Once the Roman Empire crashed, so too did metal production in Britain. Luckily, scavenged metal could be reforged or used as is (because they needed spoons).

Sewage is a vital part of a circular economy—and we have the tech to make good use of it. Why don’t we?

In Egypt's capital, members of an impoverished Coptic population strengthen community ties while making a living as ragpickers.

Far from ushering in a zero-waste world, the switch from returnables to recycling provided cover for the creation of ever more packaging trash.

Startups worldwide convert refuse into energy, biomaterials, and more food.

Neither banning nor recycling will rid us of Styrofoam. Can we live without it?

New polymers meant to either biodegrade or to last longer would reduce waste. So what is taking science so long to create them? Well, it's complicated.

Although a car seems like a long-term capital investment, it is only a crash or disaster away from becoming two tons of mass-consumer junk.

A new technology allows ships to dredge the ocean for plastic, then compress it into bricks. But plastic recycling has proved difficult in the past.