered with waste management startup Rego to reduce move-out trash while contributing to the community, writes Sarah Huffman for Technical.ly. College students in University City and across Philadelphia often leave unwanted furniture, clothing, and electronics on the curb, with these items end up in landfills. Instead, said…
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Peak Spotted Lanternfly Season Hits Philadelphia Area: Time to Step Up Your Stomping Game
Spotted lanternfly season has returned to the Philadelphia region, making it the perfect time to step up your stomping game and stay alert for spotted lanternfly egg masses to destroy, write Mike D’Onofrio and Chrissy Suttles for AXIOS. The Asia-native, polka-dotted bugs were first spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014 in Berks County and have since…
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For Philadelphia’s Zero-Waste Enthusiasts, Trash Strike Barely Registered
While many Philadelphians struggled with growing piles of trash during the recent eight-day strike by sanitation crews and other city workers, zero-waste enthusiasts largely carried on with their daily routines unaffected, writes Meir Rinde for Billy Penn at WHYY. City residents focused on zero-waste and sustainability have found ways to maximize composting, recycling, and reuse,…
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Native Bats Are Helping Curb the Spotted Lanternfly Population
Researchers have found that some native bat species are preying on spotted lanternflies, the invasive insects that arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014 and have since caused millions of dollars in damage to trees and crops, writes Jim Melwert for KYW Newsradio. Erin McHale, a PhD candidate at Rutgers, analyzed uncontaminated bat guano from bats that…
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Get Your Stomping Shoes On: Spotted Lanternfly Season Is Here
Spotted lanternfly season is here once again, and while the last few seasons have seen fewer of them, it remains important to stay vigilant and continue stomping them out, writes Susan Phillips for WHYY. When it first arrived in Pennsylvania from Asia in 2014, scientists were worried that the invasive pest would not have any…
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