Why Solving Waste Has To Be Local
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Provided by: Institute for Local Self-Reliance|Published on: September 29, 2025
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this 30-minute podcast episode from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, students will understand the importance of keeping waste management solutions local.
- Students will understand the environmental impact of incinerators, elements of environmental justice, and how composting, recycling, and reuse solutions have economic benefits.
Subjects: Economics, Civics
Authors: Danny Caine, Brenda Platt
Region: United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The sentiment that local action is where change happens is one that empowers students and makes big, insurmountable issues seem more manageable.
- The podcast guest speaks in a bright, engaging manner that will keep students listening.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand methane as a greenhouse gas and the concept of carbon sinks.
- Teachers may want to define the term "areas of least political resistance" before students listen. It may also benefit students to have a background in environmental justice.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The podcast host makes a few references to AI data centers and their environmental impacts. Students can watch this video to get an idea of some of the environmental impacts associated with these data centers.
- After listening, students can explore their city's waste management plan and propose solutions to make policies more locally-based.
- Teachers can connect this podcast to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by asking students to use evidence from the podcast to support the claim that local waste management solutions support SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 13, Climate Action.
- Some students may benefit from having the transcript in front of them to follow along as they listen.
In this podcast episode, the host and guest discuss how our waste management systems work, the problems with them, and why composting and recycling are beneficial alternatives. They also discuss how different people and organizations approach changing these systems and why using locally based solutions are most beneficial for the climate and communities. The guest talks about how to best engage others in this work and have conversations about climate change in general, which will help anyone who wants to take action. The episode also discusses environmental justice and racism, and specifically how disadvantaged communities disproportionately suffer the consequences of our current waste management systems. The information discussed is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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