Eco Talk with Communities of Hope

ecoRI News reporter Grace Kelly speaks with Ana Duque, owner of Green Tenderfoot, a business that makes zero-waste living accessible to communities of color by providing refills of household items such as shampoo and cleaning products. Recently, Duque teamed up with Karen Mejias, owner of the wellness business Mindful Maia, to build a permanent location for her refill station in Pawtucket, R.I. The Heal Room will feature Duque’s refill stations alongside Mejias’ wellness products. As a Latina woman who grew up in Pawtucket, Duque hopes she can show communities of color that living sustainably and reducing waste isn’t just something for wealthier, White communities; it’s for everyone.

Rhode Island is seeing more cities and towns banning plastic shopping bags. ecoRI News gets an update from Dave McLaughlin, executive director of Clean Ocean Access, who spearheaded efforts to pass bans on Aquidneck Island. Reuse pro Alex Eaves talks calls in to discuss ways individuals can reduce or eliminate single-use plastics in their lives. Plus, a roundup of this month's top stories.

Adaptation and mitigation are key. How is the state doing on these fronts? Plus a review of this month's top stories and a reader question.

What does a melting Arctic look like? Two Rhode Islanders set out on an adventure to see firsthand and to film the changes for their documentary, "Enduring Ice."

New England wants to produce 50 percent of its food by 2060. How do we get there?

Rhode Island's recycling rate has stalled, and some loads of recyclables arrive at the state's Central Landfill so contaminated that they must be landfilled. We look at the future of recycling.

Joining us are Bob Kenney a marine research scientist at the University of Rhode Island and Jene Nissen, senior naval analyst for the environmental impact statement of training and testing in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.