Sam Yeoman's Writing Portfolio

PPE Waste & Finding Hope Just in Time for Earth Day 2021 There’s a wonderful American Elm tree that lives right outside the 2nd story window of the glorified walk-in closet that is my apartment in West Harlem, NYC. Each morning when I wake, I’m greeted by its canopy gently swaying in the wind. On particularly sunny mornings, its branches become drenched in the rich morning light and look as if they’ve been dipped in liquid gold. I’ve probably spent too much time gazing at this tree this past ye

With conversations surrounding EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) reaching a crescendo, it’s a good time to take a step back and try to demystify what EPR entails, the various models proposed, and the concerns associated with it from stakeholders across the waste management industry in the U.S. EPR isn’t a new concept. It’s been commonplace in Europe and some Canadian provinces for decades and, in recent years, has been adopted in certain Asian and South American countries. For years, EPR h

Every time I slide the remaining food scraps off my plate and into my garbage can, a little piece of me dies inside. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but after learning that an estimated 40% of food produced in the U.S. is lost or wasted, it’s clear that food waste is one of the most concerning environmental issues currently facing our country. Food is the single-largest input in landfills and costs the U.S. an estimated $408 billion (with a “b”) per year, which is roughly 2% of US GDP. Landf