We tackle our throwaway society's waste problem in this issue of the Green American. Inside you'll find articles explaining the difference between "downcycling" and true recycling, strategies for keeping toxic waste out of the most vulnerable communities, and information about the connection between getting to zero waste and stopping climate change. (Plus, check out the story of Green America's own zero-waste event, the Green Festival.)

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• 21 Things You Didn't Know You Could Recycle

• Answering Your Recycling Quandaries
1. If my recycling gets picked up in the same truck as trash, is it really being recycled?

2. Is a biodegradable product better than a conventional product if they both end up in a landfill?

3. If I put the wrong number plastic in my bin, will it mess up the whole batch?

• This issue's Web Exclusive
Interviews with Van Jones and Robert Bullard, true tales of Green Americans getting to zero waste, a special report on medical waste, and our reading list.