English

There has been a deal of media interest in the new plastic bag tax, introduced by the South African Government early in May. Here are some extracts (some before the tax was introduced, some after) from articles by the SA Broadcasting Corporation: South Africans not happy to pay for plastic …

For years, the slopes of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, were littered with heaps of oxygen bottles, food packets, tents, batteries, and other climbing paraphernalia left behind by mountaineers. “An estimated minimum of 290 tons and a maximum of 1,115 tons of garbage have been left in the area,” …

The streets of Naples and the surrounding towns were piled high with rubbish after waste disposal centres announced that they had reached maximum capacity. The UK Guardian reports that officials were preparing to transport rubbish to the north amid fears that the Naples mafia was planning to cash in on …

Clean, cheap way to recover valuable metals from industrial wastes is a world first for Birmingham, UK research team Bacteria could soon have a major role to play in recycling precious metals from spent automotive catalysts and other industrial wastes. Scientists at the University of Birmingham have made a patent …

This is an interesting feature from the Nashua Telegraph (New Hampshire USA), which is also running a local poll on the same issue. Nashua’s Solid Waste Department, in the midst of a major overhaul of city trash collection, is on the brink of squandering a great opportunity. The department is …

Green groups have launched a campaign to make industry take back products such as computers and televisions at the end of their life cycle, warning they will push for regulations if recycling schemes are not forthcoming this year. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that computers contain a number of hazardous …

Too much waste incineration could deter efforts to reduce waste, warns an official from Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency. EDIE news service reports that the battle continues over whether municipal waste should be recycled or incinerated, with a director at Sweden’s EPA responding to a letter from waste experts warning that …

A new geographical information system (GIS) that is soon to be launched will allow firms in the construction and demolition industries to reduce their transport of bulky waste by locating the nearest most suitable waste management site. Edie reports that the system will be web-based, and will be launched in …

A biomass team in the Berlin district of Pankow is developing plans to heat two greenhouses with biogas plants fired by local green waste. Although planning permission has not yet been granted, the demonstration project has received lottery funding due to its potential contribution to Local Agenda 21 in the …

A project to encourage more sustainable waste management practices in the UK furniture manufacturing industry is underway, thanks to a £93,254 grant from Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund managed by RSNC, which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. BFM Ltd aim to look at more sustainable …