Just over half the country is officially in drought, and about 155.7 million Americans—almost seven million more than last week—are now affected. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s April 23 report shows that 52.46% of the United States and Puerto Rico, and 62.78% of the Lower 48, are experiencing moderate drought or worse. According to NOAA, this is the worst spring drought on record for the continental United States.

This drought is not limited to one region. The Southeast just had its driest September-through-March since records began in 1895. The Colorado River system is only 36% full. Texas is 77% in drought, and Corpus Christi’s reservoirs have dropped to nearly 9%. Nebraska experienced its largest wildfire ever, fueled by dry grasslands. Oregon’s snowpack reached zero on April 1. In California, Tahoe City Cross melted completely by March 8, 40 days earlier than usual, after a record-breaking March heat wave caused rapid melting of an already low snowpack across most of the West.

The common factor is that from January through March, precipitation was below 70% of average across the lower 48 states, setting a new record. As a result, water restrictions are now broader and, in many places, more severe than usual.

The National Picture

The headline numbers come from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. As of April 21, drought conditions had worsened across the South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, High Plains, and West, with a 2.9% increase in coverage over the past week and an 11.7% increase over the past month. The Northeast and parts of Texas and the eastern Plains saw modest improvement; everywhere else trended drier.

Two main climate factors have caused this record drought. First, La Niña led to less rainfall from January to March, with totals below 70% of average—the lowest since records began in 1895, just surpassing the previous low in 1910. Second, spring temperatures in the Central Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic were 5 to 10 degrees above normal, which sped up soil moisture loss and increased evaporation. This drought is not just about low rainfall; high temperatures are also drying out what little moisture remains.

The effects of the drought are already clear in the number of wildfires. By mid-April, over 1.7 million acres had burned across the country, nearly double the 10-year average. Nebraska’s Morrill Fire, which burned more than 640,000 acres in March, was the largest in the state’s history. In southeastern Georgia, the Highway 82 Fire destroyed at least 54 structures in Brantley County, which was the first county in the Southeast to reach exceptional drought (“D4”).

Southwest: The Colorado River Approaches a Threshold

The Colorado River Basin is facing water shortages not seen in modern times. The Bureau of Reclamation says the system is at about 36% of capacity. Lake Powell is only 23% full, and Lake Mead is about one-third full. Spring runoff into Lake Powell is expected to be just 22% of average. If this continues, 2026 could be one of the driest years in over sixty years, possibly even drier than 2002, which was the previous record.

In response, the Bureau of Reclamation announced in April that it plans to cut Lake Powell releases to 6 million acre-feet, the lowest in decades. They will also move water from Flaming Gorge to keep Lake Powell high enough for Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydropower. The dam provides electricity to about five million people, but water levels could drop too low by December if things do not improve. The seven states that share the Colorado River have not agreed on new rules for after 2026, when current guidelines expire. The Interior Department has said it may set new rules on its own if no agreement is reached this summer. Western states could be heading toward a conflict over water.

Local water restrictions are getting stricter. In March 2026, Erie, Colorado, moved to a Level 4 Emergency, the highest stage, which bans all residential sprinkler use. Aurora has completely banned new turf lawns. Denver Water started Stage 1 restrictions, asking residents to cut both indoor and outdoor water use by 20% until October 1. Along the Rio Grande, Elephant Butte is at 12.6% capacity, Falcon at 19.2%, and Amistad at 31.4%.

California: Permanent Rules Meet a Fourth Dry Year

California’s situation is more complex than just being in drought or not. In January 2026, the Drought Monitor showed no part of California in drought for the first time in 25 years. By April, Southern California was facing its fourth straight year of below-average rainfall. The statewide snowpack was only 18% of normal, and the State Water Project will limit water releases to 30% of normal.

What’s notable is that California’s restrictions no longer depend on whether a drought is officially declared. After the 2012-2017 drought, the state moved to a permanent year-round conservation framework codified by state law AB 1572 and the State Water Resources Control Board’s “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” rules.

Statewide baseline rules apply every year, regardless of conditions: no hosing down driveways or hardscape; no irrigation within 48 hours of rainfall; no irrigation runoff into streets or storm drains; mandatory shutoff nozzles on hoses; and recirculation requirements for fountains and decorative water features.

On top of these restrictions, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 19 million people, issued a Level 1 conservation notice in March 2026 to all 26 city and county agency members. State enforcement of the new water-budget rules is paused until 2027 to give utilities time to adjust.

California is in for a dry summer this year.

Southeast: A Recharge Season That Failed

The Southeast, usually a humid region, is now facing a record drought. Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all had their driest September-through-March since 1895. Normally, the region relies on December through March to restore soil moisture, streamflows, and groundwater, but this year, that recharge mostly did not occur.

The result, as of April: 100% of North Carolina, 99.95% of Virginia, 99.34% of South Carolina, 98.99% of Florida, 98.13% of Georgia, 93.65% of Tennessee, and 88.66% of Alabama are in drought. In Georgia, extreme drought now covers 71% of the state, the highest reading since 2012. Some monitoring stations with 75 or more years of data are recording their driest six-month periods on record. Drought watches are active across Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama, with mandatory rules likely if late-spring rainfall doesn’t materialize.

Texas and the Southern Plains: Cities at the Edge

Texas is 77% in drought as of mid-April. The Coastal Bend story is the one to watch closely. Combined storage at Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi has fallen to 8.7% as of April 2026 — among the lowest levels ever recorded. Corpus Christi has been under Stage 3 mandatory restrictions since December 2024, the most severe stage in the city’s standard drought contingency plan, which is triggered when combined reservoir storage drops below 20% capacity. Stage 3 bans all outdoor irrigation, home vehicle washing, and most non-essential outdoor water use; second and subsequent violations carry fines up to $2,000 each.

The bigger concern is what happens next. City models now predict a Level 1 Water Emergency by September 2026, when the water supply could be just 180 days from running out. On April 28, 2026, the City Council postponed a vote on a proposal that would require everyone—residents, businesses, and industry—to cut water use by 25% if Level 1 is declared. Many residents at the meeting said this cut would be impossible unless industrial users reduce even more.

If Corpus Christi runs out of water—a scenario city officials now consider possible—it would be the first modern American city to face this. There is no guidebook for what to do. In the worst case, the city could see rolling water shutoffs by district, water delivered by tanker trucks, and even managed evacuations. The largest industrial users, such as petrochemical refineries, would likely lose access to water first, potentially leading to lawsuits.

In other parts of Texas, Dallas has had a permanent rule since 2001 that only allows watering lawns two days a week, and no irrigation is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from April to October. In Oklahoma and Kansas, the Ranger Road Fire—the largest U.S. wildfire of 2026 so far—burned 283,283 acres in February, killed hundreds of livestock, and led to burn bans across central and eastern Oklahoma.

High Plains: Dust, Fire, and Lake Beds

Nebraska is experiencing conditions that one state climatologist said are unlike anything seen before. Fifty-six percent of the state is in extreme drought, similar to 2012 but with warmer temperatures. The Morrill Fire started in March and quickly spread through dry grasslands, burning over 640,000 acres—the largest wildfire in Nebraska’s history. In Sheridan County, some landowners say their private lakes have dried up completely for the first time since 2012.

The Black Hills in South Dakota are now in extreme drought. In southern Nebraska, southwest Kansas, and southeast Colorado, low rainfall combined with high temperatures and evaporation have made spring planting difficult in many areas. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that streamflows are below or much below normal across southwestern South Dakota, southern Nebraska, and central and western Kansas.

Mandatory urban restrictions in this region are still relatively rare, but burn bans are widespread, and ranchers are culling cattle herds rather than feeding them on pastures with no grass.

Pacific Northwest: A Snow Drought, Not a Rain Drought

The Pacific Northwest had more precipitation this winter than the Southwest, but most of it fell as rain instead of snow because of record-warm temperatures. This has caused a snow drought rather than a rain drought. Since the region relies on snowpack for summer water, this is a serious problem.

Across the broader Columbia River Basin, snowpack ranks in the second percentile. On April 8, Washington’s Department of Ecology declared a statewide Drought Emergency, citing snowpack at just 53% of the median and projected summer water supply below 75% of normal in many basins, including the Yakima. Junior water-rights holders in the Yakima Basin are projected to receive only 44% of their allotment. Idaho is facing what could be its fourth consecutive drought year in its northern basins.

For the Northwest, the effects go beyond just this summer. New research from Oregon State University predicts that by the end of the century, water will move from precipitation to streamflow about 18% faster on average. This happens because there is less snow and more rain, so water moves through the system more quickly instead of slowly melting from snowpack. As a result, there could be about 50% less water in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs during the summer growing season.

The shift toward earlier runoff seen in 2026 is not a one-time event. It is a preview of the more severe impacts that climate change could bring.

Where Restrictions Are Active

This is a partial snapshot as of April 27, 2026. Local utilities update stages weekly. Verify before relying on these figures.

What You Can Do

Households use about 10% of all water in the U.S. Agriculture is still the biggest user, but in cities with restrictions, saving water at home can help prevent stricter rules, fines, or limits on businesses. The EPA’s WaterSense program says the average American family uses about 300 gallons a day, and simple upgrades can cut indoor use by 35%.

Indoor (immediate, no cost):

• Check your home for leaks. On average, American homes waste over 11,000 gallons a year from running toilets and dripping faucets. A single toilet leak can waste 200 gallons a day. To test for leaks, put food coloring in the tank—if it shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving. This can save 8 to 10 gallons per person each day.
• Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. You can also skip pre-rinsing dishes.
• Take shorter showers. Reducing your shower by two minutes with a standard showerhead can save about 5 gallons of water.

Indoor (small investment):

• Install WaterSense-labeled fixtures. Faucet aerators and showerheads use at least 20% less water and are inexpensive. The average family can save about 3,500 gallons of water and 410 kWh of energy each year just by using these.
• Replace any toilet made before 1992. Older toilets use 4 gallons per flush, while WaterSense models use 1.28 gallons or less.

Outdoor (where most savings can happen):

• Outdoor irrigation uses nearly 9 billion gallons of water a day nationwide. It makes up about 30% of household water use, and up to 70% in dry areas. Water your yard before sunrise or after sunset to reduce evaporation.
• Consider replacing your lawn with drought-tolerant plants that are suited to your region. This type of landscaping uses less than half the water of a traditional lawn. Many cities, such as Aurora, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, offer rebates for replacing turf.
• Install a smart irrigation controller with a rain shutoff or soil moisture sensor. These devices adjust watering based on real conditions instead of following a set schedule.
• Add 2 to 3 inches of wood chips as mulch to your flower beds and vegetable gardens. This helps reduce evaporation and keeps weeds down.

Community and policy:

• Find out your utility’s current drought stage and the rules that apply. Most utilities post this information online and let you report water waste, like irrigation during banned hours or broken sprinklers spraying onto pavement.
• If you’re in an HOA, know your rights. California’s AB 1572 and Texas Property Code §202.007 prohibit HOAs from fining residents for brown lawns during active water restrictions. Other states are following this example.
• Pay attention to how agriculture and industry use water in your area. While homes use only about 10% of water, decisions about the other 90%—used by farms and businesses—will shape whether household conservation efforts make a lasting difference.

The Big Climate Picture

Some may see the 2026 drought as just a mix of La Niña, a warm winter, and early snowmelt, with rain expected to return as conditions change and an El Niño watch begins for late summer. While this is partly true, the bigger pattern—record warmth, snow falling as rain, earlier and faster runoff, and reservoirs unable to keep up as demand rises during hotter, longer summers—is what climate science has predicted for nearly twenty years.

Lake Powell is at 23%. Oregon’s snowpack is gone. North Carolina is completely in drought. Corpus Christi is preparing for the chance of running out of water. These are not separate stories. They are all part of the same story, showing what aridification looks like when it becomes a daily reality instead of just a forecast.

Editor’s note: Drought conditions are evolving weekly. Statistics in this piece are current as of the U.S. Drought Monitor release dated April 21–23, 2026. Local water restrictions change frequently — verify with your utility before relying on the figures cited here.

The post The 2026 Drought, Region by Region appeared first on Earth911.

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A picture taken while based in Brisbane,

In parts of coastal North Carolina and Texas, homeowners who were paying one rate for property insurance in 2019 are now paying double, and that’s after adjusting for inflation.

A February 2026 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the most thorough federal analysis of homeowners insurance markets in years, confirms what many Americans in hurricane, wildfire, and tornado-prone areas already know: the cost and availability of home insurance now depends on climate risk. Nationally, premiums only slightly outpaced inflation from 2019 to 2024. But in high-risk areas, homeowners are seeing price jumps that are changing where people can afford to live, own property, and even stay insured.

The National Average Hides the Real Story

At first glance, the national data seems manageable. The GAO found that the average U.S. homeowners’ insurance premium, adjusted for inflation, rose only 3 percent between 2019 and 2024, going from $2,743 to $2,829 in 2024 dollars. The South reported higher premiums than other regions, but the national average stayed mostly steady.

But when you look at the data by ZIP Code, the story changes. In the same period, many coastal areas in North Carolina and Texas saw premium increases of more than 50 percent after adjusting for inflation. Some places in Palm Beach County, South Florida, also had big jumps. At least 10 ZIP Codes in North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Florida, and California saw increases over 25 percent above inflation in just the last five years.

Wind Costs Far More Than Wildfire — For Now

The GAO used statistical modeling to show how disaster risks raise premiums, and the results are clear. Homes in areas with severe or extreme wind risk pay about 58 percent more, or $1,294 extra per year, compared to similar homes with only major wind risk. Moving from major to severe wildfire risk adds about 8 percent, or $181 per year, to premiums.

This difference shows how much damage wind events like hurricanes can cause. According to GAO data, ZIP Codes with severe or extreme wind or wildfire risk saw premiums rise 6 to 10 percent each year since 2021. In comparison, areas with major risk saw increases of only 1 to 4 percent per year. Over six years, an 8 percent annual increase adds up to a total increase of 59 percent.

State-level disaster costs also play a role. The GAO found that when a state’s average disaster-related costs rose from $25 billion to $35 billion between 2018 and 2023, premiums went up by about 8 percent, or $170 more per year. This happens because insurers update their loss estimates after big disasters. One insurer told the GAO it raised its wildfire risk assumptions for California after the major fire seasons in 2017 and 2018, even before the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Affordability Is Worst Where Income Is Already Stretched

Premium burden, which is the cost of insurance compared to median household income, highlights how climate change is hitting low-income communities hardest. In 2023, Florida, Louisiana, and Oklahoma had the highest premiums relative to income, just as they did in 2019. According to the GAO, states where premiums take up more than 10.6 percent of median income are considered to have a “very high” burden. Florida falls into this category.

The people paying the most for insurance are often those who have the fewest options to move or insure themselves. High insurance costs in risky areas often go hand in hand with lower incomes, older homes, and less access to federal help. Researchers call this a climate-driven affordability crisis.

When Private Insurance Disappears

Rising premiums are just one issue. In some high-risk areas, private insurers are not only raising prices but also leaving the market. The GAO tracked the market share of state FAIR plans and beach plans, which are the “insurers of last resort” for homes that can’t get regular insurance, from 2019 to 2023. Nationally, their combined market share almost doubled, going from about 1.4 percent to 2.5 percent of homes.

California’s numbers tell the story. The state’s FAIR Plan, which covers wildfire risk, grew from about 200,000 residential policies in 2020 to around 450,000 by 2024. About 78 percent of this growth happened in ZIP Codes with major or severe wildfire risk. After the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, enrollment jumped another 43 percent between September 2024 and December 2025, according to Insurance Journal. Even low-risk urban properties are ending up on the FAIR plan as insurers withdraw from whole regions.

Florida and Louisiana have the highest FAIR plan market share among states with these programs. North Carolina’s beach plan, which covers coastal areas, leads all beach plans by market share. All three states face high Atlantic hurricane risk.

Regulation Is Part of the Problem Too

Insurance policies are regulated by each state, and the GAO found that how long it takes to approve premium increases affects policy availability. States where regulators take longer to approve these requests often have more homeowners who can’t get private insurance. The GAO found that every extra 60 days in approval time was linked to about a 0.5 percentage point increase in the state’s FAIR plan market share.

Colorado’s median approval time from 2020 to 2024 was 331 days, the longest in the country. California’s was 305 days. When insurers can’t adjust rates quickly enough to reflect actual risk, some of them exit the market rather than underwrite policies at a loss. This is the dynamic that partly drove the California insurance exodus before the state’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy reforms announced in 2023, which allowed catastrophe modeling and reinsurance costs to be factored into rate-setting, practices already standard in most other states.

Insurers Are Losing Money — Just Not How You Think

Insurers lost money on homeowners insurance underwriting in 22 out of 30 years from 1995 to 2024, with an average annual loss of 4.2 percent. The worst years matched up with major disasters like Hurricanes Fran (1996), Sandy (2012), Harvey, Irma, Maria (2017), and the Maui wildfires (2023).

However, insurers offset underwriting losses with investment income, so the situation isn’t as bad as it seems—they are still highly profitable. In 2024, homeowners insurance had a $1.8 billion underwriting loss, but $8.8 billion in investment income turned it into a $6.9 billion profit overall. The industry is still profitable, even as rates rise and coverage becomes harder to obtain. Insurers say risk-based pricing is needed for long-term stability, but critics believe profitable insurers could do more to keep coverage available in high-risk areas.

Allianz SE board member Günther Thallinger told Capital&Main.com that climate change is a “systemic risk that threatens the very foundation of the financial sector,” and added that “a house that cannot be insured cannot be mortgaged.” The insurance crisis is a credit crisis in slow motion.

What States and the Federal Government Can Do

The GAO asked state regulators, insurance industry groups, and consumer advocates about eight possible federal policy options. Most agreed that the best approach is to focus on mitigation programs that help homeowners make their properties more disaster-resistant.

The GAO recommends Alabama’s Strengthen Alabama Homes program as a model. Since 2011, it has given grants to about 10,000 homeowners to upgrade their roofs to FORTIFIED standards, and another 45,000 have upgraded without grants. Alabama requires insurers to give premium discounts for FORTIFIED homes, making the upgrades a good investment. A 2025 study found that FORTIFIED roofs had fewer and less severe losses after Hurricane Sally, even with higher wind speeds. The National Institute of Building Sciences found benefit-cost ratios from 1.5 to 28, depending on wind speed.

As of now, at least 18 states have introduced bills in 2026 to reform insurance programs and include mitigation measures. These efforts build on a 2025 Colorado law (HB25-1182) that requires insurers to be open about their risk models and to discount premiums for homeowners who take mitigation steps.

The GAO listed eight federal policy options that Congress could consider, and your opinion matters. These options include tax deductions or credits for mitigation upgrades and insurance premiums, federal funding for infrastructure, a federal reinsurance program, community-based disaster insurance, and changes to how insurers’ reserves are taxed.

You can contact your U.S. senators and representative to share your views on where federal money should go. Mitigation incentives have wide support and are the most practical short-term step. Direct federal insurance programs are more debated, but if you think the private market has failed in your area, make that clear. The House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee are the main places for these discussions. You can find your members at congress.gov.

What You Can Do Now

• Check your disaster risk. First Street Technology’s Risk Factor tool gives property-level wildfire, flood, and wind risk scores. This is the same data source the GAO used.
• Look into the FORTIFIED standards. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) certifies FORTIFIED construction for roofs, homes, and commercial buildings. Some states offer grants or require insurers to give discounts for certified homes.
• Learn about your state’s FAIR plan. If you can’t find private coverage, your state might have a FAIR plan or beach plan as a last resort. These plans usually offer less coverage and cost more than private insurance, but they provide insurance when no other options exist.
• Review your current insurance coverage. Many homeowners don’t realize they are underinsured. Check your dwelling coverage limit and compare it to current replacement costs, which have gone up a lot since 2020 due to construction inflation.
• Get involved with your state legislature. Insurance reform is happening in many states right now. Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii are working on bills that link insurance to mitigation in 2026. You can find your state insurance commissioner at naic.org.
• Support federal funding for mitigation. FEMA runs several pre-disaster mitigation grant programs. Community investments in things like firebreaks, levees, and better building codes help lower the basic risk that affects everyone’s insurance premiums.

The post How Climate Disasters Are Breaking the Homeowners Insurance Market appeared first on Earth911.

The adoption of sustainable technology is accelerating worldwide, whether in homes or businesses. Houses have smart thermostats, solar systems accessible from an app, and electric car chargers as part of their home networks.

Yet some people are choosing to purchase refurbished laptops, phones, and tablets to reduce the negative environmental impact and prolong device life.

However, much of this conversation around sustainability ignores a critical perspective: system security. These eco-friendly gadgets are connected to the internet, retain information, and interact with home energy solutions. When left unprotected, they can be disrupted and rendered useless, thereby shortening their lifespan and contributing to electronic waste.

This means sustainable living now also includes environmental impact and digital safety.

The Rise of Smart Home Technology

IT sustainability has shifted from a niche topic to a necessity. Homes and businesses are integrating products that value efficiency and extend product longevity. Yet, they tend to ignore the new digital risks they bring to users. One of the most obvious examples of the shift is the adoption of refurbished technology in smart homes.

Smart Homes and Renewable Energy Devices

Smart energy devices help households monitor and manage energy use, promoting efficiency and cost savings. Connected thermostats can adjust the temperature based on a household’s real-time needs and energy pricing. Many solar panel systems come with mobile apps that track energy production and storage. EV chargers connect to the home Wi-Fi to charge at off-peak times or when electricity prices are lower.

They help meet climate goals by improving efficiency and reducing emissions. But most tools rely on the internet and cloud services. So, without difficult passwords and high-security networks, smart devices are common targets.

The Growth of Refurbished and Second-Life Electronics

Refurbished electronics help devices last longer, keeping valuable materials in circulation and reducing electronic waste. Buying a refurbished smartphone or laptop is better for the environment than buying a new one, and many companies are now promoting repair, reuse, and resale to support a circular economy.

But second-life devices can also have hidden cybersecurity risks if users don’t take basic precautions. Basically, old accounts, forgotten software, or leftover data can still be on the device. Before using a refurbished electronic device, wipe the storage completely, reset the operating system, and install the latest security updates.

Digital Threats Can Undermine Sustainable Choices

Smart home technology relies on connected systems and integrated digital services. However, these connections to the web also attract cybercriminals and scammers, who prey on unsuspecting users by tricking them into providing sensitive information or visiting malicious websites.

Cybersecurity threats can compromise energy supply, steal personal data, and force users to reset or replace devices. Each incident chips away at the long-term value of sustainable technology, so staying aware and following some steps helps achieve the goal of sustainability.

The Hidden E-Waste Cost of Cyber Security

When connected devices are compromised, the downfall goes beyond loss or inconvenience. Essentially, a hacked or lagging device often gets abandoned or replaced, even when that isn’t necessary. This act directly adds to waste.

This becomes a major issue as it reduces the lifespan of the device you’re using, the one designed to support sustainability goals when manufactured. Hence, cybersecurity becomes the central theme in the circular economy, where protecting devices is the key to making them functional, usable, and out of landfills for a longer time.

This way, technology stops being only a digital concern, as its impact also spills over into environmental ones.

Fake Alerts, Phishing, and Social Engineering

Although many cyberattacks rely on technical complexity, others succeed by using simple manipulation. Fake security notifications and unusual pop-ups are designed to panic you.

These notifications usually look exactly like typical system warnings or software notifications, which is what makes it difficult to differentiate them from the real ones. My company authored an article on the methods that work can help users pause and avoid leaking any of their important information. Such analysis of fake alerts allows you not only to protect information and detect the tell-tale signs of manipulation attempts.

By leveraging the psychology of urgency, hackers can override your sense of reason. So, pausing before you react to clicking any warning or link will heavily serve you in these situations.

Steps to Keep Sustainable Tech Secure

Sustainable technology makes the most impact when it is long-lasting and safe. A bad enough attack can affect the life of the device, exposing information or bringing down energy systems.

Thankfully, adopting simple cybersecurity practices protects these devices and helps people continue to use this eco-friendly tech for years.

Secure Smart Energy Devices and Home Networks

Each smart device creates another doorway for criminals. According to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2025, almost one in every three cyberattacks abuses stolen credentials, usually obtained from phishing attacks.

Protect your smart energy technology with these security steps:

1. Change default passwords now. Most manufacturers ship devices with easy access login credentials.
2. Keep everything updated. Security updates generally fix existing bugs and common weaknesses.
3. Use a separate network for smart devices. Create a guest or IoT network on your router (if available).
4. Disable unused features and remote access. The more features your devices have, the more they may be exposed, so review features that you do not use and disable them.
5. Check device activity. Regularly examining logs and dashboards for weird connections and activity.

How to Choose Your Refurbished Device

Using a second-hand device does support the environment, but they aren’t all the same, as the source matters for both security and sustainability. Picking a refurbished product from a certified refurbished source, such as one accredited under R2 (Responsible Recycling) or e-Stewards standards, gives you an additional layer of assurance.

Since these certifications require adhering to strict standards for data wiping and responsible handling of components, their devices tend to be more secure, as you’d be sure that previous user data was cleared adequately.

Protect Refurbished and Second-Hand Devices

Responsible re-use promotes a circular economy and reduces environmental harm caused by electronic waste.

Use these steps when buying secondhand electronics:

1. Do a thorough factory reset. Reset the device to factory settings before adding accounts. This eliminates leftover files or settings from prior users.
2. Install existing security and operating system updates. Older operating systems often come with exploitable vulnerabilities that the manufacturer has since addressed.
3. Scan the device. Once the device is set up, run a trusted scan. This helps find hidden software or unusual extensions.
4. Remove unused accounts and apps. Check lists of accounts, extensions, and installed programs for unrecognized items. Delete anything you are not using.
5. Encrypt and back up your data. Encrypting your files ensures they’re secure if your device is lost or stolen, and regular backups prevent data loss and extend your device’s useful life.

Protecting Data and Reducing E-Waste with Secure Disposal

Unfortunately, even if you take good care of your device, there will come a point where you have to dispose of it properly. When you find yourself in need of getting rid of it, you need to know how to do so securely. Before recycling or throwing out electronic parts, make sure your personal data is completely removed by completing a full factory reset. Sometimes, you might have to resort to destruction to secure your data.

Once everything has been wiped, take the device to a certified e-waste recycling program or a collection site that adheres to the processing standards. This being the final step in your product’s lifetime, it is critical to do it properly to prevent sensitive data from being recovered, and it keeps the valuable materials within the circular economy.

Smart Home, Smart Choices

Sustainable technology, which is designed to reduce waste and save energy, is an integral part of our lives that we are increasingly relying on. But these benefits only hold if we ensure these technologies remain secure. Smart energy systems, connected devices, and refurbished gadgets hinge on safe digital practices to survive for a long period of time.

When a device is compromised, the consequences are beyond data loss, as this can lead to users being forced to replace them much earlier than intended, adding to electronic waste. Protecting systems, therefore, is not merely an issue of cybersecurity but a critical part of maintaining environmental value.

Security habits and sustainability go hand in hand, meaning when efficiently integrated, users can extend devices’ lifespans and reduce waste. This makes eco-friendly technology more efficient and more resilient over time.

About the Author

This sponsored article was written by Gabriel Jones. He brings a unique blend of creativity and precision to his writing. With a passion for technology, education, and digital solutions.

The post Guest Idea: Why Sustainable Home Tech Choices Also Need Cybersecurity Awareness appeared first on Earth911.

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehern

Hamilton, Ontario.

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Please be aware... ALL Photos are purely for entertainment. I am no expert. Titles are from recognition - what I was told - or a quick search. Polite comments or corrections are welcome.

The average American household uses about 150 pounds of glass containers each year, but more than two-thirds of that glass never gets recycled into new bottles. This isn’t because people aren’t trying. Glass is now the only common packaging material that costs recycling facilities more to process than they make from selling it, and the U.S. recycling system has been adapting to this problem for the past twenty years.

According to the EPA, the U.S. has recycled about 31 percent of its glass containers for the past ten years. In contrast, the European Union collected 80.8 percent of its glass containers in 2023. This gap isn’t because of how people act, but because of differences in infrastructure, policies, and the fact that glass is heavy, breakable, and not very profitable. As a result, glass no longer fits well in the single-stream recycling system most Americans use.

The math that broke glass recycling

Cullet, which is the industry term for crushed and sorted recycled glass, is a permanent material. It can be melted and reused over and over without losing quality. Adding 10 percent more cullet to a furnace reduces energy use by 2.5 to 3 percent and lowers CO₂ emissions by about 5 percent. If a furnace uses only cullet, it produces about 58 percent fewer emissions than making glass from raw materials like sand, soda ash, and limestone.

These numbers show that glass should be valuable to bottle makers. However, manufacturers want cullet that is color-sorted, clean, and ready for the furnace, which is rarely what comes out of single-stream recycling facilities.

A 2017 analysis by the Closed Loop Foundation found that single-stream glass costs U.S. recycling facilities $150 million each year in equipment damage, transportation, and disposal. On average, a facility loses about $35 for every ton of glass it handles. For example, a transfer station in Washington, D.C. spends about tens of thousands of dollars a year replacing screen baskets damaged by glass shards. When trucks unload, glass shards also get stuck in paper and cardboard, making those materials less valuable.

This is known as the negative-value problem. The glass itself isn’t worthless, because high-quality cullet can be sold. But the way glass is collected usually produces a dirty, color-mixed load, so it often ends up being used as road base, landfill cover when ground into sand-like consistency and laid over the day’s waste, or just thrown away.

How we built a system that loses money

The current U.S. glass recycling shortfall is largely the story of two infrastructure decisions made decades apart.

The first decision was moving to single-stream collection in the 1990s and 2000s. This change increased overall recycling rates but mixed glass with other materials. As a result, glass often arrived at recycling facilities already broken, contaminating other recyclables and damaging equipment designed for paper and plastic.

The second decision was to close glass-only drop-off programs as city budgets tightened. Without dedicated collection routes, like the ones used in Italy, Belgium, and Germany to recycle 90 percent of glass containers, American glass no longer had a clean way to be collected.

The exception is the 10 states with container deposit laws. These states, known for their bottle bills, recycle about 70 percent of beverage containers, which is more than twice the national average of 33 percent. Oregon’s deposit system achieved an 87 percent redemption rate in 2024, the highest in the country. Glass returned through deposit programs is typically clean, sorted, and unbroken — exactly what manufacturers want.

What does glass costs your household?

Consumers end up paying for glass twice. First, the cost of the bottle is included in the price of products like wine, beer, sauce, or seltzer. Second, people pay municipal recycling fees through property taxes, garbage bills, or both. These fees cover the average $ 62-per-ton landfill tipping fee in 2024, plus the extra cost of glass contamination that affects other recyclables.

The exact dollar figure varies wildly by region. New York City’s Department of Sanitation has estimated curbside recycling collection at $686 per ton, a number that includes labor, fuel, and equipment that reaches beyond what households see on their utility bills, but shows up in tax rates.

In states with bottle bills, the economics are different for households. A 5- or 10-cent deposit can be fully recovered, and if the home doesn’t recycle, others can generate income picking it up.

Glass that would have cost the city money instead becomes a small refund for the household and a clean material for manufacturers. This system covers the cost directly through fees for using glass, rather than spreading it across all taxpayers.

Glass emissions matter

Glass furnaces use a lot of energy compared to other packaging processes. Making 1 ton of container glass produces between 0.5 and 1.6 tons of CO₂, depending on the furnace’s efficiency and the amount of cullet used. Each ton of cullet used instead of raw materials saves about 0.67 tons of CO₂ and 1.2 tons of mined sand, soda ash, and limestone. soda ash, and limestone.

If you apply these numbers to the 6 million tons of glass containers that were landfilled in the U.S. in 2018—the most recent year for which the EPA provides data—the country misses out on about 4 million tons of avoided CO₂ emissions each year, plus more than 7 million tons of raw materials that could have been saved. This is a climate cost that the recycling rate alone cannot capture.

The Glass Packaging Institute and Boston Consulting Group have created a plan to raise the U.S. glass recycling rate to 50 percent by 2030. It focuses on expanding deposit programs, building dedicated glass processing facilities, and moving away from single-stream collection where possible. Reaching this goal would nearly double the current recycling rate without requiring people to change what they drink or how often they recycle.

What’s changing, and what isn’t

Seven states, including California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, have passed extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws for packaging. These laws shift the cost of recycling from cities to the companies that sell the bottles. Oregon started enforcing its program in July 2025, and Colorado, Minnesota, and Maryland will phase in their programs by 2028.

EPR is the policy most likely to change the economics of glass recycling in the next decade. When producers pay recycling costs directly, they have to deal with contamination from single-stream recycling, not the recycling facility. This makes dedicated glass collection much more appealing. The European experience shows that this approach works, but it has not yet been tried on a large scale in the U.S.

What you can do

• Check if your state has a bottle bill. If it does, redeem your deposit for a clean recycling stream and a small refund. If not, look up your local recycling options using the Earth911 recycling search before putting glass in your curbside bin.
• If your area has glass-only drop-off sites, use them. Many cities offer free drop-off locations at transfer stations or grocery store parking lots. The glass collected from these sites is the type manufacturers prefer.
• Rinse your bottles instead of crushing them. Whole bottles are easier to sort than broken pieces. Take off metal lids and recycle them separately.
• Buy refillable bottles when possible. A refilled bottle does not use any cullet, raw materials, or the recycling system. Programs for returnable beer, milk, and water bottles are slowly becoming more common in the U.S.
• Support extended producer responsibility and bottle-bill laws in your state. Most glass that gets recycled in the U.S. today comes from the 10 states with deposit programs. Expanding these programs is the most effective policy change available.

The post Glass: Recycling’s Negative-Value Problem appeared first on Earth911.

Corrugated cardboard makes its way from warehouse to mill in about two weeks. In contrast, plastic packaging can take centuries to break down, and even the most optimistic estimates say only 5 to 6 percent of U.S. plastic is actually recycled. This difference highlights both the promise and the challenges of creating a circular packaging economy.

Back in April 2020, when this article first appeared, the recycling industry was still struggling after China banned imported recyclables in 2018. Around that time, DS Smith opened its first North American recycling plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, marking the first closed-loop corrugated packaging system. Five years later, the circular packaging sector has become a $245 billion global market and is expected to nearly double by 2034.

However, growth does not always mean true circularity. The gap between what companies promise and what recycling systems actually deliver is under more scrutiny than ever.

How the Recycling Loop Works and Where It Breaks

Many people picture recycling as a simple process: items go from the curbside bin to a materials recovery facility (MRF) and then become new products. In reality, the process is more complicated. Mixed curbside collections have about a 25 percent contamination rate in baled recyclables from MRFs, so more sorting is needed before they can be turned into new materials. In the past, this extra sorting was often done cheaply in other countries.

After China stopped buying U.S. recyclables in 2018, the U.S. was left with about a third of its collected materials and no place to send them. This led to a crisis: many communities lost their recycling programs, and it became obvious that the U.S. needed more domestic processing and cleaner materials from better recycling programs.

Paper and corrugated cardboard are still the big success stories in circular packaging. In 2024, the U.S. recycled over 33 million tons of cardboard, or about 90,000 tons each day, reaching a recovery rate between 69 and 74 percent, according to the American Forest & Paper Association. The share of recycled paper used at U.S. mills has grown from 36.6 percent in 2005 to 44.4 percent in 2024.

Aluminum also does well, with the average beverage can containing about 73 percent recycled material.

Plastic is still a major challenge. Only about 5 to 6 percent of U.S. plastic packaging is recovered and made into new packaging or products.

A Growing Market With Caveats

Europe is leading the way in recycling growth, thanks to strict regulations. North America is catching up through corporate ESG commitments, extended producer responsibility programs, and state-level policies.

Paper-based packaging leads in circular packaging revenue, making up about 40 percent of the global market in 2024. This is due to advances in fiber recovery technology and the fact that consumers are used to recycling cardboard. Reusable and refillable packaging is growing quickly, but it is still a small part of the market. As a result, the food and beverage sector makes up nearly 47 percent of circular packaging demand, and packaging companies are teaming up with recyclers to meet this need.

Industry consolidation signals how seriously investors have bet on this sector. In July 2024, Smurfit Kappa completed its acquisition of WestRock to form Smurfit WestRock, one of the world’s largest paper-based packaging companies, with $32 billion in combined revenue and 100,000 employees across 40 countries. Separately, International Paper announced an agreement to acquire DS Smith in a deal valuing DS Smith at approximately $9.9 billion. These deals suggest that fiber-based, recyclable packaging is a durable growth market.

The DS Smith Model, Five Years Later

In March 2020, DS Smith opened its first North American recycling plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, right next to an existing paper mill and corrugated packaging facility. These three sites could make, use, collect, and recycle corrugated boxes in about two weeks, creating a true closed loop. DS Smith got clean materials from distribution centers, packaging facilities, and retailers instead of mixed curbside collections, which helped keep contamination low.

Since then, this model has grown significantly. DS Smith, now part of International Paper, and other companies have shown that fiber-based packaging circular systems can work on a large scale. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2024 Global Commitment Progress Report, which covers over 1,000 organizations representing 20 percent of global plastic packaging production, noted that companies like Amcor have “doubled the share of recycled content in their plastic packaging, making as much progress in four years as in the four decades before,” according to EMF leader Rob Opsomer.

Where Optimism Meets Reality

But the numbers are more complex than market growth projections suggest. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) found that the 2025 targets set by its member companies in 2018—to cut virgin plastic use by 18 percent, reach 26 percent recycled content, and achieve 100 percent reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging—are now mostly out of reach without major changes. Together, these companies have avoided using 9.6 million tons of virgin plastic since 2018, but that is less than 3 percent of annual plastic production. At the same time, the overall market increased plastic packaging use by 8 percent.

Scaling up reusable packaging has been especially hard. Even though 64 percent of EMF Commitment participants have started pilot programs, reuse models make up only 1.3 percent of packaging, according to the Foundation’s 2024 analysis. The main obstacles are structural: the U.S. lacks a shared reverse logistics system, does not offer enough consumer incentives, and has no binding policies to make reuse practical.

Greenwashing has made the credibility problem worse. In October 2024, the legal advocacy group ClientEarth released a report saying that vague plastic recycling claims, like “100-percent recyclable” and circular loop images, mislead consumers about the real environmental impact of products and violate UK and EU consumer protection laws.

“The thing that blew my mind,” said Myles Cohen, founder of consulting firm Circular Ventures, at the September 2024 Packaging Recycling Summit, “is that in the company’s defense, they argued, ‘Hey, our statements were just classic puffery.’” Cohen called greenwashing “a pet peeve that damages not just individual companies but the packaging and recycling industries as a whole.”

Consumer trust is clearly declining. According to 2024 data, 32 percent of Americans now doubt that curbside recycling works, up from 14 percent four years ago. A related trend called “greenhushing” has also appeared, where brands stop talking about their sustainability progress to avoid criticism.

What Actually Works

Not all circular packaging strategies are equally effective. The evidence shows a clear ranking of materials:

• Fiber-based packaging, like corrugated cardboard and paperboard, has proven circularity supported by real infrastructure. The DS Smith model is successful because it uses clean materials and relies on commercial, not residential, collection systems.
• Aluminum is the most valuable recyclable material. Recycling just one can saves as much energy as half a gallon of gas. Beverage cans contain 73 percent recycled content, and steel cans are recycled at an 80 percent rate, so metal packaging truly supports a circular system.
• Reusable packaging is most effective in closed-loop commercial settings, such as logistics, food service, and institutional supply chains. It does not work as well in consumer retail or quick-service restaurants, where returning packaging is expensive and unreliable.
• Compostable packaging is only a limited solution. More industry analysts are skeptical because most communities do not have home composting, industrial composting facilities often reject packaging, and composting creates greenhouse gases instead of recovering materials.
• Plastic recycling needs a very specific approach. PET bottles and HDPE containers are recycled more successfully than most other plastics. Flexible plastics like films, pouches, and sachets are still mostly unrecyclable on a large scale and often end up polluting the environment.

The EPA estimates that updating U.S. recycling infrastructure will cost between $36.5 and $43.4 billion, mainly for better packaging recovery, more composting capacity, and improved plastics processing. This investment has been slow to happen because there are no binding policy requirements.

The E.U. Regulatory Push and the U.S. Gap

Europe has moved decisively. The E.U.’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requires 70 percent of all packaging waste to be recycled by 2030, with plastics recycling rates targeted to double to 55 percent. Member states must cut packaging waste per capita by 15 percent by 2040 versus 2018 baselines. The European Commission is also requiring products claiming to be biobased, biodegradable, or compostable to meet minimum, verifiable standards to combat greenwashing.

In the U.S., California is leading the way with extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws and the new Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act, both aimed at reducing greenwashing in sustainability claims. However, there is little action at the federal level.

At the November 2024 Busan negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty, countries failed to reach a binding agreement. This has left a major policy gap and prevents a coordinated global effort.

What You Can Do

If you want to make a positive difference, it helps to be both a conscious shopper and an active citizen. Here are some steps you can take in your daily life:

• Choose fiber and aluminum products. Corrugated boxes, paperboard, and aluminum cans have real end-of-use recycling systems. Recycling these materials truly closes the loop.
• Don’t just trust the label. “Recyclable” does not always mean it can be recycled where you live. Check if your local program accepts the material, and use Earth911’s recycling search to see what is accepted in your area.
• Focus on reducing packaging, not just recycling. Buying products with less packaging, choosing concentrates, or picking refillable options has a bigger environmental impact than recycling alone.
• Support EPR policies. Extended producer responsibility moves recycling costs from cities and taxpayers to the companies that create packaging. This is a structural solution that market growth alone cannot achieve.
• Ask companies for details. If you see vague claims like “eco-friendly” or “100-percent recyclable,” ask questions: Where is it recyclable? What infrastructure is used? What percentage of the material is actually recycled? Demand clear, verifiable answers.

If you value the environment, keep a variation on Smokey Bear’s familiar advice in mind: Only you can prevent the economy from burning down the planet. Your response needs to combine thoughtful choices when shopping with active communication with friends, family, the businesses you frequent, and the representatives you elect.

Editor’s Note: This article, originally authored by Gemma Alexander on April 14, 2020, was substantially updated in April 2026.

The post Where Is The Circular Packaging Economy In 2026? appeared first on Earth911.

Every photo, email and forgotten download stored in the cloud lives somewhere physical. Most of the time, it’s in a data center that runs around the clock, drawing power and emitting greenhouse gases. Digital clutter feels weightless, but it carries a real environmental cost that most people never think about. The good news is that cleaning it up is one of the easiest green actions anyone can take.

Most people picture hoarding as stacked newspapers and overflowing closets. Digital hoarding is quieter. It’s things like 11,000 unread emails sitting in an inbox, the 4,000 photos from a holiday taken six years ago, most of them blurry or duplicated, or the streaming subscriptions no one canceled.

It’s different from intentional archiving, where someone keeps records for a purpose. Digital hoarding happens by default. It occurs through inaction and the comfortable assumption that storage is essentially free. It feels like nothing until someone starts adding it up.

The Data Centers Behind the Inbox

All of that information has to live somewhere. The warehouse-scale facilities that store, process and move the world’s digital information consumed 415 terawatt-hours of electricity globally in 2024. That figure is projected to reach roughly 945 terawatt-hours by 2030, driven primarily by the rapid expansion of AI workloads. This is a demand surge unlike anything the sector has seen before.

That AI dimension is important to note. General cloud storage and consumer data are no longer the main story. The infrastructure being built right now is being built for AI, and the energy requirements are growing accordingly.

As senior scientist Vijay Gadepally at MIT Lincoln Laboratory has noted, “As we move from text to video to image, these AI models are growing larger and larger, and so is their energy impact. This is going to grow into a pretty sizable amount of energy use and a growing contributor to emissions across the world.”

What’s less discussed is that passive stored data still draws continuous power for cooling and maintenance. In many data centers, the cooling system is one of the most energy-intensive components, accounting for about 40% of the facility’s total power consumption. A meaningful portion of data center energy goes toward simply keeping data at rest rather than processing or transmitting it.

A photo no one has looked at since 2018 still occupies server space that must be cooled, powered and maintained around the clock. Multiply that across billions of users who have never once audited their cloud storage, and the scale becomes hard to ignore.

Some research has put the ICT sector’s share of global greenhouse gas emissions between 1.8% and 3.9%, depending on methodology and growth trajectory.

Why It Keeps Happening

Storage is cheap, deletion feels risky, and there is always the nagging thought that a file might be necessary someday, even if that day never actually comes. Unlike physical clutter, a digital mess is invisible. It doesn’t take up space in a room or collect dust. That invisibility is precisely what makes it so easy to ignore.

Most of what people store has no practical value and hasn’t been accessed in years. However, it takes a deliberate decision to let it go.

What Can Be Done?

Tackling digital hoarding requires no specialist knowledge and no significant time investment. Repeating a few deliberate habits consistently makes a real difference.

Recent research confirms that a surprising amount of a data center’s energy is spent on background tasks that manage and ensure the reliability of stored files, even those that are never accessed. While the savings from your personal cleanup are small, it adds up. When replicated across hundreds of millions of users, it compounds into something that registers at the infrastructure level.

Start with email. Unsubscribing from newsletters and promotional lists takes minutes and stops a steady stream of data from accumulating indefinitely.

Next, look at cloud storage. Most people are keeping far more than they realize across things like Google Photos, iCloud and Dropbox. A quick audit tends to surface duplicates, large video files and folders that haven’t been opened in years. Deleting them permanently rather than just moving them to a trash folder actually reduces the load on the server infrastructure.

Unused applications are also taking up space. Every app that runs in the background, syncs data or stores files in the cloud draws resources. Removing anything that hasn’t been opened in three months or more is a small action with a compounding effect.

A monthly digital declutter, even just 30 minutes, keeps accumulation from getting out of hand. Treating it like a recurring calendar task rather than a vague intention makes it far more likely to stick.

Byte-Sized Decluttering

Individual action on digital hoarding might feel modest. However, the effects add up when they’re shared across hundreds of millions of people. The collective impact of better digital hygiene reduces demand on data centers that are expanding right now. Having less stored data, fewer idle fuels and more deliberate use of cloud services can make a big difference.

Cleaning out a photo library won’t solve the climate crisis, but it is a genuine contribution and one that costs almost nothing to make.

About the Author

Lola Marks is a health and wellness writer specializing in lifestyle evolution and optimization. Lola is also the Senior Editor of Body+Mind Magazine, where she prioritizes holistic living as a way to achieve a sense of balance and community.

The post Guest Idea: The Hidden Environmental Cost of Digital Hoarding appeared first on Earth911.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) minister Nga Kor Ming revealed that Kuala Lumpur now ranks 65th in the global smart city index. 

Speaking at the launch of the KL Architecture Festival’s (KLAF) Tropical Fruit Pavilion launch at Titiwangsa Lake Garden this morning, Nga also said that KL is among the top 10 most popular cities in the world in terms of international tourist arrivals according to Mastercard.

The launch was also attended by the Federal Territories minister Hannah Yeoh as well as KL mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud. 

“Among thousands, we are ranked number 65. 

“And I’m fully confident under Hannah and Datuk Fadlun’s leadership, KL is going to be in the top 50 soon,” Nga said. 

He added that KL is also ranked number four globally for a city with the most skyscrapers. 

“To my surprise as well, KL is ranked number four in the world for a city with the most numbers of high skyscrapers. 

“We currently have 494 buildings that are actually qualified as skyscrapers,”Nga added. 

Touching on the KLAF’S Tropical Fruit Pavillion in Titiwangsa, Nga said that there are around 12 interactive pavillions that have has been installed at the park starting today until this December. 

He said that this is an example of how architecture can transcend conventional boundaries and be meaningfully integrated into public spaces, allowing people from all walks of life to engage with design in an open and inclusive setting. 

“At KPKT, we strive to create liveable and, most important, lovable communities.

“We want to build urban environments that are not only economically vibrant but also economically resilient, culturally expressive, and socially inclusive,” he said. 

As the spring flowers start to appear and the days get longer, the urge to dig in the dirt returns. But you don’t have to wait for warmer weather to get growing. Starting plants from seed extends your relationship with the garden, gives you more control over seed sourcing, and saves real money compared to buying nursery starts, sometimes as much as 90% per plant.

Seed starting is also a lower-waste choice. You don’t need plastic nursery pots or peat-heavy commercial growing media, and get the option to select organic or open-pollinated varieties that big-box stores rarely carry. Here’s how to do it right.

This article includes affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, we earn a small commission that helps support our work.

Choose Seeds Worth Growing

Not all seeds are created equal, or equally easy. For beginners, stick to varieties with reliable indoor germination rates. Good bets include basil, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, lettuce, melon, onion, pepper, and tomatoes.

For direct sowing outdoors, which lets you skip the indoor start entirely, beans, beets, carrots, corn, peas, spinach, squash, and zucchini all transplant poorly and are better started where they’ll grow.

When selecting seeds, consider choosing open-pollinated or heirloom varieties — they let you save seeds at season’s end and replant the following year, compounding your savings over time. Rebel Gardens’ certified organic 13-variety heirloom pack (seeds grown and packed in the USA in 100% recycled packets) is a solid starting point, as is Purely Organic’s USDA-certified vegetable starter kit. For herbs, Sweet Yards’ organic herb seed pack covers the kitchen essentials — basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, thyme, and more.

Reuse Containers or Go Soil Blocking

The sustainability case for seed starting is strongest when you skip buying new plastic plug trays. Save nursery flats from prior seasons or raid the recycling bin for 2- to 3-inch containers such as single-serve yogurt, applesauce, or pudding cups. Wash thoroughly and punch drainage holes in the bottom.

A more advanced option is soil blocking. A soil blocker tool compresses growing medium into self-contained cubes that need no container at all. Roots hit air at the block’s edge and stop growing (a phenomenon called air pruning), which produces a denser, healthier root mass.

Ladbrooke’s 20-block Mini 4 Blocker is the most widely used model for home gardeners.

Get Your Growing Medium Right

Don’t use garden soil or standard potting mix for seed starts; both are too dense and can introduce pathogens. You need a dedicated starter mix: light, sterile, and fine-textured enough to let tiny roots push through.

A premixed option, Old Potters’ Professional Germination Mix, offers a pH-adjusted medium made from peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite that eliminates the guesswork of blending your own starter soil. Or mix your own by combining equal parts perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss, then add 1/4 teaspoon of lime per gallon to neutralize the peat’s acidity.

Peat moss extraction raises sustainability concerns. It’s a slow-renewing carbon store. Coco coir, made from coconut processing byproduct, is a renewable alternative with similar moisture-retention properties. Plantonix’s coco coir + perlite + vermiculite bundle is worth considering if you want to skip peat entirely.

Heat Is the Underrated Variable

Most vegetable seeds germinate best between 65–85°F, and soil temperature matters more than air temperature. A spot near a heat vent can work, but that can be inconsistent. A seedling heat mat is the most reliable solution because it warms the root zone 10–20°F above ambient air temperature, which can cut germination time.

The VIVOSUN Seedling Heat Mat is a top-rated, UL-certified 10″×20.75″ mat that fits standard nursery flats and allows you to control the temperature. For an all-in-one solution, SOLIGT’s 60-cell seed starter kit with grow light and heat mat bundles tray, dome, light, and mat in a single purchase.

Before germination, seeds need consistent moisture, not light. Cover your flat with plastic wrap, a humidity dome, or a pane of glass to hold humidity while seeds sprout. Once you see green, remove the cover immediately: trapped humidity post-germination promotes damping-off, a fungal disease that collapses seedlings at the soil line.

Water Smart, Not Hard

Overwatering kills more seedlings than drought does. The goal is consistent moisture, which will make the soil feel like a well-wrung sponge, not a puddle. A fine-mist spray bottle is better than pouring water from above, which can displace seeds and compact the growing medium.

A quality garden mist sprayer runs under $25 and pays for itself immediately.

Grow Lights: Non-Negotiable Unless You Have a South-Facing Window

Seedlings need 12–16 hours of light per day. A sunny south-facing window might deliver 6–8 hours on a clear day. The gap produces leggy, weak starts that struggle when transplanted. Grow lights eliminate the variable entirely.

Position the bulb 2–4 inches above seedlings and use an outlet timer to automate the schedule. Full-spectrum LEDs are the current standard, as they run cooler and more efficiently than fluorescents. GROWFRIEND’s 40-cell all-in-one kit includes dual LED grow lights, a heat mat, humidity dome, and a soil moisture meter in one package.

Label Everything Because You Will Forget

This sounds obvious until you’re staring at 60 identical seedlings in March. Label every cell or flat immediately after sowing, noting the variety and the date. Reusable plant markers and a waterproof pen cost almost nothing and save considerable grief later.

Waterproof garden plant markers with permanent pen included are available in packs of 100+ for a few dollars.

Feed Lightly, Starting at Week 3

Commercial seed-starting mix contains little to no fertilizer by design, as high fertility can burn delicate seedlings. But after the first true leaves appear, plants need a nutritional boost. Start with a diluted liquid fertilizer (half the label-recommended strength) and apply weekly.

Fish emulsion and kelp-based fertilizers are popular organic choices that provide a balanced nutrient profile without the risk of chemical burn from synthetic fertilizers.

Thin Ruthlessly

Sowing two or three seeds per cell is standard practice. It hedges against low germination rates. But once sprouts emerge, you need to thin to one per cell. The instinct is to leave multiples “in case.” Resist it. Crowded seedlings compete for light, water, and nutrients, and the result is weaker plants across the board.

Thin by snipping extras at soil level with small scissors rather than pulling, which can disturb roots of the seedling you’re keeping.

Pot Up Before Roots Get Crowded

Seed-starting mix has almost no nutrients. Once seedlings develop their first true leaves, which are the second set, after the initial seed leaves, they need more root space and fertility. Move them into 3- to 4-inch pots filled with a nutrient-rich potting mix.

This “potting up” step is often skipped, and seedlings suffer for it, becoming stunted, yellowed, slow to establish when finally transplanted. Pot up early rather than late.

Harden Off: Skipping This Step Is Costly

Indoor seedlings are soft. They haven’t experienced wind, direct UV, or temperature swings. Transplanting directly from a grow light to full outdoor sun causes transplant shock that can set plants back weeks or can kill them outright.

Harden off over 7–10 days: start with 2–3 hours in filtered shade on a mild day, gradually increasing sun and wind exposure. Growveg’s hardening-off guide has a clear day-by-day schedule.

Timing: Use a Planting Calendar, Not Gut Feel

The single most common beginner mistake is planting too early. Tomatoes and peppers in the ground before nights are consistently above 50°F will sulk rather than grow. Frost-tender crops started too early indoors get root-bound before it’s safe to plant them out.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac planting calendar calculates seed-starting dates based on your last frost date. Input your zip code and it generates a personalized schedule. Check the forecast in the 48 hours before any outdoor transplanting.

What You Can Do

• Start with easy wins: basil, broccoli, lettuce, and tomatoes have high germination rates and forgive beginner mistakes.
• Choose open-pollinated seeds: you can save and replant them each year, building independence from annual seed purchases.
• Skip peat when possible: coco coir-based growing media performs similarly and avoids harvesting slow-renewing peat bogs.
• Reuse containers: clean nursery flats or single-serve food containers reduce plastic demand before a single seed goes in.
• Use a heat mat and grow light: these two tools account for the majority of seed-starting failures when absent.
• Harden off every seedling: skipping this step costs plants; the process takes 10 days and pays off every time.
• Time your starts correctly: use a frost-date-based planting calendar, not the date on the seed packet, which isn’t calibrated to your region.

Related Reading on Earth911:

• Home Economics: Are Vegetable Gardens Worth It?
• 8 Ways to Green Your DIY
• Earth911 Recycling Search

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published April 30, 2015, by Sarah Lozanova, and most recently updated in March 2026.

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