The latest in the growing number of efforts directed at reducing, repurposing and ultimately eliminating waste in all its forms.
Dairy farmer Chris Wagner, owner of the Green Dream Farm in Enosburg Falls, Vermont, has a new setup that provides him with low-cost bedding for his herd and reduces the greenhouse gas produced by his cows. Wagner was able to install the technology by partnering with fellow Vermonters NativeEnergy, a carbon-offset and project-development company, and Ben & Jerry’s, the iconic ice cream maker.Wagner’s new equipment processes his cow manure and then composts it. The resulting product is sanitary and makes excellent bedding for his milking herd. As a result, Wagner will no longer have to purchase wood shavings and will see significant savings in the cost of bedding.
Ford’s Oakville Assembly plant now sends no operational waste-to-landfill, an achievement that gives Ford Motor Company the distinction of becoming landfill-free at all its manufacturing facilities in Canada.Oakville Assembly is the first Ford assembly plant in North America to achieve this environmental designation.The Essex Engine Plant received landfill-free status in 2012 and Windsor Engine Plant in 2013. A total of 21 Ford facilities around the globe maintain zero waste-to-landfill status. By Ford’s definition, this means that those facilities do not send any operational waste to a landfill.
Bank of America has announced two new initiatives in its efforts to help address California’s severe drought conditions - a $250,000 grant to the Pacific Institute, which will go towards the Institute’s drought research and response effort; and the expansion of xeriscaping, or drought-tolerant landscaping, at six of its California banking centers.
UTZ Certified’s Energy from Coffee Wastewater project has proven that it is possible to generate energy, tackle climate change and protect water resources by treating discharges from coffee mills. The project started in 2010 with the goal of addressing environmental and health problems caused by the wastewater produced in the coffee industry.Tailor-made coffee wastewater treatment systems and solid-waste treatment mechanisms were installed at 19 coffee farms — eight in Nicaragua, 10 in Honduras and one in Guatemala. The positive impact of the project on over 5,000 people in the region has inspired UTZ Certified to replicate the initiative in other countries.
Staples Advantage, the business to business division of Staples, has partnered with Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) to launch a technology recycling service that makes it easier for for businesses to recycle old electronics.
Novelis, global producer of aluminum rolled products, has announced a $106 million investment that will add 100,000 metric tons of coating capacity and 190,000 metric tons of recycling capacity at its Pindamonhangaba facility in São Paulo, Brazil.The new coating line is designed specifically for beverage can end stock, the company says. The addition of this 100,000 ton line will double the market's capacity to supply coated can end stock and enable Novelis to deliver directly to can customers in the region, a function previously provided by a third-party partner. Novelis expects to begin shipping commercial product from the new line in the coming months.
If all of the municipal solid waste (MSW) that currently is put into landfills each year in the US were diverted to waste-to-energy (WTE) power plants, it could generate enough electricity to supply 12 percent of the US total, according to a new study by the Earth Engineering Center (EEC) of Columbia University.This could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 123 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, the report says.
McDonald’s Pacific Sierra Region has created a waste diversion execution manual that is resulting in an estimated diversion of 70 cubic yards of waste from landfills each week, according to the company’s 2014 Global “Best of Green” report.The manual enables restaurants to deploy mixed recycling, organics recycling, or both, by providing checklists, shift huddles, and crew/customer engagement and education materials. The manual was initially piloted in 11 California Bay Area restaurants in Alameda County and is being replicated in additional restaurants throughout the Pacific Sierra Region.
In a world where there is a glaring equality gap in the provision of food and adequate nutrition, plus increasing strain on the global food system from a growing population, food waste is becoming a much-discussed issue.
More and more, we’re hearing stories of enterprising dairy farms, from Canada to New York to the Pacific Northwest, putting their mounds of manure to good use — turning it into biogas with the help of anaerobic digestion technology.
The Detroit Lions have partnered with REPREVE, a recycled fiber brand, to launch a sustainability initiative aimed at achieving a 100 percent recycling rate throughout the 2014 NFL season.The Lions are the first NFL team to join REPREVE’s #TurnItGreen program, which supports stadium-based recycling efforts and a consumer education campaign to encourage fans to recycle bottles during games.REPREVE transforms plastic bottles into recycled fibers that are used by many major brands, including Ford, Haggar, Polartec, Quiksilver and Volcom. On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the Lions and REPREVE will kick off #TurnItGreen efforts with a training camp takeover at Ford Field.
BlueOak Resources, a Burlingame, Calif.-based startup that aims to convert e-waste into a sustainable source of critical metals and rare earths, has chosen e-waste-recovery specialist Tetronics to provide plasma-refining technology for the recovery of precious metals from e-waste, first in a plant located in Osceola, Arkansas.
Internationally renowned novelist and environmental activist Margaret Atwood will visit Arizona State University this November to discuss the relationship between art and science and the importance of creative writing and imagination for addressing social and environmental challenges.
Food and garden waste from households throughout Glasgow has been transformed into compost and used in the development of Glasgow 2014’s Athletes Village and other Commonwealth Games venues, according to Zero Waste Scotland. Along with the use of compost during construction, the Athletes Village has been equipped with solar panels on the houses and a combined heat and power system.Currently underway, Glasgow 2014 has committed to being a truly sustainable Commonwealth Games, aiming to divert 80 percent of waste during the event and recycling as much as possible.
New York City taxpayers spend $600 million every year to manage post-consumer packaging and printed paper, reveals a new data analysis by UPSTREAM, a national environmental policy organization. In Europe and now increasingly in Canada, these costs are borne by corporations selling consumer goods.
A new survey by the Shelton Group found that nearly one-third of Americans would be more likely to attend a game or concert if the stadium recycled and composted, and one in five say they would buy more food and beverages during the event.A significant number of fans care about the environment, and they’ll vote with their feet - and their beer cups,” said Suzanne Shelton, CEO of the Shelton Group.
Almost two-thirds of grocery shoppers in the US (63 percent) are more concerned with food waste than other issues such as air pollution (59 percent), water shortages (57 percent), climate change (53 percent) and genetically modified foods (52 percent), according to a new Harris poll.The poll, commissioned by Sealed Air Corporation, evaluated Americans’ food habits,
On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines announced the launch of LUV Seat: Repurpose with Purpose, a global sustainability initiative to upcycle 43 acres of used leather seat coverings into new products that will benefit communities by providing employment, skills training, and donated products.
Nestlé has reduced 44 percent of its waste per ton of product since 2010 in the US, and five factory locations reached zero waste to landfill status by the end of 2013, according to the company’s new sustainability report.The Creating Shared Value (CSV) report is the company’s first expanded effort to highlight U.S.-specific milestones and achievements tied to Nestlé’s global sustainability principles and commitments. The report documents the food giant’s nutritional, social and environmental progress from the past year, as well as provides updates on the company’s US progress toward its global commitments.
The 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open has diverted 100 percent of waste away from landfills for the second consecutive year, with a record attendance of 563,008 fans.The golf tournament is part of UL Environment’s Zero Waste Challenge, and earned Zero Waste to Landfill status, a certification proven through transparent reporting and detailed data. Zero Waste to Landfill is UL Environment’s highest landfill-diversion rate designation and recognizes the event for achieving a 100 percent landfill diversion rate with 10 percent incineration with energy recovery.