International Wastenews, Waste Centre Denmark no. 2, 2005 reports that Sweden is considering the introduction of a tax on waste for incineration. The Swedish BRAS committee has presented an extensive report proposing that the fossil part of the waste should be subjected to both an energy tax and a CO2 …
Mais »Europe – identifying products with the greatest potential for environmental improvement
The Commission announced in the Communication on Integrated Product Policy (COM(2003) 302 final) the intention to launch a work with the purpose of identifying products with the greatest potential for environmental improvement from a life-cycle perspective. This work started in 2004 and is being led by the Institute for Prospective …
Mais »Australia – stand-off looms over waste levies
The Sydney Morniong Herald reports that Australian local authorities may refusE to pay the state-imposed waste levy introduced in 1993 to encourage recycling. The idea was that a A$4.20 levy on every tonne of rubbish delivered by a council or a business to landfill (on top of direct landfill charges) …
Mais »Australia – new heights in newspaper recycling
Australia has hit a new high in recycling of its newspapers, with a national average of 73.5% for 2003, according to the annual report on the recovered newsprint market from the Publishers National Environment Bureau (PNEB). The report, produced for the PNEB by the News Limited Environmental Secretariat, showed that …
Mais »UK – distinguishing between recycling and religion
Here is a reflection from yesterday‘‘s Daily Telegraph by Eamonn Butler of the Adam Smith Institute. You may not agree with al the sentiments, but it makes a useful contribution to the debate. Of course, one of the arguments for recycling more is that it closes the mental loop and …
Mais »Australia – new heights in newspaper recycling
Australia has hit a new high in recycling of its newspapers, with a national average of 73.5% for 2003, according to the annual report on the recovered newsprint market from the Publishers National Environment Bureau (PNEB). The report, produced for the PNEB by the News Limited Environmental Secretariat, showed that …
Mais »Europe – no packaging waste mountain in view for EU12
Increase of packaging use is growing by less than 1% per annum while Member States look to be on track for achieving the 2008 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive targets. Those are the main conclusions of an ASSURRE analysis of official Packaging and Packaging Waste statistics from 2002. Following its …
Mais »New Zealand – why councils are collaborating for waste reduction
In New Zealand, Waitakere and North Shore City Councils are making local government and business history by commissioning the country‘‘s largest-ever waste collection contract and by proposing a waste by-law aimed at reducing the region‘‘s rubbish. The new waste collection contract signed by two of New Zealand‘‘s largest cities is …
Mais »UK – composting potential for growth
The UK agency Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has published a report “Assessment of the Demand for Green Waste Compost in the UK Landscaping Industry 2004/05”, which does just that. The report was written by Joanna Barnsley, Ben Thuriaux and Simon Stephens (Associate) from consultants Arthur D Little. The …
Mais »USA – aluminium beverage can recycling rate rising; first time since 1997
The Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has released statistics indicating that Americans and the can recycling industries recycled 51.5 billion aluminium cans in 2004, for a beverage can recycling rate of 51.2 per cent. This reflects a 1.2 per cent increase over …
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