Curiosidades

Researchers of the Nara Institute of Science and Technology have succeeded in developing an organotin-free substance for ship paint that does not leach out any organometallic compounds into the surrounding seawater. Japan for Sustainability (FfS) reports that the research team, led by Professor Michiya Fujiki and represented by Assistant Professor …

The European Union is becoming increasingly strict in its rules governing recycling in the automobile branch, but there seems to be little or no theoretical foundation for these rules. Antoinette van Schaik concludes this in her PhD thesis on car recycling, which she will defend on 8 December at TU …

You might be interested in some more detail on Dublin‘‘s interesting adoption of variable rate charging from January 2005. This system is designed to benefit the environment by encouraging housholds to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste materials and present their wheelie bins or tagged bags for collection when full. …

Between 2002 and 2003 the mass of natural resources and products used by the UK economy fell by 1 per cent. This primarily comprises domestic extraction supplemented by net imports. Resource use has fallen by 2 per cent since 2000 and by 13 per cent since 1990. The Environmental Accounts …

Recycling gets a 21st century facelift, as Secretary of State for Environment, Margaret Beckett, unveils the first in a new era of ‘‘high tech‘‘ recycling facilities at supermarkets. The new recycling facility – built by Norwegians for the supermarket chain Tesco – promises to be faster, cleaner and more efficient …

A report has been published by the UK Government‘‘s Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) which presents the findings of a study conducted by Enviros Consulting in conjunction with Economics for the Environment Consultancy (EFTEC) to provide an assessment of the external costs and benefits to health and …

On the run-up to Christmas the run on digital cameras has begun. It is likely that friends and family members will be thinking about giving a camera as a present. Few know, however, that they will be paying an increased recycling fee. The fee allows used cameras to be returned …

Germany has increased the R&D budget for renewable bio-materials. The German government will almost double its budget for research and development in naturally re-occurring materials next year, said the ministry for consumer protection, nutrition and agriculture. Plastics & Rubber Weekly reports that the ministry‘‘s parliamentary secretary of state Matthias Berninger …

A frase acima, que não é nova, foi dita pelo ecologista Ro-berto Almeida, coordenador municipal do Meio Ambiente, ao falar sobre a indústria da reciclagem do lixo. Enquanto não se chega a um acordo sobre o aterro sanitário, Almeida prega a ins-talação de um centro de triagem no Lixão. No …

In 1999, two companies, a group of long-term unemployed and abfallvermeider (waste-avoiders?) founded a network. Today it includes 43 companies in the Vienna area, who repair everything from leather gloves to dishwashers. Wienerzeitung reports that each year a total of 73,000 items are repaired for more than 4,400 customers, saving …