San Francisco To Limit Fines On Recycling Scofflaws

San Franciso Mayor Gavin Newsom announced on August 7 that fines for residents violating the city's planned mandatory recycling law would be subject to fines no greater than $100.

"The point here is to boost our recycling rate to above 90 percent. We don't need outrageous fines to do that," said Newsom.

According to a statement from the major's office, "...the $500-$1,000 fines referenced in news reports were simply 'place-holder' numbers in a draft bill. They said fines higher than $100 may still apply to businesses and to landlords of large apartment buildings who refuse to offer recycling and composting opportunities to tenants when feasible."

The proposed mandatory recycling law is expected to be enacted before the end of this year. San Francisco already recycles approximately 70 percent of its trash.

For more information, visit http://www.sfenvironment.org/our_sfenvironment/press_releases.html?topic=details&ni=403.

New Government Rebates Support "Green" Washing Machine Sales In Australia

Earlier this month, the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) of New South Wales launched a program to stimulate sales of water-efficient washing machines by offering buyers $150 cash rebates. Many parts of Australia, including New South Wales, are facing a critical water shortage.

The rebates, available through June 2010, apply to all washing machines with a 4.5 star water efficiency rating. Such machines can save up to 100 liters of water per wash over comparable older models. According to the DECC, "a family washing more than six loads a week would save up to 31,000 litres of water a year."

The New South Wales program is another example of a government subsidizing consumer purchases of more environmentally-friendly products. Recently China launched a program to subsidize consumer purchases of energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

For more information visit http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebates/ccfwmr.htm

New York State Tells Residents To Trash, Not Flush, Unwanted Meds

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is concerned about rising levels of pharmaceuticals in New York's drinking water and on August 8 launched a public education program to encourage residents to trash or recycle unwanted or expired over-the-counter and prescription medications instead of flushing them.

According to the DEC, "New Yorkers should place their unused, unwanted or expired drugs in the trash, taking care to destroy or disguise them to avoid misuse or misdirection."

Additionally, the DEC said it would encourage pilot collection programs for pharmaceuticals, either by pharmacies or local governments. So far the pharmacy industry has been reluctant to support mandatory pharmaceutial "take back" programs.

Separately, the Product Stewardship Institute,a nonprofit organization based in Boston, has begun a series of public stakeholder meetings to draft an environmentally safe framework for recycling unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals nationwide.

For more information about the DEC program visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/45813.html.

Bioplastic Maker Reports 108 Percent Sales Jump

Hawthorne, California-based, Cereplast, a leading manufacturer of bioplastic, said its sales for the first six months of 2008 increased 108 percent over a year earlier. While total sales were still just below $2 million, small in comparison to many major traditional plastics manufacturer, the rate of growth is unusual.

“Supported by both continually mounting environmental awareness and high fossil fuel prices, we see tremendous interest in our products from the marketplace," said Cereplast Chairman and CEO Frederic Scheer.

For more information visit http://www.cereplast.com/pressrealeasedetail.php?newsid=80.

Recycling Up, Household Waste Down Slightly In UK

According to initial statistics released on August 7 by the United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), recycling increased in the quarter of October-December 2007, and household waste generation decreased slightly.

Municipal waste generation decreased about 1 percent - from 29.1 million to 28.8 million tons, year-to-year. Defra also says household recycling increased about 3 percent from April 2006 through December 2007.

According to Defra Minister Joan Ruddock, "The figures published today are provisional. We will know the full picture by the end of the year, but the early results show those efforts continue to be worthwhile."

Ruddock has been pushing to reduce waste and increase recycling in the UK and is also the driving force behind a proposed single-use plastic bag tax in the UK.

Defra expects to publish a full report in November when its fiscal year concludes. For more information on the initial (Qtr 3) findings, visit http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2008/080807a.htm

First Electronics Recycling Plant To Open In Kenya

East Africa, identified as a major dumping group for unwanted electronics, will soon have an electronics recycling plant operating in Embakasi, Kenya. In addition to serving Kenya, the facility may eventually provide service to Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi as well.

The new facility will run not by a company but by a cooperative effort between the Nairobi City Council and the non-profit organization, Computers For Schools Kenya (CFSK).

"We have started in a small way, but eventually we will handle the e-waste from the East Africa region," said Tom Musili, CFSK CEO.

No information was immediately available on the amount or types of waste electronics that the facility will process or when the facility will be operational.

Nickel-Zinc Batteries Added To RBRC Recycling Program

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), announced earlier this month it was adding nickel-zinc (Ni-Zn) batteries to its collection and recycling portfolio. Its first client is San Diego-based PowerGenix.

Ni-Zn is a relatively new technology and is considered safer for the environment because it does not use heavy metals, such as cadmium or lead. PowerGenix markets Ni-Zn rechargeable batteries for cordless power tools, uninterrupted power supplies, scooters and lighting products.

RBRC helps maintain more than 50,000 collection locations across the United States and Canada for processing various types of rechargeable batteries.

For more information visit http://www.rbrc.org/releases/PR_08062008.pdf.

UK Grocer Begins Selling Milk In Recycled Paper Cartons

ASDA, a Wal-Mart subsidiary in the United Kingdom, said it will start selling milk delivered in cartons made from recycled paper.

The recycled paper cartons are manufactured by Suffolk, UK-based GreenBottle. They contain a thin plastic bag inside a thick recycled paper outer shell that is similar to material used to make egg cartons. According to the manufacturer, the carton design "consumes about a third of the energy required to make a plastic bottle and has a carbon footprint that is 48 percent lower than plastic."

The GreenBottle cartons will be distributed initially at just five of ASDA's more than 350 stores nationwide. However, the retail giant hopes to extend its use to additional stores if consumers accept the unusual container.

"Milk is one of our highest selling products, and as such, we have a responsibility to develop alternative packaging making it easier for our customers to go green and to help them recycle at home," said ASDA spokesperson, Chris Brown.

For more information visit http://greenbottle.com/about_us/store_locations.aspx.

CHEJ's Latest Target: PVC in School Supplies

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), arguably one of the forces instigating the recent federal legislation on bisphenol-A, has also had PVC in its sights for some time. It has questioned the safety of PVC in toys and shower curtains. It's latest focus is school supplies.

In an August 7 email broadcast, CHEJ says "Children's school supplies, such as lunchboxes, backpacks and binders, are often made out of PVC -- the poison plastic." CHEJ then offers parents and others a "Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies," and encourages supporters to "tell a friend" in a new viral communications effort.

For more information visit http://www.besafenet.com/pvc.