Plastics Recycling Update reports that ringing a long, hard legislative session to an end, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a number of plastics-related bills that reached his desk, yet signed others. Plastics Recycling Update reports that Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation, for the third year in a row, which would have required …
Mais »Europe – the road from landfilling to recycling: common destination, different routes
A new brochure from the European Environment Agency (EEA) presents the EEA‘‘s new country factsheets on waste policies and trends across the EU-25, and summarises some patterns in approaches to waste management that are highlighted by the factsheets. Achieving effective policy outcomes: the importance of tailoring waste management policies to …
Mais »China – WEEE recycling “raises dioxin in mothers and babies”
Methods used to recycle electronic waste exported to China “significantly” increase the amount of the toxin dioxin in women of child-bearing age and in breast-fed babies, According to EarthTimes, Chinese scientists estimated that the intake of dioxin in breast-fed babies in Taizhou in eastern China, where more than 2.2 million …
Mais »UK – under-packaging is an order of magnitude worse than over-packaging
Food waste levels are shocking but no-one is doing more to reduce them than the packaging industry, reports packaging industry body Incpen. Supermarkets and their suppliers are reducing packaging but, more importantly they are making sure they use enough packaging to help stop food waste which is a much bigger …
Mais »Questão de época
A luta pela sobrevivência em diferentes épocas: les glaneuses (catadoras de restos de colheita na França do século XIX) e as catadoras de lixo. Sobre as primeiras, a diretora francesa Agnès Varda fez um ótimo filme, Les glaneurs et la glaneuse, uma crítica à sociedade de consumo
Mais »Canada – Municipal Solid Waste – Gold in the garbage!
With Canadians disposing of over 25 million tonnes of waste to landfills each year, many municipalities are handing over money to companies that specialize in turning municipal solid waste (MSW) into energy. Globe-Net reports that through ingenuity, many waste-to-energy technologies have been developed for this waste and it has become …
Mais »UK – plastic bag tax plans illustrate complexity of recycling debate
In less than a fortnight, Londoners will decide whether they wish for a plastic bag levy or a complete ban in the capital. London councils have held a public consultation to decide on a range of options including whether nothing should be done at all or a plastic bag levy …
Mais »Tesco and the Carbon Trust partner to map carbon footprint of 30 products
Tesco and the Carbon Trust are to measure the carbon footprint of 30 Tesco own-brand products in the next stage of the journey towards a clear, universal system of carbon labelling for the weekly shop. Ranging from orange juice to light bulbs, the products will be assessed using the draft …
Mais »Isopor vegetal – Espuma biodegradável pode substituir vários tipos de plástico
Resinas obtidas de plantas como milho, arroz, cana-de-açúcar, soja e mamona são a base de produtos biodegradáveis destinados a substituir o poliestireno expandido (EPS), um produto de difícil reciclagem derivado do petróleo conhecido popularmente como isopor, utilizado principalmente pelo mercado de embalagens. A Bioespuma, nome comercial e patenteado do material …
Mais »New Zealand – boffins extract antioxidants from grape seeds
A group of Marlborough investors and scientists have found the fruit of the vine can be good for business and your health in more ways than one. stuff.co.nz reports that the team formed New Zealand Extracts two years ago to investigate turning what had been viewed as grape seed waste …
Mais »