Australia – to ban incandescent light bulbs

Australia will be the first country in the world to ban traditional incandescent light bulbs, says Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Globe-Net reports that according to the plan, yellow incandescent bulbs will be replaced by more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs by 2009. “By that stage you simply won‘‘t be able to …

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China – food leftovers account for a quarter of household waste

In light of a significant increase in the amount of leftovers during the one-week Chinese New Year holiday, the Environment Protection Administration (EPA) urged the public to adopt an environmentally friendly “green diet.” The China Post reports that leftovers account for around a quarter of the garbage generated by the …

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India – waste-to-energy plan lashed by experts

A stream of protests has hit India‘‘s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for sanctioning municipal waste-to-energy (MWTE) projects that are collapsing under an avalanche of incombustible effluent, according to IPS-Inter Press Service, cited in Power Engineering International. “The technology of converting waste to energy from purely organic wastes …

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UK – waste plasterboard have viable recovery options

Studies assessing the recycling of waste plasterboard from commercial refurbishment projects have shown that it is economically viable, according to a report published and funded by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). Key findings of the report indicate that: recovering and recycling plasterboard waste from commercial refurbishment sites is economically …

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Ireland – Government to raise levy on plastic bags

Ireland‘‘s Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche, T.D. has announced that the environmental levy on plastic shopping bags would be increased from 15c to 22c per bag with effect from Sunday 1st July 2007. The plastic bag levy which came into effect on 4th March …

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USA – IKEA to charge for plastic bags

Sweden‘‘s IKEA will charge US customers five cents for disposable plastic shopping bags in what the international furniture giant said was a first step to ending their use altogether. Reuters reports that IKEA said the decision to stop giving away free bags to customers aimed to reduce the estimated 100 …

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