Philly Talks Trash: Litter and Dumping

July Program: Litter and Dumping (Fugitive Waste)

July 21st, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Construction and Demolition, or C&D waste, is a by-product of home and commercial renovation, demolition, and new construction. Highly recyclable, this waste has its own legal classification and handling requirements. In violation of regulations, as much as 20% of waste collected by the City of Philadelphia is C&D waste, and to avoid the expense of proper disposal, contractors and unlicensed haulers dump the waste in parks, vacant lots, and public streets all over Philadelphia. Studies report that $48 million a year is spent in Philadelphia on clean-up and anti-litter programs.

During this month’s Philly Talks Trash program, we will discuss solutions to this issue with Shari Hersh, Director of Environmental Justice at Mural Arts Philadelphia, along with Teea Tynes, a Community Health Worker helping to combat dumping in her North Philadelphia neighborhood. We will also hear from Alan Burns of Burns & Co. Waste Recycling Center, a second-generation, family-owned business receiving and processing C&D waste for recycling, as well as Maurice Jones of PAR Recycle Works, a non-profit electronics recycler that provides transitional employment to people returning from prison.