Green Technology

DuPont’s Building Innovations Business Becomes Landfill Free (ZERO WASTE)

2012-02-15T04:12:00Z

Business are seeing Zero Landfill status as a benefit to the business and valued by customers.

DuPont’s Business Innovations business has achieved zero landfill status. Three years into the effort Business Innovations “ … has become completely landfill-free, reducing its environmental footprint from 81 million pounds of landfill waste annually to zero.”

15 locations around the globe were included in this effort and materials “ …even cafeteria waste were all within scope …”

Materials that previously were landfilled are now … repurposed (cafeteria waste becomes energy), recycled (Tyvek® scraps), or reused (pallets are reused to ship goods or to make animal bedding).

No waste from the production of Corian® , Zodiaq®, Tyvek® or geosynthetic textiles is landfilled.

Via: DuPont LINK

DuPont’s Building Innovations Business Becomes Landfill Free (ZERO WASTE)

2012-02-15T04:10:38Z

15 locations around the globe were included in this effort and materials “ …even cafeteria waste were all within scope …”

Materials that previously were landfilled are now … repurposed (cafeteria waste becomes energy), recycled (Tyvek® scraps), or reused (pallets are reused to ship goods or to make animal bedding).

No waste from the production of Corian® , Zodiaq®, Tyvek® or geosynthetic textiles is landfilled.

Via: DuPont LINK

Nike Recycles Old Sneakers

2012-02-12T17:35:39Z

Nike collects and recycles old sneakers. You can drop sneakers off at Nike Stores (LINK to find one near you). The sneakers are separated into 3 components … sole, foam and fabric. The soles are used to make tracks surfaces.

See video for more information on the process.

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Via: Nike LINK

Cascades Green Bathroom Tissue (TP)

2012-02-05T03:32:34Z

Cascades’ Moka brand reduces the environmental impact “of its raw material by 25% and greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared to our greenest white bathroom tissue also made from 100% recycled fiber.”

Made from “ … 100% unbleached recycled fiber, is the most environmentally responsible choice on the market.”

For consumers looking to reduce their environmental footprint this product may be the way to go.

Via: Cascades LINK

Exelon Generates Peak Power from Landfill Gas

2012-02-04T14:57:28Z

Exelon generates peak power from a number of plants that run on landfill gas. One plant in PA burns methane from landfill gas.

Peak power is used as demand exceeds some base level … and are used to quickly match demand. Peak plants can be the most expensive to operate and the most polluting.

Their plant in Fairless Hills, Pa (outside of Philadelphia) is the “second largest landfill gas power plant in the United States. “ It gets landfill gas (methane) from the nearby Grows landfill. As long as the landfill grows (likely) there should be a renewable source of methane energy.

The plant receive “ … the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.” in 1997.

The plant 2 units have a capacity of 60 MW.

Via: Exelon LINK

Exelon Turns Chicago Brownfield Site to Solar Farm

2012-01-28T22:16:13Z

Exelon is repurposing a brownfield site in the Chicago area into a solar farm. The 41 acre site have 32,292 solar panels and generates 14,000 mWatt-hrs yearly.

“ … uses SunPower® solar tracking systems that tilt the panels toward the sun as it moves across the sky, increasing energy production by up to 25%.”

The energy generated by the solar panels offsets “ … more than 30 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year …”

Exelon also remediated the site which had been vacant for more than 30 years.

Via: Excelon LINK

Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pa.) Uses Viridity Energy’s Smart Grid Technology

2012-01-27T02:04:12Z

Drexel University is deploying Viridity Energy’s VPower System™ to provide a real time view of power usage. By better understanding real time usage and real time pricing they can buy power when costs are low / lower sand sell back when power is more expensive. This is smart grid technology.

Drexel hopes to show how they can “ … manage its energy costs and environmental impact … will allow the University to purchase power at times of the day when demand is low and sell excess power back to the larger power grid.”

Drexel will look at how organizations can balance solar, wind and energy storage to save money and even become less impacted by grid disturbances / outages.

PECO, the local electricity generator, is working with Drexel to see how this might be applied more broadly across the region.

Via: Drexel University LINK

PSE&G (NJ) Generates Heat from Sewage in Camden, NJ

2012-01-25T02:38:26Z

PSE&G is using the thermal energy from a sewage plant in Camden, NJ to help heat the facility. The system is closed loop – meaning the sewage does not enter the building – but the heat energy is extracted and used to offset the need for electric to heat the facility.

The “ … $1.3 million project … is one of 18 funded by PSE&G toward meeting a state requirement that utilities invest in improving energy efficiency …”

“ … project is believed to be the first of its kind in the United State …”

The waste heat system is expected to save “ … $80,000 a year on electricity bills, about a quarter of its heating costs.”

In addition to the energy / electric savings there is a positive environmental impact.

Via: Philly.com LINK

Madison Wisconsin Adds Plastic Bags to Curbside Recycling Program

2012-01-22T16:18:39Z

Starting in January 2012, Madison Wisconsin will begin to collect certain plastic bags (#2 and #4) curbside along with other residential recycled materials.

“ … will start accepting plastic bags in the curbside recycling program. Plastic bags must be put inside a
plastic bag and that bag should be tied shut.”

Perhaps other cities will take the lead from Madison and offer curbside recycling of plastic bags.

Via: City of Madison LINK

California Code Requires “Packing Peanuts” to Contain Recycled Content

2012-01-22T15:14:34Z

In 2008 California passed legislation that requires “packing peanuts” to contain recycled material – starting with 80% by 2014 and going to 100% by 2017.

The law, AB 3025, was passed as traditional “packing peanuts“ are “ … difficult to recycle and piling up in the landfills, California environmentalists point to its impact on their coastline.”

Additionally “ … particularly dangerous because it is light and easily airborne, so it can be quickly transported by wind and rain into the marine environment …”

Via: California Government Web Site LINK
and Earth 911 LINK

Solo Cup's BARE Sustainable Products: Bringing Alternative Resources to the Environment

2012-01-19T04:17:00Z

Bare® products, by Solo®., are made with recycled content, and are recyclable o compostable. Products lines are available for commercial or consumers and are both paper based (compostable) or plastic based (recyclable).

Solo is “ … actively involved in developing large-scale applications to make foodservice in public venues greener. … partnership with The Chicago Cubs is a great example!”

See the Real Fans Recycle” video >>> LINK

Via: Solo Cup LINK

Certified Green Restaurant at Longwood Gardens (Kennet Sq, PA.)

2012-01-15T01:11:00Z

Longwood Garden’s casual dining spot, the Terrace, has achieved “Certified Green Restaurant® [from] … the Green Restaurant Association (GRA)”

I recently had dinner there (it had been a ling time since I had been there) and noticed that they replaced the china type pales and bowls with plastic and compostable tablewear.

My first reaction was “more junk for the landfill”. I then noticed that the table busing area had containers for:

- recyclables (plastics marked #1 or #2)
- compostables (foods)
- trash (all the rest)

The Green Restaurant Association’s mission “ … creating an ecologically sustainable restaurant industry, and … to make the process as simple and effective as possible. “

Certification includes meeting certain criteria areas including … Water Efficiency, Waste Reduction and Recycling, and Sustainable Furnishings (and more).

Via: Longwood Gardens LINK and Green Restaurant Association LINK

Sears and Plugless Power™ Partner on Home EV Chargers

2012-01-09T02:28:23Z

Plugless Power and Sears have partnered to offer installation of wireless (hence the name Plugless) EV car chargers for homeowners. “Aftermarket installations are available now for … Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt electric vehicles, with retrofits for other electric vehicle makes and models coming soon.”

Plugless charging greatly simplifies EV car charging … see video below … the car is driven to the charging “pod” on the garage floor and there is no plug needed!

Sears will install and provide ongoing support services and maintenance. Sears will also provide these services commercial fleets.

“Sears installation network technicians will be trained and certified on the wireless charging systems … ”

See

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Via: Plugless Power™ LINK

AnmgloAmerican Turns Waste By-Product into Bricks for Homes

2012-01-08T18:00:42Z

South African mining company AngloAmerican is using a waste product of coal mining to make bricks for homes. Gypsum a by-product, is mixed with cement to make “ …‘low cement’ bricks for housing in the city of eMalahleni.”

Operations recover about 200 tons / day of gypsum and at a rate of about 8 tons / house can be used to make close to 25 homes / day.

Estimates are that the low cement reduce 3 metric tons for each house build compared to houses made from traditional bricks.

See this CNN video for more information.

Via: SmartPlanet LINK

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

2012-01-06T12:24:44Z

Happy New Year … as the Christmas Trees start to come down consider RECYCLING / MULCHING / COMPOSTING rather than landfilling your tree.

Check out their Treecycling Guide …

Check for locations to recycle your tree at Earth911. Follow the link and enter “Christmas tree” and your ZIP code in the search boxes for locations near you.

Via: Earth911.org LINK