Trash Circle
Trash Circle+Trash Academy’s Residency at RAIR (Recycled Artists in Residence) is an exploration and deep dive into the world of C&D (construction and demolition) waste, an often overlooked aspect of our trash and waste system. C&D waste is primarily generated during the construction, renovation and demolition of buildings, roads, and bridges. Over 600 million tons of C&D waste was generated in 2018, nearly twice the amount generated by national municipal waste systems. Understanding the origins and impacts of C&D waste is an essential component of achieving a sustainable waste management system.
An implosion: A deep dive into the hidden connections between drywall, the “building boom”, and dumping in Philly, with proposed solutions that intersect with many of the drivers of the dumping crisis in historically marginalized communities.
After completing a participatory research phase, stakeholders joined Trash Academy + Friends to a live “implosion” activity. The live implosion helped this group of people who are deeply involved in dumping, C+D waste, and litter to visualize the often unseen causes to the pervasive dumping problem in Philadelphia, including its environmental justice, climate, social, and economic dimensions. The visualization and information shared during the event formed the basis of an engaging, graphically designed tool to deploy in the service of educating and effecting change around this often overlooked aspect of our waste system. The project is part of a campaign to end dumping in Philly.
Dumping in Philly & Clues to Solutions
Trash Circle
Teach-ins
Issue: Litter is both an environmental and racial justice issue, disproportionately affecting black and brown communities.
Solution: Trash Academy, a project of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Environmental Justice Department, uses art, games, and participatory research to shift attitudes and prompt collective action around trash and waste.
Action: Follow @trash.academy on Instagram for upcoming events, including monthly virtual meetings!
Links:
fb: Trash Academy
ig: @Trash.Academy
Issue: Construction and demolition (C&D) waste account for approximately 600 million tons of trash annually in the United States — more than twice the amount of municipal solid waste.
Solution: RAIR offers Philadelphia-area artists access to over 450 tons of trash per day, to creatively explore waste culture and promote dialogue about sustainability.
Action: Follow RAIR on social media for events and opportunities to donate!
Links:
fb: RAIR Philly
ig: @RAIR_Philly
Issue: Litter is both an environmental and racial justice issue, disproportionately affecting black and brown communities.
Solution: Trash Academy, a project of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Environmental Justice Department, uses art, games, and participatory research to shift attitudes and prompt collective action around trash and waste.
Action: Follow @trash.academy on Instagram for upcoming events, including monthly virtual meetings!
Links:
fb: Trash Academy
ig: @Trash.Academy
Issue: Trash, litter, and illegal dumping are blighting our neighborhoods.
Solution: As individuals, we can make choices to consume as little as possible, and make the conscious decision to challenge and reprioritize our lifestyles to ensure the health of the natural world for present and future generations.
Action: Wherever you are, clean up your community! Don’t wait - start today!
Links:
Issue: The Brookhaven landfill contributes to health problems in the nearby Black, Latinx, and Unkechaug Indigenous communities.
Solution: BLARG is pushing for a shutdown of the Brookhaven landfill and a move towards a system of zero waste, including a community composting initiative.
Action: Follow BLARG on Facebook to learn about composting, zero waste, and more!
Links:
Issue: Most products follow a linear path from resource extraction, to production, consumption, and finally, disposal. This system exploits people and the planet at every step, generating profit for the powerful, and leaving the rest of us behind. But students have the power to challenge this system!
Solution: Students have the power to challenge this system! Whether blockading the path of a pipeline, starting a compost program, or distributing an informative zine about upcycling across campus, everyone has skills they can use to intervene. Interested in starting a PLAN chapter on your campus? Click here for resources and support!
Links:
Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN)
fb: PLAN
ig: @postlandfill