Repurposing to reduce waste.

Some craft stores changing lives by upcycling waste into purposeful projects

In a Nashville shop where donated yarn, paper, and paints pile high, artists and adults with disabilities are building a thriving, waste-cutting creative community.

Elizabeth Hewitt reports for Reasons To Be Cheerful.


In short:

  • Creative reuse centers like Nashville’s Smart Art and Craft Supplies rescue leftover art materials from landfills and resell them at low cost to artists, teachers, and crafters.
  • Smart not only diverts over a million pounds of supplies from waste — it also provides job training and meaningful work for adults with disabilities, creating an inclusive, supportive space.
  • Similar centers across the country, like the SCRAP Creative Reuse network, show how local solutions can reduce waste, support education, and foster community through creativity.

Key quote:

“We are leveraging art and leveraging creativity, really, to impact a population that needs our support.”

— Kyle Graden, senior operations manager at Smart

Why this matters:

These reuse centers tackle two big problems at once: waste and exclusion. By reducing landfill-bound trash and offering inclusive employment, they show how community-driven innovation can support both environmental health and human dignity. Nationwide, places like SCRAP and other reuse hubs are proving that waste reduction can be personal, joyful, and deeply human.

Read more: Zero- and low-waste businesses band together against plastic pollution

Two pump jacks pictured at dusk.

EU’s $750 billion pledge for U.S. energy imports faces steep hurdles

The European Union agreed to buy $750 billion in U.S. oil and gas to avoid a trade clash with President Donald Trump, but analysts say supply limits and logistical barriers make the goal unattainable.

Victor Jack reports for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
Stack of three wooden blocks with the letters TAX on them with a person holding a magnifying glass on it

Alberta taxpayers cover millions in unpaid land rents from oil and gas firms

The Alberta government paid more than $30 million in 2024 to landowners after oil and gas companies failed to cover required rents for drilling and infrastructure sites, with little chance of recovering the funds.

Sharon J. Riley reports for The Narwhal.

Keep reading...Show less
A barren desert environment with long rows of solar panels and golden sand dunes in distance.

Australia expands renewable energy push with major increase to capacity investment scheme

Australia will boost its main renewable energy program by 25%, aiming to underwrite 40 gigawatts of large-scale solar, wind, and storage by 2030 amid warnings it may miss its climate targets.

Adam Morton reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
man in black and white checkered dress shirt using computer in a command center.
Credit: CDC/Unsplash

Trump’s FEMA cuts leave local emergency managers underfunded and overworked

State and local emergency officials say they are stretched thin as federal disaster funding shrinks, raising concerns about readiness for worsening floods, fires and storms.

Kiley Bense reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Illustration of green barrels with yellow radioactive notices on them.

Wyoming weighs nuclear waste storage rule change amid public pushback over microreactor plant

Lawmakers in Wyoming are debating a bill that would allow storage of radioactive waste from a proposed microreactor manufacturing facility, a move that has drawn sharp resistance from local residents.

Dustin Bleizeffer reports for WyoFile.

Keep reading...Show less
Flags of various nations fly on building.

China and Europe vow joint climate action as US exits Paris accord

China and the European Union pledged to deepen cooperation on climate change Thursday, promising new emission-reduction targets while the United States moves to abandon the Paris Agreement and roll back renewable energy programs.

Somini Sengupta reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A Brazilian flag flying over a green hill.

Brazil’s Amazon city prepares for climate summit as world leaders face realities of deforestation and poverty

When negotiators meet in Belem for November’s United Nations climate summit, they will confront the Amazon’s deforestation and poverty rather than the luxury settings of past talks.

Seth Borenstein reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.