waste management

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the first female mayor in Freetown in years, is trying to clean up the perpetual mess caused by rain and garbage — a first step in her plan to revive the beleaguered city.

The United Nations says nearly one-fourth of food purchases in hotels and restaurants are thrown away. Luxury properties in Mexico, India, and elsewhere are trying programs to bring that figure down.

Authorities are closing a dump on the outskirts of Brasilia. Some 2,000 trash-pickers, who sort and sell recyclables, depend on the dump for their livelihoods — despite the risk of disease and injury.

China produces 520,000 tons of garbage a day. To get rid of it, the government favors burning it, which harms the environment. One answer: sorting garbage and recycling. But that's proved challenging.

The space station has a bathroom. But a spacesuit, not so much. So far, astronauts have relied on diapers, but NASA calls that a "very temporary" fix. It is offering $30,000 for a better idea.