Italy: First European country to ban plastic bags

The country is believed to be the first in the EU to outlaw the use of polythene bags in a move that Italian environmental organisation Legambiente estimates will save 180,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Italians are among the top consumers of plastic bags in Europe, using more than 300 per person a year. This is around a quarter of the 100 billion plastic bags imported from China, Thailand and Malaysia that are used annually across Europe. The ban will come into force on New Year’s Day, when consumers will be forced to swap the plastic for biodegradable, fabric or paper bags.

Stefania Prestigiacomo, Italy’s environment minister, said: “This marks a key step forward in the fight against pollution and it makes us all more responsible in terms of recycling." He said the government was launching a public awareness campaign to promote the use of bags made out of natural and recyclable materials "that don't just have to be practicable and good for the environment but also fashionable." Environmental groups have welcomed the ban despite industry opposition. In a survey organised by Legambiente, 20,000 shoppers in 80 towns were asked what they would do if they could not buy plastic bags. More than 73% opted for reusable ones, against 16% who chose "bio-plastic" bags and 10% paper sacks. In 2002, Ireland introduced a €0.15 levy on plastic bags which significantly cut their use.

From The Telegraph

Technorati Tags: Italy waste minimisation waste prevention plastic bags bag ban

Website: Make and Mend it

Great looking website to save you money and natural resources: http://www.makeitandmendit.com/

London, Stansted Airport sets 0% waste target

With a focus to 'reduce, reuse and recycle' Stansted airport is hoping to send 0% of its waste direct to landfills by the end of the scheme.

Commenting on the waste strategy, head of health, safety and environment Dr Andy Jefferson said: "This strategy outlines the collaborative approach we'll take to identify even the smallest of initiatives that will collectively improve performance.

Photo from Airport Technology

"So far we've collected over 4,900 tonnes of waste this year and recycled and composted an impressive 52%. But with over 10,000 people working here we can also play our part to support domestic recycling."

In 2009 for example, we hosted recycling banks in our staff car park for Uttlesford District Council, with over two tonnes of textiles and five tonnes of glass collected.
"We're fully committed to the strategy now set and look forward to reporting back on our successes as we work towards the challenging 2015 targets set."Stansted has employed numerous strategies in recent history to tackle waste management, such as introducing recycling bins in to the terminal buildings and reusing construction waste when laying the foundations of the new hangar in 2009. Actions set within the Waste Management Strategy 2010-2015 include:

• review waste generated from packaging and identify opportunities to change to recyclable products
• identify opportunities to collaborate with national and local waste recycling programmes and commercial ventures
• continue roll-out of our food composting initiative - which between May and October 2010 diverted 128 tonnes of food waste from landfill.

Stansted's vision is that waste and resource efficiency will be an integral part of our business decision making, demonstrating leadership and continual improvement in environmental good practice. The airport has developed five guiding principles:

1. clear policies on resource efficiency and waste management, building on the principles laid out in the UK Government's Waste Strategy to produce less waste, purchase responsibly and separate waste for recycling
2. an Airport community which is incentivised to prevent, reuse and recycle waste
3. implementation of the 'polluter pays' principal through appropriate charging mechanisms
4. purchasing and design decisions which take resource use and waste into account
5. the right infrastructure to enable delivery of recycling and landfill diversion targets.

Stansted's targets are to:

• achieve zero waste sent directly to landfill from the Airport, with at least 60% of waste recycled by 2015 and 70% recycling by 2020
• maintain 100% compliance with legal requirements
• ensure as the Airport grows, it does so with no increase in waste produced per passenger in 2006 by 2015.

The document is worth reading for its coherent description of overall waste policy i! n England.

Copies of Stansted Airport's waste management strategy (2.6 MB) can be downloaded from here
Technorati Tags: Stansted Airport waste minimisation waste prevention airport waste

UK, Households = 1, Supermarkets = 0

UK grocery retailers have failed to meet an environmental target to deliver an overall reduction in packaging waste, figures show. But householders have far exceeded a target to cut the amount of food they throw away by 155,000 tonnes, managing 270,000 fewer tonnes since 2008, says the report by Wrap (Waste and Resources Action Programme) shows. Wrap described the results of the first phase of the Courtauld Commitment – targets drawn up between the UK grocery retail sector and Wrap – as a success. But it acknowledged that retailers had been unable to make an overall reduction in packaging waste, with the amount consistently remaining at approximately 2.9 million tonnes between 2006 and 2009. It blamed the failure on a 6.4% increase in grocery sales since the commitment began in 2005 and retailers gaining a greater proportion of the beer and wine market. On average, packaging across grocery items had reduced by about 4% for each product with advances like lighter wine bottles and concentrated liquids. Last week retailers had boasted of cutting waste to landfill in half since 2005.

Wrap director of retail Richard Swannell said: "Retailers have reduced packaging by 4%, But taking into account a 6.4% increase in sales, it's not been enough to meet our targets. People are buying more things. It's a constant challenge to keep working on packaging." The report says a total of 670,000 tonnes of food waste and 520,000 tonnes of packaging had been avoided across the UK since the agreement was signed in 2005. It estimated the cost of the avoided waste at £1.8bn and the associated CO2 emissions at 3.3 million tonnes – the same as half a million around-the-world flights. The next stage of the commitment will examine the entire life cycle of products, from manufacture to household use.

From The Guardian; http://bit.ly/ax53xT

Technorati Tags: supermarkets waste minimisation waste prevention food waste WRAP

Sweden- IKEA goes for Reuse

Speaking of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", IKEA Sweden wants to make it easier for owners of old IKEA furniture to give it a second life. Against their own commercial interest, the company is offering a free online platform where sellers and buyers can find themselves, and they aren't even taking a cut of the transactions.

According to Peter Agnefäll, CEO of IKEA Sweden, the launch of the used furniture marketplace was a step in proving that IKEA is serious about its environmental stewardship. Members of the company's customer loyalty program, IKEA Family, can post and sell their items for free. Membership is free, and to that end, Agnefäll says the company does not expect to make any money from this service. He also expects the program to take some time, but in the long run, IKEA does not expect its sales to suffer.

From http://bit.ly/c5d4UI

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Canada: Food Posters From the Past are Recipes for the Present

From Treehugger: http://bit.ly/bO6Wdg

The message on posters from World Wars I and II are often similar to the messages we try to send at TreeHugger, such as growing your own food, walking instead of driving, reducing waste and conserving. Two years ago I did a small slideshow, Frugal Green Living: Posters for the Movement, and I have been collecting American, Canadian and British images ever since.

This summer there has been a lot of interest in posters from the World Wars, thanks to the opening of an exhibit at the National Agricultural Library. There is a wonderful online presentation of the show, curated by Corey Bernat, at Beans are Bullets.

We show some of the best of Corey's posters, along with others from Canada and Britain, in an expanded slideshow. Part 1: Food.

Click here to see the slideshow: http://bit.ly/aLlzwi

Technorati Tags: growyourown waste minimisation waste prevention food+waste Dig In

London, Hackney - Get your subsidised composting unit

The recycling team in Hackney Council is subsidizing compost bins, wormeries and bokashi bins to help residents reduce their food waste and to get valuable compost for their gardens, now that the food growing bug is around!

Technorati Tags: wormery waste minimisation waste prevention compost worm composting Hackney

Dig IN Campaign - Wormery Video

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USA, DC- Shopping Bag Tax Brings In Nearly US$1 Million

This past January, retailers and restaurants in Washington, DC were required to charge a 5 cent fee per paper or plastic bag, reports Earth911.

One of the less discussed alternatives to plastic bag bans is providing disposable bags as a taxed good. In Washington D. C., the first U. S. city to enforce a bag tax, the revenue generated has approached US$1 million in the first six months, according to ABC News.

This past January, every D. C. retailer and restaurant that "sells food items" was required to charge a 5 cent fee per paper or plastic bag. The tax was expected to generate US$10 million over the next four years, meaning it is currently behind projections - the total was US$942,000 through May.

So, what happens to all the money raised? One cent goes to the retailer, or 2 cents if it offers a rebate for bringing your own ba! g.

The remainder is going to the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund, which will use it for public education campaigns on the affect of trash in the nation's capital, as well as for monitoring water pollution, funding cleanup events and providing reusable bags to District residents so they have an alternative to disposables. It's estimated that 20 percent of the trash in the Anacostia River is plastic bags.

In addition to the financial impact, the city has dramatically cut the amount of bags in distribution. The D. C. Office of Tax and Revenue estimates the amount of bags given out has been reduced from 22.5 million per month in 2009 to 3 million in January 2010.

The bag tax has raised some issues though with consumers who don't want to pay the fee. At least one D. C. Safeway store had to remove its plastic bag recycling bins after customers were found stealing bags to avoid the fee. Others have opted to carry groceries by hand when they forget to ! bring a reusable bag.

Grocery stores are one of the primary outlets for plastic bag recycling. Most D. C. residents are also able to recycle plastic bags in the city's curbside recycling programme.


From http://www.resourcesnotwaste.org/

Technorati Tags: reuse waste minimisation waste prevention plastic bags bag tax

UK London - £8 million for world largest reuse network

Mayor Boris Johnson and actress Joanna Lumley OBE today announced £8m funding from the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) to create the world's largest 'reuse network', helping household items find a new home rather than being chucked away.

The funding will go to the London Community Resource Network (LCRN), a charitable social enterprise who will set up the network to address the 65,000 tonnes of household products are thrown out by Londoners each year, ending up in costly landfill sites and adding both to carbon emissions and council bills, when most of them could be reused or repaired.

The London Reuse Network will be made up of ‘clusters’ of organisations , including local authorities and charities who will work together to deliver an easy-to-access and consistent reuse service to residents and businesses within their area. It will collect, store, refurbish and sell on everything from furniture, books, carpets and bikes through to cookers and fridges. It aims to divert 17,000 tonnes of reusable products from landfill over the first two years of the project saving over 80,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. It will provide a single ‘reuse hotline’ and web portal serving the whole of London. By 2015 the network aims to be diverting over a million items from the waste stream every year, training thousands and employing hundreds of people.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘It is a common sense use of our natural resources that we provide ways for people to hand in items they no longer need, but which still have plenty of useful life in them. This funding is really welcome news, helping to create a service for Londoners to do exactly that and help to slash the mountain of waste being sent unnecessarily to landfill and cut the heavy economic costs of doing so.’

James Cleverly, Chair of LWARB added ‘Re-using products saves the energy associated with manufacturing new ones, which has an enormous and positive impact on reducing carbon emissions and stops objects and materials from entering the waste stream. This innovative project not only diverts waste from landfill but provides social benefits and perfectly demonstrates partnerships working.’

LCRN’s Chief Executive Matthew Thomson said: "We are very proud of our partnerships and their unique ability to deliver high quality reuse services in London. We are delighted that the Mayor and LWaRB recognise the value and potential of our network and are excited about the transformation this significant investment promises.

For more info:http://bit.ly/9Qd0Rr

Technorati Tags: reuse waste minimisation waste prevention LWaRB Boris Johnson

Smile of the month

I will be adding stuff that make me smile...

This is from; [haringey-freecycle] A poetic request for a fan

"I'm a children's poet who's getting very hot. I'm baking in my studio and losing the plot. I'm trying to write poems with consistent rhyme. But my pen keeps slipping cos I'm sweating all the timeSo I'm putting this request to the freecycle clan. Please, please, please has anyone got a fan???"

Poetryjoe

http://www.poetryjoe.com/

by any means if you want to reuse your fan, give it to Mr Poet man ;)

Technorati Tags: smile waste minimisation waste prevention freecycle

UK, Business: Apetito's boosts business efficiency

WRAP undertook a waste prevention review at apetito (one of Europe's leading suppliers of frozen foods) as part of a series of on-site visits to selected members of the Food and Drink Federation. The review identified several efficiency savings that could be made. Read about how the company made use of anaerobic digestion and reusable packaging to reduce waste going to landfill, and cut carbon emissions.

Anaerobic Digestion
In 2007, an analysis of resource use and waste generated at apetito identified that opportunities existed to do more with food waste which was, at that stage, going to landfill. After WRAP undertook a waste prevention review at apetito's Trowbridge headquarters, it initiated a partnership between apetito and NISP to help solve the problem. An AD plant in Devon was located that could offer a commercially viable solution. The company is now diverting all of its food waste to AD.

Reusable Packaging

apetito had previously used single-trip cardboard packaging to deliver goods to its hospital and care home clients. However, both the company and its customers were keen to look at the use of reusable crates. Operationally, the new crates have proved to have no negative impact on filling, packing and fitting the multi-portion food trays. And product protection and storage capacity has also improved, thereby reducing product damage.

Whole report here: http://bit.ly/9uDSly

Technorati Tags: zero waste waste minimisation waste prevention Apetito WRAP business waste

Oil Spill Live Feed

This is the first time I deviated from Waste Prevention. I feel this feed shows the less we waste, the less we need oil. We are all to blame for this disaster, not just BP. We all consume it.

Hackney, Real Nappy Week 2010

The Carbon Club Finally launched!

Visit The Carbon Club

Hackney - Free Food Waste Workshop

‘FREE half day workshops run by Community Kitchen Project (part of Manor Gardens Welfare Trust)

With information on portion sizes, ways of storing food and how to make the most of your fridge you will see how you can save money by reducing your food waste.If like many people you are confused by ‘best before, use by, display until and sell by’ dates then the workshops will help explain the difference, as well as giving you the opportunity to discuss ways to use leftovers and share recipes.At the end of the workshop you’ll get the opportunity to cook and enjoy a dish that uses leftovers!

LOCATION: Seabright Childrens’ Centre, Haggerston Park, Queensbridge Road, London E2 8NP

For more options in North London go here: http://www.nlwa.gov.uk/lfhw/workshops/list

Technorati Tags: food waste waste minimisation waste prevention Hackney lovefoodhatewaste LFHW

Japan - deposit system for reusable bottles

Reports little effect on sales, the Japan's Ministry of the Environment has released the results of an experiment on the use of returnable plastic bottles. Japan for Sustainability reports that the experiment involved a deposit system to sell mineral water in returnable plastic bottles and collect the used bottles, both in shops and by home delivery.

Of the 2,733 returnable bottles sold in shops or by home delivery, 2,148 bottles were returned to distributors, representing an average rate of collection of 78.59%. The collection rate for sales in shops was 50.63%, while that for home delivery sales was 95.37%. With regard to sales in shops, higher return rates were achieved as the collection period increased.

According to the survey, raising awareness of the reduction of environmental burden by promoting reuse can encourage the purchase of reused bottles. On the other hand, although the bottles were affixed a sticker on their second use specifying that they were reused, awareness of environmental burden was not apparently affected. The deposit system for the bottles also had little effect on sales.

It was concluded that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions under the home delivery system were lower, and that the collection rate was higher when compared with sales in shops. It was also suggested that the CO2 emissions resulting from bottle reuse in limited areas are lower than those from bottle recycling, provided that the collection rate is more than 90 per cent.

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Photo from: takuhitosotome. Some Rights Reserved.