Skip to content
  • Our Work
    • Philly Unwrapped Toolkit
    • Community Benefits Plan
    • Past Projects
  • Events Calendar
  • Get Involved
  • Partners
  • Team
  • Blog
echo systems logo
Donate
Volunteer
echo_logo_small
  • Our Work
    • Philly Unwrapped Toolkit
    • Community Benefits Plan
    • Past Projects
  • Events Calendar
  • Get Involved
  • Partners
  • Blog
  • Donate Now

Healthcare

Environment, Healthcare, News

Philadelphia’s Waste Problem: What Are We Really Throwing Away?

May 6, 2026 Comments Off on Philadelphia’s Waste Problem: What Are We Really Throwing Away?

Philadelphia generates nearly 1.3 million tons of trash each year, yet few residents know where that waste goes or who is most impacted. This article breaks down Philadelphia’s waste system, the stalled Stop Trashing Our Air Act, the health and environmental costs of incineration in Chester, and why waste reduction, reuse, and community action are critical to the city’s future.

Search

Categories

  • Development (2)
  • Education (2)
  • Environment (9)
  • Healthcare (1)
  • News (3)
  • Policy (1)
  • Press Release (2)
  • Programs (3)

Recent posts

  • Philly Unwrapped Welcomes New Coalition Member Salvage Compost
  • Philadelphia’s Waste Problem: What Are We Really Throwing Away?
  • Philly Unwrapped Prevention First Policy Working Group Launches to Advance Reuse in Philadelphia

Tags

Local Economy Reuse Solutions
Echo logo White

ECHO Systems is a 501(c)(3) 

EIN: 88-3296992

Instagram X-twitter Icon-linkedin Sm-bluesky-sm Facebook-f

Our work

  • Mission
  • Get Involved
  • Team
  • Partners
  • Past Projects

Resources

  • Philly Unwrapped
  • Philly Talks Trash
  • Philly Coalition
  • Volunteer

Stay in touch

  • admin@echosystems.org
  • Join Our Board
  • Subscribe to our Newsletter

Our work is contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, & 15.

With gratitude and humility, we recognize that this work is happening on the ancestral homelands of the Lenape people. A long history of broken treaties forced migrations, and fraudulent agreements displaced many of the Lenape from this land. We acknowledge and strive to understand our place within the legacy of colonization and to act as collaborators and allies to Lenape people and their vibrant communities today, including the federally recognized Nations: Delaware Tribe, Delaware Nation, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor and respect to Lenape ancestors past and present by committing to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all and ensuring the Lenape and pan-indigenous communities in the Philadelphia area are heard, respected, and represented in our work.

© ECHO Systems 2025. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy