Trends to Watch: Landfill Mining

When I separate my trash, how do I know I’m putting the ‘recyclable’ bits in the right bucket?

Without being an expert in waste handling, I don’t really know.

Plus, if there’s an innovation in the waste processing – and something previously bound for the landfill can now be re-processed, the non-waste-handling experts among us would be the last to know.

Meaning a great deal of potentially useful resources are still getting buried, along with years of other now-useful bits.

What if we could mine landfills, for all the un-recycled treasures they’re holding prisoner?

Forget ANWR, we need to encourage drilling for oil in Puente Hills.

If not oil from plastics or aluminum from cans, how about just the land itself?

“At some point the land upon which landfills are located will become too valuable to leave as landfills….” Patrick Atkins, president of Atkins 360 LLC

This post inspired by MPR’s “Food: the next frontier in recycling” report

(Yes, this goes back to my single-sort post)

Give Me $5 For Follow

Since the beginning for 2009, I’ve been ‘following’ 1 Dunbar of people on Twitter.

Since not everyone in that 150 posts at the same frequency, things are pretty quiet (arguably a good thing). I’d like to add a few more of you to the mix, but I don’t know who.

So, I thought I’d put the question in your hands while simultaneously putting a price on the attention I’ll be giving you 1.

If you’re on Twitter and I’m not currently following you – and you’d like me to – I’m asking $5.


Your Twitter Handle



1. Background on this concept can be found at: What Andrew Baron Should Be Selling: Following and Twitter: Build a Revenue Stream on Dunbar’s Number

First Crack 117. Paul & Scott from 45th Parallel Spirits

A couple years back Scott Davis and Paul Werni founded 45th Parallel Spirits, a distillery in New Richmond, WI – just a quick 45 minute drive from northeast Minneapolis. While there are number of craft brewers in the region, 45th Parallel is the only still I know of. Paul, Scott, and I talk about the distilling process and the benefits of sourcing locally.

[33 min].

Left in Leipzig

“A wall calendar showed August 1988 and an empty bottle of Vita Cola, Marella margarine, Juwel cigarettes and a bottle of Kristall vodka were in the kitchen.”

Reminds me of an art installation I saw during my time in Germany.

Imagine a room.

With a single, wall-sized, framed painting leaning against the wall.

Hanging tools littering the floor.

As I pondered this room, a woman approached me, and gave me the background.

In Soviet Russia, it was common for workers to just stop. Mid-task. And walk away, onto another task. Different orders.

Also, if you haven’t seen it, Goodbye Lenin is quite enjoyable.

First Crack 116. Garrick Talks About the Legends of Paul Bunyan

It’s a new year, with a new president. An ideal time to clear the ground for a new America.

To start the chopping, Garrick reviews Legends of Paul Bunyan by Harold W. Felton touching on a boyhood trip to Paul Bunyan Land and the story of Sport the Reversible Dog.

[9 min].