Curiosidades

The Board of Education of Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture in western Japan, has launched a project to recycle milk cartons from school lunches at elementary and junior high schools in the city. Japan for Sustainability reports that the project, started in September 2004, aims to raise schoolchildren‘‘s awareness about the …

The European Court of Justice has found against the German packaging legislation in two cases. The first decision helps clarify Article 5 of the Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste concerning reusable packaging. The second case concerns a complaint brought by an Austrian company selling beverages in Germany, which …

“Significant progress has been made in raising recycling levels of construction and demolition waste”, so said Mr. Batt O‘‘Keeffe, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Athlone at an information seminar to promote a unique voluntary construction industry initiative aimed at the …

The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 designated certain electronic products as being covered by a fee and payment system to encourage the proper recycling of the products when they become waste. As of July 1, 2004, “covered electronic devices” and “covered electronic wastes” include televisions and computer monitors that …

Most electronic devices contain a variety of materials, including metals, that can be recovered for recycling. Recycling your waste electronics saves resources and protects the Earth because new metals don‘‘t have to be mined. In addition, some electronic products contain high enough levels of certain materials, such as lead, that …

E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their “useful life.” Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our …

A new study indicates that architects working on sustainable design may have more misperceptions about vinyl than about any other building material. The study, “Paradoxes in Vinyl and Sustainable Design,” was conducted for the Design Futures Council, a U.S. think tank for the architecture and design community, by Greenway Consulting, …

Environmentalists and other stakeholders gathered in Lagos, recently, to present recommendations for a national plan for the environmentally sound management of used oils in the country as well as suggest ways for the development of used oils partnership in the African region. This Day in Lagos reports that they also …

A draft report from the US. Green Building Council‘‘s (USGBC) PVC Task Group finds that the environmental and health impacts of vinyl used in building products are comparable to those of competing materials, according to the US Vinyl Institute. The Task Group, which for nearly two years studied vinyl and …

A study commissioned by a group promoting reusable plastic pallets and containers (RPCs) claims an environmental advantage with their products compared with the use of cardboard boxes. US consultants Franklin Associates reviewed the shipment of ten items over the entire life cycle of reusable plastic and single-use corrugated containers. The …