‘Maddening’ Proof Plastics Industry Knew Recycling Was False Solution in 1974, New Document Shows

They knew plastics recycling was a sham from the start

By Rebecca John

This work was supported by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism

With international treaty negotiations aimed at addressing the plastic pollution crisis resuming in Switzerland this week, a new document reveals that one of the world’s largest plastic producers, DuPont, acknowledged as early as 1974 that recycling its plastic products was not possible. 

This new discovery also comes against the backdrop of two pending lawsuits alleging that U.S. plastic producers have deceived the public about the feasibility of recycling since the 1980s.

For decades, the plastics industry has publicly advocated recycling as a strategy for managing plastic waste. But the document, a letter written in May 1974 by Charles Brelsford McCoy, a president and board chairman of DuPont, represents the earliest evidence to date of a top-level industry insider admitting that many commonly used plastic products cannot be recycled due to their complex chemical structures.

The letter contains DuPont’s response to an invitation asking the company to join a pilot recycling scheme in honor of the U.S.’s 1976 bicentennial celebrations. DuPont refused. The reason: recycling DuPont’s plastic products was simply “not feasible.”

Found by DeSmog, the correspondence proves that by the early 1970s the plastic industry’s knowledge regarding the limitations of recycling existed at the highest level, not only in the lab but also the C-suite. 

The discovery also casts new light on the plastic industry’s decades-long promotion of recycling as a viable solution to the global plastic waste crisis. 

Charlestown's Earth Care Farms expands with a great new project

Abandoned Connecticut Quarry to be Transformed Into Soil Farm

By Frank Carini / ecoRI News staff

Jayne Merner with her father, Mike, and Birdie at
Earth Care Farm’s Connecticut site.
(Sterling Tougas)

The first family of Rhode Island composting, in search of land to expand their 48-year operation, wound up across the border in the Constitution State.

Jayne Merner, daughter of Mike, the founder of Charlestown, R.I.-based Earth Care Farm, recently told ecoRI News the decision to move to Connecticut was based on land availability, lack of neighbor pressure, and costs. She also said the search was narrowed because they didn’t want to use “good land” and they didn’t want to cut down trees.

They found just the spot, on Newport Road in this small Windham County town. The former gravel pit in northeastern Connecticut was just what the second-generation compost farmer was searching for. 

The 241-acre site needs plenty of work, but the transformation from abandoned gravel yard that features cornfields lost to meadows of mugwort and a cemetery of rocks of all shapes and sizes will begin on 14 acres at the property’s entrance.

For nearly five decades, the Merner family, led by Mike, has played the role of an organic alchemist, making a living turning zoo and stable manure, wood chips, leaves, straw shavings, seaweed, fish guts, coffee grounds, and food scrap into soil.

This nutrient-rich compost helps meet the needs of New England farmers looking for soil enrichment. The Earth Care Farm operation currently generates about 5,000 cubic yards annually of compost certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute. Some 25,000 tons of yard debris, manures, and food scrap is processed to make that compost.

The benefits of organic compost include increased soil fertility, better balanced soil pH, and improved chemical makeup of the soil. It also creates a healthy habitat for microorganisms, and increases drainage, aeration, and the water-holding capacity of soil — all factors that help plants better withstand weather extremes and disease.

Earth Care Farm’s existing composting operation in southern Rhode Island uses 3 acres for its six-stage compost production process and employs four full-time staff and seasonal help.

Merner noted that, with a customer base of 5,000 regional growers, demand has increasingly exceeded production capacity. Hence, the search for more room.

This breakthrough turns old tech into pure gold — No mercury, no cyanide, just light and salt

How to pull gold out of old computers and cell phones SAFELY

Flinders University 

Gold recovered from electronic waste in the Flinders University study.
Credit: Flinders University

An interdisciplinary team of experts in green chemistry, engineering and physics at Flinders University in Australia has developed a safer and more sustainable approach to extract and recover gold from ore and electronic waste.

Explained in the leading journal Nature Sustainability, the gold-extraction technique promises to reduce levels of toxic waste from mining and shows that high purity gold can be recovered from recycling valuable components in printed circuit boards in discarded computers.

The project team, led by Matthew Flinders Professor Justin Chalker, applied this integrated method for high-yield gold extraction from many sources - even recovering trace gold found in scientific waste streams.

The progress toward safer and more sustainable gold recovery was demonstrated for electronic waste, mixed-metal waste, and ore concentrates.

"The study featured many innovations including a new and recyclable leaching reagent derived from a compound used to disinfect water," says Professor of Chemistry Justin Chalker, who leads the Chalker Lab at Flinders University's College of Science and Engineering.

"The team also developed an entirely new way to make the polymer sorbent, or the material that binds the gold after extraction into water, using light to initiate the key reaction."

Extensive investigation into the mechanisms, scope and limitations of the methods are reported in the new study, and the team now plans to work with mining and e-waste recycling operations to trial the method on a larger scale.

"The aim is to provide effective gold recovery methods that support the many uses of gold, while lessening the impact on the environment and human health," says Professor Chalker.

The new process uses a low-cost and benign compound to extract the gold. This reagent (trichloroisocyanuric acid) is widely used in water sanitation and disinfection. When activated by salt water, the reagent can dissolve gold.

Next, the gold can be selectively bound to a novel sulfur-rich polymer developed by the Flinders team. The selectivity of the polymer allows gold recovery even in highly complex mixtures.

The gold can then be recovered by triggering the polymer to "un-make" itself and convert back to monomer. This allows the gold to be recovered and the polymer to be recycled and re-used.

Global demand for gold is driven by its high economic and monetary value but is also a vital element in electronics, medicine, aerospace technologies and other products and industries. However, mining the previous metal can involve the use of highly toxic substances such as cyanide and mercury for gold extraction - and other negative environmental impacts on water, air and land including CO₂ emissions and deforestation.

The aim of the Flinders-led project was to provide alternative methods that are safer than mercury or cyanide in gold extraction and recovery.

The team also collaborated with experts in the US and Peru to validate the method on ore, in an effort to support small-scale mines that otherwise rely on toxic mercury to amalgamate gold.

Gold mining typically uses highly toxic cyanide to extract gold from ore, with risks to the wildlife and the broader environment if it is not contained properly. Artisanal and small-scale gold mines still use mercury to amalgamate gold. Unfortunately, the use of mercury in gold mining is one of the largest sources of mercury pollution on Earth.

Professor Chalker says interdisciplinary research collaborations with industry and environmental groups will help to address highly complex problems that support the economy and the environment.

"We are especially grateful to our engineering, mining, and philanthropic partners for supporting translation of laboratory discoveries to larger scale demonstrations of the gold recovery techniques."

Lead authors of the major new study - Flinders University postdoctoral research associates Dr Max Mann, Dr Thomas Nicholls, Dr Harshal Patel and Dr Lynn Lisboa - extensively tested the new technique on piles of electronic waste, with the aim of finding more sustainable, circular economy solutions to make better use of ever-more-scarce resources in the world. Many components of electronic waste, such as CPU units and RAM cards, contain valuable metals such as gold and copper.

Dr Mann says: "This paper shows that interdisciplinary collaborations are needed to address the world's big problems managing the growing stockpiles of e-waste."

ARC DECRA Fellow Dr Nicholls, adds: "The newly developed gold sorbent is made using a sustainable approach in which UV light is used to make the sulfur-rich polymer. Then, recycling the polymer after the gold has been recovered further increases the green credentials of this method."

Dr Patel says: "We dived into a mound of e-waste and climbed out with a block of gold! I hope this research inspires impactful solutions to pressing global challenges."

"With the ever-growing technological and societal demand for gold, it is increasingly important to develop safe and versatile methods to purify gold from varying sources," Dr Lisboa concludes.

Fast Facts:

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world. In 2022, an estimated 62 million tons of e-waste was produced globally. Only 22.3% was documented as formally collected and recycled.

E-waste is considered hazardous waste as it contains toxic materials and can produce toxic chemicals when recycled inappropriately. Many of these toxic materials are known or suspected to cause harm to human health, and several are included in the 10 chemicals of public health concern, including dioxins, lead and mercury. Inferior recycling of e-waste is a threat to public health and safety.

Miners use mercury, which binds to gold particles in ores, to create what are known as amalgams. These are then heated to evaporate the mercury, leaving behind gold but releasing toxic vapors. Studies indicate that up to 33% of artisanal miners suffer from moderate metallic mercury vapor intoxication.

Between 10 million and 20 million miners in more than 70 countries work in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, including up to 5 million women and children. These operations, which are often unregulated and unsafe, generate 37% of global mercury pollution (838 tons a year) - more than any other sector.

Most informal sites lack the funding and training needed to transition towards mercury-free mining. Despite accounting for 20% of the global gold supply and generating approximately US$30 billion annually, artisanal miners typically sell gold at around 70% of its global market value. Additionally, with many gold mines located in rural and remote areas, miners seeking loans are often restricted to predatory interest rates from illegal sources, pushing demand for mercury.

Monday: Town Hall with Charlestown legislators Sen. Victoria Gu and Rep. Tina Spears

The Bills, the Buzz, and the Big Decisions: RI’s Legislative Year in Review

Join State Senator Victoria Gu and Representative Tina Spears for a lively discussion on what bills passed in the State House, what stalled, how the new laws could impact our community, and give your feedback on priorities for next year. 

Topics include: environment & shoreline access, healthcare, housing, education & technology

 Date: Monday July 7th

 Time: 6-7:30pm

 Location: Quonochontaug Grange Hall, 5662 Post Road, Charlestown, RI, 02813

Compromises on assault weapons, casino smoking and CRMC reform mark end of 2025 session

You can't always get what you want, but if you try some time, you might not even get what you need

On some key issues, General Assembly opts for baby steps

By Nancy Lavin, Christopher Shea and Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

Rep. Teresa Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, speaks in
the House chamber on Friday, June 20, 2025.
(Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current)

Explosive debate over assault-style weapons — what types of guns and owners to restrict, if any — carried through the final day of the 2025 legislative session Friday.

After a series of failed attempts to weaken and strengthen a proposed limit on assault-style weapons, a ban on sales and manufacturing — but not possession —  ultimately prevailed.

True to form, lawmakers found plenty more to debate and discuss over the marathon day that stretched late into the evening. 

As the sun went down, the temperature inside the airless second-floor chambers seemed to rise. On what was the first full day of summer, lawmakers quenched their thirst with Del’s frozen lemonade and an endless carousel of caffeinated beverages.

Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone donned shorts in an unusually casual fashion choice, displaying a rarely seen calf tattoo of his late dog, Gunther.

Senate softens state’s aim on assault weapons 

You can still own an assault-style weapon in Rhode Island, but can’t buy or sell it. That’s the gist of the legislation approved by both chambers in an eleventh-hour rework aimed at appeasing at least some of its critics.

The rewrite was led by the Senate, which kicked off its marathon session with an hour-long debate, culminating in a 25-11 vote, to approve the bill banning the manufacture and sale of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns with military-style features beginning July 1, 2026. It does not address inheritance of these weapons.

“The expectation over time is the proliferation of assault-style weapons, as specified in the bill, will go down,” Sen. Lou DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat and bill sponsor, said. “We need to get this done today.”

The Senate’s checkmate forced the House, which had already approved a more restrictive version that also banned possession, to reconsider. The lower chamber eventually caved to the Senate’s less stringent counterpart by a 43-28 vote just before 9:30 p.m.

The House’s vote came after a nearly two-hour break likely marked by behind-the-scenes negotiations, and an additional, five-minute recess for representatives to familiarize themselves with the Senate’s changes.

“This bill cuts off the supply of weapons of war for the long haul at the point of sale,” Rep. Jennifer Boylan, a Barrington Democrat and gun safety advocate, said. 

Rep. Jason Knight, a Barrington Democrat, also backed the Senate version, despite its significant changes from the more sweeping ban he had successfully advanced through the House chamber already.

“The two bills in their effect on the ground are closer to each other than you think,” Knight said, noting that the difficulty in procuring a new assault-style weapon even in other states prevents expansion of the “universe” of such weapons in Rhode Island.

Yet, the compromise was met with some dissatisfaction from both sides. The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence had denounced the “watering down” of what had been a much more sweeping ban on assault-style weapons. 

Sen. Pamela Lauria, a Barrington Democrat, sought to amend DiPalma’s bill to mirror the House version, despite the Senate Committee on Judiciary opting to hold the stronger option for further study on Wednesday. 

“As we look to pass critical legislation regarding assault weapons, we should have taken the opportunity to pass the best version of this bill,” Lauria said.

But after Senate Republicans, along with Ciccone, raised objections, Senate President Valarie Lawson ruled that Lauria was out of order.

Republicans, along with some conservative Democrats, and gun rights groups maintained that no ban at all was the answer. All four Senate Republicans, plus some conservative Democrats, voted against the ban on the manufacture and sale of assault-style weapons.

Across the rotunda, Cranston Rep. Charlene Lima, a conservative Democrat, also denounced the compromise bill for going too far. Her critiques were met with raucous applause from yellow T-shirt-wearing Second Amendment supporters seated in the gallery. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi issued a stern rebuke, noting the seriousness of the topic before them.

“We will not have interruptions,” Shekarchi told onlookers. “If there is another uproar, I will close the gallery and you can watch on TV.”

Despite the warning, gun rights advocates booed after the House passed the amended bill.

The final version drew support from Everytown for Gun Safety, which maintained the language still covers the majority of the assault-style weapons frequently used in mass shootings. The Rhode Island AFL-CIO, a strong supporter of Lawson, also backed the proposal in a statement Thursday pointing to the union’s February poll that found 64% of residents support “banning the sale and manufacture of military-style assault weapons” in the state. 

Gov. Dan McKee, who had posed the weapons ban as a budget issue earlier in the year, confirmed via social media he will sign the measure into law.

“I’m proud that Rhode Island took an important step forward in protecting our communities from gun violence,” he posted to X at 9:50 p.m.

Clearing the air in R.I.’s two casinos

Bally’s two Rhode Island casinos will be slightly less smoky starting in 2027 — 18 months later than its advocates wanted.

The delayed start combined with a second, late-in-the-session clawback prompted longtime advocate and sponsor Rep. Teresa Tanzi to withdraw her name from her own bill after the opposite chamber added a carveout for smoking bars within casinos. Tanzi was one of four Democratic representatives to vote against the bill she introduced, though it prevailed with 67 supporters in the House Friday.

Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, railed against the revised proposal, declaring it was “nothing like” her original, which had called for the smoking ban to start July 1, 2025, with no exceptions.

Rather than banning smoking in Bally’s Corp.’s Lincoln and Tiverton casinos altogether, the amended legislation adds an exemption for smoking lounges with a new, hazy definition, Tanzi argued.

“This does not prevent Bally’s from expanding cigarette smoking or cigar smoking or vaping or, I don’t know, cannabis,” Tanzi said. “It’s really not clear to me what this new definition is because there’s all of a sudden a brand-new definition about smoking lounges.”

Existing state law defines “smoking bars” as businesses where tobacco sales are greater than 50% of its total revenue. The amended version offers new meaning for a – “pari mutual facility smoking lounge,” defined as any kind of smoking bar with a “proper ventilation system” that will “prevent the migration of smoke to nonsmoking areas.”

In Tanzi’s interpretation, that means any walled-off section of the casino floors could remain a smokers’ paradise.

The Senate already approved the modified smoking ban under a unanimous vote Wednesday. Though Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski sponsored her chamber’s version, Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone brokered the compromised legislation after initially seeking to reach an agreement between Bally’s and union leaders to expand existing nonsmoking areas at the Lincoln facility. 

Bally’s Corp. officials had opposed the proposed smoking ban, citing a potential annual revenue loss of $30 million to $60 million. Company spokesperson Patti Doyle thanked legislators for the compromise.

“Confining smoking to an existing smoking lounge at our Lincoln venue and allowing for a delayed transition away from smoking on the gaming floor will hopefully mitigate a portion of that anticipated revenue loss to the state,” Doyle said in a statement late Friday.

Union workers who for years have decried the health consequences of smoke-filled working conditions reluctantly agreed to the compromise version as “the best we could get,” Tanzi said Friday. However, the union wants to revisit the topic when lawmakers reconvene, either in a possible fall session in October or when it starts its next regular session in January, Tanzi said.

“I had a lot more faith in our legislators,” Vanessa Baker, an iGaming manager at Bally’s Twin River Casino in Lincoln, said in a phone interview Friday. “I thought they thought we were people.”

15th time’s a charm on payday lending reform

Cracking down on predatory payday lending practices drew strong support in the Rhode Island Senate Friday. The 27-6 vote came swiftly and with little debate — a stark contrast to the 15-year battle to move the legislation out of committee to the chamber for a vote.

Having already passed in the House with unanimous support Monday, the Senate’s endorsement sets the stage for the long-awaited end to triple digit interest rates on short-term, small-dollar loans — though not as soon as some advocates had hoped. A last-minute revision delayed the start date till January 2027 in an effort to give time to the “deferred deposit providers” like Advance America to wind down operations, and for their employees to find new jobs.

Under existing law, these storefront lenders had been able to take advantage of a loophole in state law to charge an annual percentage rate up to 360%. The legislation caps the annual interest and fees at no more than 36%, mirroring policies already adopted by 22 states and the federal government.

Kicking the can on a bottle bill

Rather than start prescribing specifics of a deposit-refund program for recyclable bottles, glasses and cans, both chambers approved a modified bottle bill Friday that advances only a small component of the original calling for yet another study of the policy. 

The 53-11 and 36-0 votes in the House and Senate, respectively, came with reluctant support from Democratic backers who blamed opposing retailers and beverage manufacturers for mounting a misinformation-laden opposition campaign.

“There is still a great deal of conflicting data as to the implementation of best practices to address the problems of improving and disposing of our recyclable products, as well as enhancing our anti-littering efforts,” Shekarchi said in a statement earlier this week.

Rep. Carol McEntee, a South Kingstown Democrat and bill sponsor, also expressed disappointment, stating outright that the watered-down version is not a bottle bill at all, calling just for a series of studies.

Instead, the legislation calls for a “statewide implementation analysis” to be conducted by a third-party consultant hired by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. The study would now be due no later than Dec. 1, 2026, with an interim status report due April 1, 2026. The state-hired consultant would consider the conclusions drawn by an 18-month legislative study commission, and the original bottle bills.

McEntee, who co-chaired the prior study commission, has already indicated she’s planning to introduce a full-fledged bottle bill again next session, even though the state analysis will not be finished yet.

CRMC membership changes on the horizon

Change is coming to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, though not the sweeping reform advocates wanted. Rather than abolishing the politically appointed council and reshaping the agency as an administrative authority, lawmakers in both chambers narrowly agreed to a more modest update.

The bills, approved by 49-19 and 25-10 votes in the House and Senate, respectively, Friday, reduce the size of the council from 10 to seven members, simultaneously shrinking the quorum requirement in a nod to the vacancy issues that have plagued the existing panel. And it adds new professional qualifications for the powerful coastal regulatory body, specifically requiring an engineer, a coastal biologist and an environmental organization representative to sit on the new council. 

The existing council does not have any expertise requirements, though members must represent a variety of municipalities based on size and coastal proximity.

How fast the refresh occurs depends largely on how fast new candidates can be found; the legislation calls for Gov. Dan McKee to name six appointees (the seventh is designated as a DEM representative) no later than March 1, 2026. But the bill also says existing members can continue to serve until their replacements are named.

Progressive Democrats and Republicans joined in opposition, with the former insisting the membership changes fell too far short of more comprehensive reforms needed.

Legislators reprimand McKee with anti-bid rigging bill

McKee just can’t seem to escape the stain left by a 2021 state education contract scandal, with an anti bid-rigging bill included on the legislature’s final calendar of the session.

The Rhode Island Senate’s unanimous approval Friday, following passage in the House two days prior, aims to close a loophole in state procurement law by expressly forbidding public officials and administrators from intentionally interfering with the process by which the state awards competitive contracts to outside vendors. 

The need for specificity was laid bare by an investigation by Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office and Rhode Island State Police into a state education contract awarded to the ILO Group. State investigators ultimately found insufficient evidence to charge McKee for steering the $5.2 million school reopening contract to one of his former adviser’s friends — in part because there was nothing in state law saying that he could not.

The newly approved legislation, however, imposes strict penalties on state officials and vendors who participate in future collusion or bid-rigging activities: a felony charge punishable by up to three years in prison and a $1 million fine (or three times the value of the contract, whichever is greater). Vendors found to have participated in bid-rigging or steering activities are also no longer able to perform work for the state for up to five years.

McKee still needs to sign the legislation for it to become law — uncertain given documented attempts by his aides to dismantle the bill earlier in the session. McKee’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment later Friday.

Opposition couldn’t break levy bill

The General Assembly OK’d Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s request to exceed the state’s annual 4% tax levy cap, clearing the way for a 7.5% increase in the amount of property taxes the city can collect in fiscal year 2026.

Providence Democrats Rep. Rebecca Kislak and Sen. Sam Zurier introduced the bound-to-be unpopular bill in their respective chambers. 

The House was the first to grant the city’s wish, passing Kislak’s bill in a 56-17 vote on May 27. The Senate passed Zurier’s version 30-7 on Wednesday. On Friday night, each chamber voted to concur with the other’s version of the bill, finalizing its passage out of the State House and toward McKee’s desk.

In the House, Zurier’s bill passed 57-14, with opposition from all 10 Republicans plus four Democrats, including Providence Reps. Enrique Sanchez and David Morales. In the Senate, Kislak’s bill passed 27-7, with Providence Democratic Sens. Sam Bell, Tiara Mack and Ana Quezada expressing disapproval similar to their House colleagues.

The extra revenue from the tweaked levy cap is meant to help resolve a budget shortfall introduced last November by a $15 million settlement between the city and the state’s education department over Providence’s public schools. The mayor, with the Providence City Council’s somewhat reluctant approval, has been counting on the levy measure as the critical piece in the city’s fiscal 2026 budget. While the mayor’s budget technically lowers property tax rates, new property valuations mean many homeowners will still see higher tax bills.   

WPRI-12 reported Wednesday that Smiley has asked McKee to sign the legislation as soon as it arrives on his desk. But even with the General Assembly’s blessing, it’s not clear if the added tax revenue will arrive in time to shore up the city’s fiscal 2026 budget, Smiley told the news station. 

Kratom clears Senate

For the second year in a row, a bill to regulate the psychoactive drug known as kratom arrived at the final night of the legislative session. Unlike last year, when the bill provoked a fierce debate in the Senate, it sailed through the chamber with a 22-9 vote.

The House version encountered more vigorous resistance when it went up for a floor vote on May 29. It passed 40-24, with a mix of Republicans, Democrats and one independent lawmaker decrying easier access to the plant-derived drug, which can be used as an opioid substitute or a stimulant.  

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy, a Westerly Democrat, and Sen. Hanna Gallo, a Cranston Democrat, with the intent of bringing kratom — a product already available in gray markets like gas stations or head shops — into the sphere of regulation and taxation. This year’s bill is 25 pages, compared to last year’s six, and it would mandate strict labeling, testing, and age restrictions around kratom commerce, as well as limitations on what products could be sold mixed with kratom.

Last year, McKee vetoed the legislation — an outcome sponsors tried to avoid this year by working with the governor and the state health department to craft a more agreeable bill.

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Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com.

URI Cooperative Extension program aims to rescue and recycle food by changing the way Rhode Islanders interact with it

Course applications now open for six-week Food Recovery for Rhode Island

Kristen Curry

Applications are open for Food Recovery for Rhode Island at the University of Rhode Island (FRRI), a community education program for Rhode Islanders offered through URI Cooperative Extension. The six-week course includes online coursework and field experiences that can be completed at participants’ convenience.

Attendees learn how to make the most of their grocery purchases, preserving and storing them properly. Through hands-on experiences exploring the local food system on farms, community gardens, and in kitchens, participants will:

• Gain skills in canning, pickling, dehydrating and freezing the harvest
• Improve their home composting 
• Get involved with community composting
• Rescue surplus food
• Network with inspiring organizations making changes at the grassroots level
• Learn about employment helping schools establish share tables and compost sorting stations in the cafeteria

The reasons for making changes are clear. Wasted food is the most common item in Rhode Island’s Central Landfill with 100,000 tons entering the landfill each year. Yet 38% of state residents experience food insecurity and the demand for food assistance has increased 9% in the past year. Each month, approximately 84,400 Rhode Islanders seek assistance at food pantries across the state.

All Rhode Islanders benefit from reduction of greenhouse gasses by diverting material from the state landfill. In the meantime, community members also benefit when food can be diverted to hunger relief agencies, helping to bolster the state’s emergency food system. 

One participant, Laurel Spears, is using what she learned in her work at the Tomaquag Museum, teaching the indigenous community about modern composting methods, exploring traditional food preservation techniques, and promoting the importance of foraging, growing, and utilizing produce in its entirety.

Want clothes made of natural fiber?

How about worm slime? Seriously.

McGill University

A new discovery about the slime ejected by velvet worms could revolutionize sustainable material design, according to a study by McGill University researchers. 

Their findings outline how a naturally occurring protein structure, conserved across species from Australia, Singapore and Barbados over nearly 400 million years of evolution, enables the slime's transformation from liquid to fiber and back again. It's a discovery that could inspire next-generation recyclable bioplastics.

"Nature has already figured out a way to make materials that are both strong and recyclable," said Matthew Harrington, a chemistry professor and Canada Research Chair in green chemistry, who led the study.

"By decoding the molecular structure of velvet worm slime, we're now one step closer to replicating that efficiency for the materials we use every day."

Velvet worms, small caterpillar-like creatures found in humid forests of the southern hemisphere, use their slime to capture prey.

When ejected, the slime rapidly hardens into fibers as strong as nylon.

Bevy of bills by area legislators advance

As the end of this year's General Assembly nears, local legislators push to get bills passed

Senate OKs Gu bill protecting parking at shore access points

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu to protect the public’s access to the shore by establishing requirements that must be followed before parking can be reduced or restricted near any Coastal Resources Management Council designated right of way.

The bill is part of a package of bills sponsored in the Senate by Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) and in the House by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) to protect public shoreline access.

The bill (2025-S 0716aa) would set requirements that municipalities, private agencies and other organizations would have to follow before they could reduce or restrict parking near designated CRMC rights of way. These requirements would include submitting a comprehensive parking plan, analyzing the impact on accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act and conducting a public comment period of at least 30 days. It would also allow the CRMC and DEM to enforce these requirements and impose fines and penalties if they are violated. Any fines and penalties would go into a newly created Rhode Island Shoreline Access Improvement Fund, a restricted receipt account that will be used to support projects enhancing public access to the shoreline.

The bill now goes to the House, where Representative Cortvriend is sponsoring its companion (2025-H 6093).

“Sometimes, local governments — often pressured by nearby property owners — will remove or reduce public parking near beach access points. This makes it harder for the public to visit, since fewer people will come if they can’t park nearby. This legislation provides guardrails and a public, transparent process if there is any effort to reduce or restrict the parking available near a CRMC-designated right of way to the shore,” said Senator Gu.

In recent years changes to parking near public rights of way have drawn complaints from members of the public who say that they serve to restrict public access to only those who already live on the waterfront.

House approves Fogarty bill that would allow driver education in an instructor-led virtual format

The House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would allow virtual driver education classes.

The bill (2025-H 5731A) would permit instructor-led virtual instruction for driver education until July 1, 2027, and calls for an evaluation of the program.

“Not everyone has access to driver’s education classrooms, and many students prefer virtual learning, particularly those with physical or learning challenges,” said Representative Fogarty. “It also provides an alternative for families whose parents may not be able to take the time off to bring their children to driving instruction in traditional classrooms.”

Mary Maguire, vice president of public and government affairs for AAA Northeast, testified in favor of the bill, telling the House Committee on State Government and Elections, “During the pandemic, students could only take driver education virtually, and the format proved to be very effective. During the pandemic, we taught almost 100 virtual classes to more than 2,300 Rhode Island students. We found that our virtually trained students’ average test scores were almost identical to what they were before COVID.”

Under the terms of the legislation, the Board of Education would be required to provide a report comparing test scores of virtual versus in-person instruction to the speaker of the House and president of the Senate no later than Sept. 1, 2027.

The measure now moves to the Senate where similar legislation (2025-S 0832) has been introduced by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton, Little Compton).      

Senate approves Sosnowski legislation creating license to harvest invasive green crabs

Schoodic Institute/Suzannah Buzzell

The Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that would create a license for the harvesting of green crabs.

The European green crab is an invasive species in Rhode Island’s coastal waters. Like many invasive species, the green crab poses a threat to the ecosystem and is particularly harmful for shellfish and eelgrass habitats, which serve as nurseries for native marine species.

The bill (2025-S 0938A) would authorize the Department of Environmental Management to offer commercial licenses for the taking of green crabs subject to a fee of $10.

“Not only are green crabs an invasive species, they are also a high-protein food source,” said Senator Sosnowski, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture. “Under current state law, they can only be caught with a $200 non-lobster crustacean endorsement add-on to the DEM marine license. A $10 license exclusively for green crabs would greatly increase access to the harvesting of a species that is endangering native sea life, including quahogs and blue crabs.”

The measure now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 6157) has been introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown).           

Senate approves Sosnowski bid to make clean air, soil and climate a state constitutional right

The Senate approved a resolution introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that seeks to add a Green Amendment to the state constitution.

The resolution (2025-S 0327) would ask the state’s voters to amend Article I of the state constitution to provide all people in the state with an inherent, inalienable, indefeasible and self-executing right to clean air, health and uncontaminated soil, a life supporting climate and the preservation of the environment’s natural, scenic and recreational values.

“When it comes to protecting the environment, Rhode Island has always been a leader, and I’m proud that the General Assembly has prioritized protecting the vast natural resources of our small state,” said Senator Sosnowski, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture. “This would ask Rhode Island voters to forever enshrine in our constitution the protection of these resources for present and future generations.”

If enacted, Rhode Island would join Montana, Pennsylvania and New York in preserving environmental rights in its constitution.

The measure, which would be placed on the ballot at the next statewide general election, now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 5732) has been introduced by Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), who chairs the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Senate passes DiMario’s textile recycling bill

UpriseRI

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Alana M. DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) that would create a public outreach campaign about textile recycling.

“This legislation is needed because most of the public does not realize that textiles can be recycled and that recycled textiles are a valuable commodity.  And by increasing the practice of textile recycling, we will also be able to extend the life of the state’s landfill, which is rapidly approaching its capacity.  At a time when we are striving to create a more sustainable way of life, this bill will move us closer to that goal,” said Senator DiMario.

According to the most recent data, an estimated 28,860 tons of textiles from residential, industrial and commercial institutions were delivered to the landfill per year, and the state’s only landfill will reach its capacity by 2046.

The legislation (2025-S 0324) would create a public education outreach program to educate residential households and commercial businesses on the value of, and proper methods to, recycle textiles in the state.  The bill also contains a reporting and accountability requirement to measure if the outreach and education program is effective in helping individuals, businesses, and municipalities increase their textile recycling rates and divert textiles from the landfill.

It was developed with input from the Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, the League of Cities and Towns, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI).  Organizations like BBBSRI recycle non-usable textiles and utilize the profits to fund essential programs.  In addition, cities and towns will benefit from reduced tipping fees if textiles are recycled properly as opposed to being thrown away.

The bill now heads to the House for consideration, where Rep. Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence) has introduced the legislation (2025-H 5293).  Representative Hull’s bill was approved by the House on March 20 and was passed by the Senate Environment and Agricultural Committee on May 28.

R.I.’s bottle bill faces fierce industry opposition despite commission’s two-year effort

Spending big bucks to block needed legislation

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

It was supposed to be a compromise between environmental and business interests. Rhode Island’s beverage sale industry representatives agreed to help work on a solution two years ago when a legislative study commission formed to study the best way to craft a deposit-refund program for recyclable bottles and cans.

But at least two of the commission’s 20 members, both of whom work in the industry, remained firmly opposed to two of the “three bottle bills” receiving an initial vetting before the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture Wednesday.

Their displeasure was targeted toward a bill sponsored by Sen. Bridget Valverde, a North Kingstown Democrat, and another bill by Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat, calling for a 10-cent fee on individual beverage containers. Consumers could get their money back upon returning the containers to designated redemption sites run by a nonprofit contractor hired by beverage producers.

The point of a redemption program is twofold: to discourage littering and to reduce the waste accumulating in the state’s Central Landfill in Johnston. A report published last month by the commission notes roughly 1,000 tons of microplastic was detected by University of Rhode Island researchers within the sediment of Narragansett Bay — which ultimately end up being consumed by marine species that humans then eat.

Of the six New England states, only Rhode Island and New Hampshire do not have a bottle refund program.

But reaching a compromise with industry leaders was always going to be an uphill battle. Even before the final report was issued in April, five beverage industry members who sat on the commission issued a letter stating they supported none of the recommendations for a proposed bottle deposit program, citing concerns over cost, implementation, and balance issues in the region.

“The intention of this bill is definitely honorable,” Rhode Island Food Dealers Executive Director Scott Bromberg, who served on the commission, told lawmakers Wednesday. “But we beg the question: Is this the right time to propose additional fees to everyday, regular Rhode Islanders?”

He added that businesses would ultimately pass on the 10-cent fee to consumers — at a time when tariffs threaten to drive prices even higher.

“While 10 cents may not seem like a lot on one bottle, $2.40 for a case of $5 bottles of water is significant,” Bromberg said. “This can be recouped, but return is often unpredictable.”

Nicholas Fede Jr., executive director for the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative, also served on the commission, said the state should instead focus on updating existing curbside infrastructure to better sort out recyclable materials that may end up crushed in the landfill.

“People want to do the easiest thing possible, and that is curbside,” Fede told the committee. “The fact that we’re going to make people take their recyclables to a redemption center is a massive inconvenience.”

McKenney, commission co-chair, sees a bottle bill as an obligation to a cleaner future.

“We can kick the can down the road — it can be our children’s problem, it could be our grandchildren’s problem,” said McKenney, a Warwick Democrat. “But we do have to ask what kind of state we are leaving for them.”

Lack of consensus

Bottle bill supporters and opponents have tried to show the public is on their side. But the results of surveys on the subject favor whoever commissioned the poll.

A survey released Tuesday by a group calling itself Stop the Rhode Island Bottle Tax found that 60% of 600 respondents were opposed to the legislation. The group is backed by the American Beverage Association. EDITOR'S NOTE: I was one of those called for this poll. I said I supported the deposit bill. It was a "push" poll where the questions were designed to give them the answers they wanted, but not with me. - Will Collette

Study Commission Recommends R.I. Implement Both Bottle Bill and Extended Producer Responsibility Program

Or perhaps we'll get neither

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

Ban nips - reduce roadside litter AND drunk driving

After 18 months of study, more than a dozen meetings, and hundreds of pieces of testimony, evidence, and presentations, Rhode Island’s joint study commission on plastic waste released its report, which revealed, unsurprisingly, that legislation in support of a bottle bill faces steep opposition.

The bottle bill is one of those pieces of environmental legislation that remain stuck in a state of political limbo. Advocates and pro-bottle bill lawmakers every year lobby heavily for the state to adopt a bottle deposit system, where consumers can turn in empty plastic bottles and other containers in exchange for a small refund, but the legislation rarely escapes committee.

It’s popular with environmental groups and residents who say they are sick of finding alcohol nips and other plastic waste littering parking lots, waterways, roadsides, and parks. But the legislation has always been extremely unpopular with the state’s beverage distributors and liquor stores.

The bottle bill commission, led by Rep. Carol McEntee, D-South Kingstown, a longstanding sponsor of such legislation, and Sen. Mark McKenney, D-Warwick, was an attempt to study the issue more thoroughly and hopefully reach some kind of compromise between bottle bill advocates and opponents.

Rhode Island environmental nonprofits sue Trump administration over funding freeze

Unanswered question: will federally-funded grants be honored?

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Urban tree plantings, lead pipe education for landlords and local composting are already suffering from the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze, a new lawsuit filed in federal court in Providence contends.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island on March 14, followed by an amended complaint filed Monday, is the latest legal dispute over federal grants and aid rendered inaccessible since mid-January. Led by a group of Rhode Island and national nonprofits, the lawsuit centers on federal funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act set aside for environmental, health and safety projects.

Plaintiffs

• Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council
• Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District
• Childhood Lead Action Project
• Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
• Green Infrastructure Center
• National Council of Nonprofits 

In the wake of Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 order “Unleashing American Energy” seeking to pause funding approved under a pair of spending packages, nonprofit recipients have been forced to halt projects and contemplate layoffs, the complaint states.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I contacted DEM to determine whether recently awarded grants to local farms with federal funding had actually received the federal funds to actually pay the grants. DEM did not respond. I also asked the General Assembly media bureau whether the Administration would actually continue to operate the US-Canada Northeastern Forest Fire Prevention Commission (local state Rep. Megan Cotter was recently appointed to serve).  Answer: unknown. There's also $3 million in federal funding to Rhode Island to fight climate change that is caught in Trump-Musk limbo.- Will Collette

Bamboo takeout containers offer a sustainable alternative free of ‘forever chemicals’

This might actually work

Lou Bosshart

Researchers examine bamboo takeout containers
—one intact and one deteriorated.
Photo: Lou Bosshart/UBC

A UBC student has developed bamboo-based takeout containers that are as durable as conventional options, don’t rely on harmful “forever chemicals” and break down quickly in natural conditions.

Forever chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are commonly used in disposable packaging for their oil- and grease-resistant properties. However, they persist in the environment and have been linked to plastic pollution and serious health concerns.

With support from industry partner Bambooers Lifestyle Concept Limited, Camryn Collette, a forestry master’s student, has developed takeout plates made from bamboo and a natural, starch-based PFAS alternative. This biodegradable substance provides similar grease resistance to PFAS without the environmental cost, and meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety standards.

Drop off electronic waste at Rippy's on February 15th

Fellow Charlestown Residents, The Charlestown Town Council will have their first regular meeting of the month on Monday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The agenda packet can be read here. There is also a link for watching the live stream of the meeting. CRU is sponsoring an Electronics Recycling Drop Off: Date: February 15th, 2025 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Location: Rippy's Parking Lot More information: see the CRU website Hope to see you there! With Thanks, Tim Quillen, Chair Charlestown Residents United Paid for by Charlestown Residents United P.O. Box 412 Charlestown, RI 02813 Visit our Website