Green Technology

Salty seawater and fresh river water are leveraged in the breakdown of organic materials by bacteria to generate hydrogen gas via hydrolysis.  The research continues to explore scale-up opportunities.  …

…   “Exoelectrogenic bacteria, which can transfer electrical energy to conductive materials including metal,  are found in ponds, streams, wastewater, sediments and soil.”   …

Via International Business Times: Hydrogen Production.

Research paper on microbial reverse-electrodialysis.

Posted by Green Tech at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My son showed me this neat green packaging product ...

Companies are looking to reduce the environmental footprint of their packaging materials and are moving away from foamed PP and PS.

Using a green packaging material is a great differentiator and can minimize the downstream waste that is generated as part of the product life cycle.

"EcoCradle™ ... made of agricultural byproducts ... from renewable sources. ... is just as reliable, easy to use,
and affordable ..."

" ... literally grown, ... uses a filamentous fungi (mushroom roots) to bond this packaging into almost any shape. ..."

When it comes time to dispose of this packaging material you can break it into small pices and add to your garden, put it in a compost pile or even throw it in the trash where it will decompose EVEN WITHOUT oxygen !

Posted by Green Dude at 07:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New epoch requires new science to sustain the planet.  …

…   “We need bio-adaptive technologies to render waste a thing of the past, among them compostable cars and gadgets.”   …

Via Yale Univ, environment 360: New epoch.

Posted by Green Tech at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is Memorial Day - the start of summer and BBQs .... you can GREEN Up your Memorial Day with these green tips. 

The choices you make can lead to a GREENER result and little or no impact on the FUN and ENJOYMENT.

• " ... biodegradable utensils, bowls and cups to cut down on waste. ... write ... names on cups to set a limit on the number doled out ... reusable, cloth napkins ... can be washed and saved for your next get together. ..."

" ... Gas, propane and electric grills burn cleaner and more efficiently than charcoal or wood ... contribute fewer hydrocarbons and soot particles than charcoal. ..."

Via:  USA Today  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a recent daily email from my college - Lafayette College, Easton, PA - there was a link about green graduation gowns.

Seems more colleges and universities are going green and using gowns made from recycled materials ... typically plastic bottles.

" ... University of Texas students ... saving 23 water bottles from landfills just by donning their cap and gown."

"GreenWeaver graduation regalia are being introduced to graduates at several universities nationwide this year as part of the growing movement to make graduation ceremonies more eco-friendly."

" ... Michigan State University is printing diplomas and graduation programs on recycled paper in addition to using recycled caps and gowns. Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas will be using artificial flowers to decorate the stage ... Lafayette College ... is offering biodegradable robes that will easily degrade after one wear."

Via:  ABCNews LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am always on the lookout for something GREEN to write about ... the advertising on some Chinet products caught my eye.

While at my local Costco last night I saw some interesting information info on Chinet plates ... they are now compostable !!

"Preserving natural resources for future generations is important to us, and to our extended family, which includes you. So, start to finish, we pursue sustainable practices, from using recycled materials to produce our disposable tableware products to reducing the amount of energy we use and waste we create to make them. "

They have "how to do it" instructions for composting their plates along with other compostable material ...  LINK

 Chinet is made by Huhtamaki  Americas

Via: Chinet  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 08:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 Samsung unveils a very green phone ... the casing is made of biodegradable plastic made from corn.

" ... SAMSUNG Reclaim™ is the first phone in the U.S. made with bio-plastic materials, which are 100% biodegradable. ... comes with an Energy Star-approved charger. ... packaging is made with recycled materials. ...  Bio-Plastic materials make up 40% of the phone’s casing. "

And because cell phones are made of hard to recycle innards Samsung offers easy recycling.  "... commitment to a greener future doesn't end when our products are sold. We have fixed drop-off locations in all 50 states, making it easy for you to recycle your old Samsung TVs, camcorders and other electronics."

Click to find a recycling location near you.

Via:  Samsung  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 09:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"International Paper ... seek ways to improve our environmental impact while creating better solutions for our customers. ... partner with companies who share our values. ... goal is to create packaging made from fully renewable resources that leave a smaller environmental footprint. ... first step is ecotainer® - ... line of BPI certified compostable packaging ... includes paper hot cups, paper cold cups, food containers, ...  ecotainer® uses a plastic lining made from plants. All products are compostable ..."

Via:  International Paper  LINK

Continue reading "ecotainer® by International Paper" »

Posted by Green Dude at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 Yesterday I found packaged green peppers in what looked like a paper tray rather than #6 PS foam trays.  The product is labeled 100 compostable and 100% biodegradable and is made by Biospherecorp. 

Compostable and biodegradable beats PS foam!  Made from starch that is used as it is and not converted to plastic first ...

" ...Biosphere® Industries joined forces with Sealed Air Corporation, ... as a joint venture partner to bring a new class of sustainable biodegradable packaging products to market. ... Renew-a-Pak® and Blueware™ product lines are  ... ultra earth friendly starch based packaging systems.  ... do not convert starch into plastic, but bake it, similar to the process of making bread, waffles or ice cream cones. ... manufacture rigid packaging products that perform unlike anything else on earth."

" ... made primarily of starches such as tapioca and potatoes and a smaller percentage of grass fibers making them not only biodegradable, but Earth friendly ... Custom engineered packaging shapes and sizes may be infused with signature colors and custom aromas."

" ... Renew-a-Pak's product line is readily naturally compostable and garbage disposal safe.  ... biodegrade completely in 40 days outdoors ... or 10 days in a commercial compost environment while enjoying an indoor shelf life of many years ..."

Via:  biosphereindustries  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Most potted plants come in #5 PP containers that are not very easy to recycle (few facilities) or in plastic that is not marked.  Bonnie Plants offers plants in biodegradable containers so there is no plastic to throw away ...

" ... Bonnie Plants ... introduced a new line of earth-friendly products this season under the "Going Greener for You" banner. ... is a company-wide effort toward environmentally friendly products. ...Included in the first phase ... are ... Exclusive biodegradable peat pots ... Jumbo biodegradeable fiber pots ... New recycling and reuse practices and facilities"

"Peat pots,... have already prevented more than 100 million pounds of plastic from ending up in landfills. ... are the country's largest wholesaler of vegetable and herb plants for  home gardeners."

" ... recycling facility at our headquarters reuses and recycles supplies, tags, pots, and plant container trays."

Via:  Bonnie Plants  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 I have been paying a lot more attention to the packaging in the consumer and other products I use ... recently I saw the Green Restaurant Association logo on a non prepackaged salad package from a local Whole Foods.  Most of their plastic containers are #2, well marked and therefore recyclable.

Their non prepackaged containers previously were plastic clamshells (I recall) ... now they area recycled paperboard ...

Read on for more about the Green Restaurant Association >>?

" ...Green Restaurant Association℠ (GRA), a national non-profit organization, provides services in research, consulting, education, marketing and community organizing. ... involves restaurants, manufacturers, vendors, grassroots organizations, government, media, and restaurant customers. ... provides a convenient way for all sectors of the restaurant industry, ... to become more environmentally sustainable."

Check out Dinegrenstore for an idea of the available green materials ... in a wide array of product lines.

Via:  dinegreen  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cameron Catering of Seattle Washington, is a green caterer ... just what is a green caterer - what sets them apart from your regular caterer ?

" ... We also believe that we need to protect the earth and the people who live on it. That is why we research our menus with an eye towards ethics and sustainability and treat our environment with respect. ... commits to: ...  Take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables from local producers ... Incorporate alternative energy vehicles into our delivery fleet ... Recycle everything possible ... Maintain partnerships with like-minded organizations "

" ... Cameron Catering offers a "zero waste" events.  ... an event where all the items on the table are 100% compostable.  ... able to find corn based products to replace all traditional plastic products.  ...  all food are compostable through our commercial composting service.  In 60 days, these items become nutrient rich soil.  ..."

Via:  Cameron Catering LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Green Earth Technologies offers a wide range of GREEN products including Engine Oil.

" ... Green Earth Technologies, Inc ... "eco-logical" products ... are made entirely from American grown base oils that are ... TOTALLY GREEN! ... our motto: SAVE THE EARTH – SACRIFICE NOTHING™."

" ... our products are Ultimate Biodegradable (ASTM Standard's highest available ranking) which means they are environmentally safe….safe for you, safe for your family, safe around your pets and safe for the earth."

" ... our bottles made from recycled material, but they are also recyclable. ..."

Posted by Green Dude at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Flents "Back to Nature" biodegradable wipes cause less impact on the environment than individual wipes sealed in foils.  The wipes are biodegradable and the container is #2 HDPE - also recyclable.,

Via:  Yahoo Stores Link 

Posted by Green Dude at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

EarthDrive is a "USB thumb drive" made with PLA -polyactic acid) - and is highly recyclable.

" ... built using ... (PLA), resulting in a fully recyclable product. PLA ... polylactic acid) is a biodegradable polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn. ...

" ... partnership with American Forests' National Tree planting projects ... planting of over several thousand trees already, we have made on ongoing commitment to continue the planting of trees with a portion of the profits generated from the EarthDrive line of products. ..."

Via:  EarthDrive  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My family and I had Thanksgiving dinner at Longwood Gardens (Kennett Sq, Pa) - a beautiful garden that is getting more into being GREEN and their impact on the planet.  As I was eating leftovers I noticed that the plastic container was not the #1, #2 or #5 that I expected ... but #7 (inside a recycling triangle) PLA and was marked as composable.

"PLA stands for polylactic acid, or Polylactide, ... produced by NatureWorks LLC.  ...  made from lactic acid. Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation. Dextrose is made from starch and starch is made from carbon dioxide and water."

"Ingeo™ biopolymer is the world's first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually renewable resources. Corn-based Ingeo™ biopolymer ... Clear and strong like petroleum-based plastic, yet Ingeo™ biopolymer can be commercially composted."

The label shows the container comes from NatureWorks and is composable.  I will see if it decompooses in my mulch pile (may take a while as it is probably inactive in the winter ...)

Look for a future post on my success with composting this ...

Via:  NatureWorks  LINK

Continue reading "NatureWorks Compostable PLA Plastic" »

Posted by Green Dude at 08:30 PM | Permalink

While browsing through the Longwood Gardens (/www.longwoodgardens.com/ - Kennett Square, Pa) gift shop, I came across a neat product ... GreenPots, made by Ecosource.  GreenPots These are planters that are environmentally friendly.

" ... ecosource was born… to source products that are better for the planet ... in order to minimize our own impact on the earth ... to keep goods affordable and accessible to the average consumer ..."

" are made from rice hulls, a natural by-product of renewable and sustainable crops ... contain no harmful ... ingredients, ... deplete no natural resources, breakdown to easily decompose in landfills or into the earth ... 

Via:  Ecosource  Link

Continue reading "GreenPots - Planters made from RICE" »

Posted by Green Dude at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The idea of bio-based plastics has been around for some time.  The idea is to use a renewable material, like corn, in place of petroleum based raw materials.  Corn and other bio raw materials are abundantly available in the US - where petroleum is not ... 

"Metabolix patented technologies combine bioscience and nature to deliver sustainable solutions for the world's need in plastics, chemicals, and energy with unequaled environmental benefits.

"Mirel is a new family of high performance, biobased plastics that are sustainable and totally biodegradable. Made from corn sugar, ... appropriate for a wide variety of conversion processes and applications.

Via:  Metabolix  LINK

Continue reading "Metabolix Bio Plastics" »

Posted by Green Dude at 04:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is an interesting product ... plastic bottles made from Corn ...  bottles that are made from a renewable resource ...  

"Primo is the first nationally available bottled water whose bottle is made from plants, not crude oil! ... a bottle that's friendly to the environment."

" ... Ingeo^tm, the world's first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually renewable plants. ..."

Disposal options include traditional recycling as well as incineration for power and composting ...  

Click HERE to see the 1st of several You Tube Video with details ... 

Via:  Primo  Link

Continue reading "Water Bottles Made from Corn based Plastic..." »

Posted by Green Dude at 05:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While probably not a product that all GREENTECHNOLOG readers might use ... there are lots of clay target shooters out there -- including me!  Now we can be a greener clay target shooters ...

" ... the White Flyer Bio™ clay. ... mark a total departure from traditional clay making techniques ...formula is totally non-toxic and biodegradable on repeated contact with water. ... degradation period takes between 1 and 2 years, but the clays won't degrade under normal storage conditions ... fluorescent paint is water based "

Via:  CCI.com Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)