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Italy – turning olive pits into energy

After you‘‘ve enjoyed a tangy olive, don‘‘t throw away the pit – it could soon be providing a clean, green answer to heat and electricity production, thanks to technology developed by Israeli start-up Genova, now setting up its first pilot plant. Israel21C reports that the company, which was founded in …

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Netherlands – officials announce packaging tax

Netherlands officials recently announced the government will be introducing a carbon-based packaging tax aimed at reducing carbon emissions related to the use of packaging, the first such levy in the European Union. Resource Recycling reports that the tax will be based on estimated carbon dioxide emissions produced in making various …

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Scotland – nation meets its landfill target

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has released its latest figures on municipal waste for 2006/07 reporting that Scotland has met its domestic target for landfill of biodegradeable municipal waste and the recycling rate continues to increase. Scottish local authorities have reduced the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to …

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India – landfill mining could cut waste

Retrieving material for composting from open dumps across the developing world could reduce the environmental impact of the growing mountains of waste, according to researchers in India. Environmentalresearchweb newswire reports that open dumps are prevalent in the developing world and have a poor environmental record, according to environmental engineer Kurian …

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Canada – Huntingdon may be first in Quebec to ban plastic bags

The town of Huntingdon has officially entered what seems to be a race to become the first Quebec municipality to outlaw distribution of non-biodegradable plastic bags at grocery stores and other retail outlets. The Gazette reports that coming on the heels of a similar announcement by the Gaspe town of …

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Sweden – Gothenburg company is working on new ways of converting kitchen refuse into a viable energy source

Smedlunds Miljösystem intends to turn each bag of dried kitchen rubbish into a quantity of biogas sufficient to keep a car running for 3.2 kilometres (2 miles), Bohusläningen reports. Swedish.com reports that a small residential area in Guldheden has already agreed to try out the method. "The technology removes around …

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Australia – recycling offsets car emissions

For every bin full of paper and cardboard put out to be recycled each fortnight, households are offsetting 90.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year, a report on recycling trends has found. Sydney Morning Herald reports that it‘‘s the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by driving a car …

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Japan – Yokohama to reward neighbourhood groups for recycling activities

The Yomiuri Shimbun repors that the Yokohama municipal government is to reward neighborhood associations for their collective recycling efforts by distributing 300 million yen earned from selling recycled waste such as plastic bottles and used paper. The city‘‘s efforts to reduce waste started in fiscal 2003. Recycling activities, which include …

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UK – Government announces phasing out of all high-energy bulbs

The Independent reports that all high-energy light bulbs will be removed from sale in Britain within four years under a pioneering deal between the Government and major retailers. Bulbs rated at 150 watts will be taken off the shelves as early as January under the voluntary agreement launched yesterday by …

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India – 80 percent hospital waste "being sold or recycled"

Indian Daily Times reports that only 1,000 kilos of the 5,000 kilos of infectious hospital waste produced every day by 15 government hospitals was being sent to the incinerator at Children‘‘s Hospital, an official of the Health Department said on Thursday. The official said the 15 hospitals produced 15,000 kilos …

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