b'Nic EspositoPromoting ways to waste less and reuse more Imagine havingsomething can be saved and reused, recycled, or almost no waste tonot used in the first place. He says that just about put out in the trash.everything can be repurposed, including clothes, Thats Nic Espositoswristwatches, and even classroom desks.goal in his role asHousehold trash is a key focus of Mr. Espositos director of the Zeroefforts. He says that trash placed at the curb for Waste and Littercollection often is not properly secured in cans Cabinet for the cityor bags and ends up spilling over and blowing of Philadelphia. around. Illegal dumping of trash in vacant lots is The city has twoanother problem.big targets for 2035:Mr. Esposito, who lives in the citys Kensington to reduce waste and litter by 90 percent and toneighborhood, says his son tripped over trash on stop using landfills and incinerators. Mr. Espositothe sidewalk one day while walking to school. It says landfills can leak harmful chemicals into thegot me mad. There was so much trash, he says.ground and groundwater. Incinerators, which burn trash to produce electricity, can release particlesMr. Esposito came to his job at the Zero Waste into the air that bother people with asthma andand Litter Cabinet after working as a sustain-other lung conditions. ability manager for the citys Parks & Recreation Mr. Espositos job is to coordinate with other citydepartment. Sustainability means something can departments to come up with strategies to reducebe maintained at a certain level for as long as the mounds of trash and litter that are createdwanted. He recalls a grounds crew member tell-every day when people throw things away and ing him, We spend all our time picking up trash. fail to clean up around their neighborhoods We dont have time for anything else.and businesses. He says that if the city can reduce trash as much Think of all the products you use every day,as it aims to under the 2035 plan, there will be such as plastic water bottles and take-out foodno need to use landfills and incinerators to dis-cartons and wrappers, Mr. Esposito says. Hepose of trash. The city also plans to encourage wants city residents to start thinking about whetherresidents to compost their food waste instead of throwing it away. 14'