Tag Archives: Curiosidades

Finland – proposal for a national waste policy to 2016

working group set by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment has prepared its proposal for a national waste policy. This proposal for nationwide strategic plan for waste treatment and waste prevention principles, goals and the government‘‘s steering plans is going to be approved by the Council of State. The goals …

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UK – industry agreement set to increase gypsum recycling

Plasterboard manufacturers in Great Britain have signed up to an agreement that is set to bring a significant reduction in the amount of waste plasterboard sent to landfill. The voluntary agreement was initiated and brokered by the Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) which, in Great Britain, represents Knauf Drywall, British …

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Europe – Brussels clears German packaging-deposit scheme

A long-standing case over Germany‘‘s mandatory return scheme for used cans and bottles was dropped by the Commission after changes were introduced in the system to make it compatible with EU internal trade rules. Euractiv reports that the Commission closed an infringement procedure against Germany‘‘s mandatory deposit system for used …

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USA – Mercury in energy-saving bulbs worries scientists

There‘‘s an old joke about the number of people it takes to change a light bulb. But because the newer energy-efficient kinds contain tiny amounts of mercury, the hard part is getting rid of them when they burn out, reports ENN citing Reuters. Mercury is poisonous, but it‘‘s also a …

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Guyana – no programme yet for plastic waste disposal

Neither the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor the municipalities have a programme in place for recycling plastic waste, and the impediment to finding workable solutions may lie in the lack of financial viability for everything proposed so far. Stabroeknews.com reports that plastic bottles (PET), Styrofoam food boxes and plastic …

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USA – San Francisco lawmakers vote to ban plastic bags

San Francisco‘‘s city council has voted to become the first US city to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets to help promote recycling. Reuters reports that under the legislation approved by the city‘‘s Board of Supervisors, large supermarkets and drugstores will not be allowed to offer plastic bags made from …

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South Africa – what‘s up with plastic bags?

Here is an interesting editorial from South Africa‘‘s Cape Times. THE short answer is: not much. As my colleague Melanie Gosling revealed last November, despite the fact that more than R100 million has been raised from the 3c levy on every “thick” plastic bag we‘‘ve bought from supermarkets since 2003, …

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USA – Minneapolis school composting effort is for naught

A good example from the Star Tribune of the problems when good motives clash with poor systems design. Every day at lunchtime in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District, students diligently separate food waste from other garbage. Leftover pizza goes in one bin, plastic forks and foam plates in another, empty …

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