Hackney: Free Compost Day

The eleventh annual international Compost Awareness Week will be celebrated from Sunday 1st to Saturday 7th May 2011. CAW 2011 aims to encourage more people to realise the benefits of home composting and the great results that can be achieved by using peat-free composts containing recycled material. Hackney's recycling team are giving away 15 tonnes of compost in Petchey Academy, E8 from 11am to 3pm on the 7th of May.

USA - polystyrene foam cups and plates use less energy, water than paper or corn-based alternatives

A new peer-reviewed study finds that commonly used cups, plates and sandwich containers made of polystyrene foam use significantly less energy and water than comparable paper-based or corn-based (polylactic: PLA) alternatives, primarily due to polystyrene foam's much lower weight.

The life-cycle inventory and greenhouse gas emissions study compares average-weight polystyrene foam, paperboard and PLA cups used for hot (16 ounce) and cold (32 ounce) drinks, 9-inch dinner plates and "clamshell" sandwich containers. 2 Researchers modelled energy consumption, water use, solid waste (by weight and volume) and greenhouse gas emissions for each product resulting ! from production, transportation and disposal. Some key findings:

Energy use: Polystyrene foam products consume significantly less energy than the alternatives-half as much as wax-coated paperboard cups and one-third as much as PLA clamshells. Water use: Polystyrene foam products use significantly less water than the alternatives-up to four times less than PLA clamshells.

Solid waste: Polystyrene foam products create significantly less solid waste by weight than the alternatives-up to five times less than paperboard and PLA products.

Polystyrene foam cups for hot drinks create less waste by volume than the alternatives-significantly less than paperboard cups with corrugated sleeves used for insulation.

Greenhouse gases: Polystyrene foam products generate slightly more greenhouse gas emissions than PLA products, expressed as net CO2 equivalents. If paperboard products do not degrade after disposal, they store carbon and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions than polystyrene foam products; however, if paperboard products degrade to the maximum extent, they generate more greenhouse gas emissions than polystyrene foam products, so comparisons of greenhouse gas emissions vary widely depending on assumptions about the degradation of paperboard products.

The study's authors found that lower weight products with similar functionality-such as polystyrene foam products composed of more than 90% air-generally produce smaller environmental burdens.Although PLA is corn-based, the study notes: "According to the [PLA producer] NatureWorks LLC website, PLA does not biodegrade in landfills."Copies of the report on the study Life cycle inventory of foam polystyrene, paper-based, and PLA foodservice products (0.8 MB) can be downloaded from: http://www.blogger.com/ht!%20tp:/plasticfoodservicefacts.com/Life-Cycle-Inventory-Foodservice-Products

Loving food can cut waste and help save

Visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

World - bottled water: a ridiculous waste?

Bottled water has been a big-selling commercial beverage around the world since the late 1980s. According to the Worldwatch Institute, global bottled water consumption has more than quadrupled since 1990. Today Americans consume over 30 billion litres of water out of some 50 billion (mostly plastic) bottles every year. The Beverage Marketing Association reports that in 2008 bottled water comprised over 28 percent of the U.S. liquid refreshment beverage market. The only bottled drinks Americans consume more of are carbonated sodas like Coke and Pepsi.

And frankly, yes, it is a ridiculous waste that we obtain so much of our drinking water this way when it is free flowing and just as good if not better for you right out of the tap. According to the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), some 2.7 million tons of petroleum-derived plastic are used to bottle water around the world every year. "Making bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a year," says EPI researcher Emily Arnold. And just because we can recycle these bottles does not mean that we do: The Container Recycling Institute reports that 86% of plastic water bottles in the U.S. end up as garbage or litter.


The financial costs to consumers are high, too: According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), bottled water costs up to 1,900 times more than tap water. EWG is particularly appalled at the lack of transparency by leading bottled water sellers as to the sources of their water and whether it is purified or has been tested for contaminants. According to a recent survey by the group, 18% of the 173 bottled waters on the U.S. market today fail to list the location of their source; a third disclose nothing about the treatment or purity of the water inside their plastic bottles.

EWG recommends that consumer resist the urge to buy bottled water and go instead for filtered tap water. "You'll save money, drink water that's purer than tap water and help solve the global glut of plastic bottles," the group advises, adding that it supports stronger federal standards to enforce consumers' right to know about what's in their bottled water besides water. Until that day comes, concerned consumes should check out EWG's Bottled Water Scorecard, a free website that provides information on various bottled water brands, where they originate and whether and how they are treated to remove contaminants.

News from Health News Digest and photo from here


PS: I remember the results when we took some bottled water samples to our uni labs, the mineral readings were completely wrong and some were not deemed to be safe. Tap water is more regulated than mineral water and for this reason many say tap water whether is filtered or not is purer (healthier) for you.

UK - paint reuse network touched thousands of lives in 2010

Community RePaint, the UK-wide paint reuse network, helped to make Britain a brighter place last year by supporting over 12,000 groups and people to transform their local environment. The network re-distributed more than 215,000 litres of leftover, reusable paint across the country in 2010, to projects such as the makeover of the children's ward at Newham University Hospital, London, which was carried out by young people participating in the Prince's Trust Team Programme.

"As part of the programme the team choose a project that will have a long lasting benefit for the community and then set about raising funds to make it possible,'" explained Team Leader, Ben Adefisan, "By using paint from our local Community RePaint scheme we were able to create a bright and welcoming environment for the children on the Rainbow Ward and still have money for the other materials that we couldn't otherwise afford."

"Andy is a 41 year-old man suffering from mental health problems, who, for a number of reasons, no longer felt safe in his home, but could not afford to move," said Community RePaint's Manager Martin Pearse. "We were able to help him to re-decorate his flat and improve his living conditions by supplying paint that would have otherwise ended up in landfill."

In 2010 ommunity RePaint:

• Collected 316,641 litres of paint
• Re-distributed 215,848 litres of paint
• Saved 561 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of taking 190 cars off Britain's roads
• Provided 132 volunteer and 112 training opportunities

Sue Brighton, Environmental Projects Manager added that, "Dulux is pleased to continue the long term sponsorship of the Community RePaint network and shares its vision to touch the lives of many individuals! and communities in such a positive way through paint."For further information, please visit: http://www.communityrepaint.org.uk/

UK - big brands sign up to waste reduction pledges

A number of the UK's best-known businesses yesterday stepped up their commitment to reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill, signing up to two schemes designed to cut waste levels and increase UK recycling rates. The Guardian reports that Associated British Foods, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Kraft Foods, Premier Foods and Procter & Gamble joined the latest group of retail firms to sign up to the second phase of the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary scheme run by the government that sees firms commit to meeting a series of waste-reduction targets.

Under the terms of the voluntary agreements signed between the companies and the government-backed Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP), firms agree that by 2012 they will have reduced the carbon impact of packaging 10%, cut household food and drink waste 4%, and cut packaging waste from the grocery supply chain 5%. The latest signatories join a host of high-profile firms in signing up to the current phase of the Courtauld Agreement, including Asda, Boots, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and Tesco.Meanwhile, WRAP announced that two of the UK's largest construction firms - Barratt Developments and Hanson UK - have signed up to the Halving Waste to Landfill initiative, which has seen 540 firms commit to cutting the amount of waste levels by 50%.

"One of the biggest challenges society faces over the next decade is reducing the environmental impact of the things we buy and build," said Liz Goodwin, chief executive of WRAP. "These responsibility deals bring about changes that deliver both commercial and environment benefits." "Building a sustainable business is not only about protecting the environment. With it comes a leaner, more efficient business that strips out waste and saves money. The voluntary approach allows industry sectors to move as one and deliver change without government intervention." The news came as reports emerged yesterday that councils are considering limiting the number of black bags that households receive each year, and charging people extra if they exceed their waste allowance.

Technorati Tags: Courtauld Commitment waste minimisation waste prevention businesses WRAP

North London - European Waste Reduction Week

The European Week for Waste Reduction started and finished in 20 - 28 November. Their aim was to inspire residents and show how by making simple changes in everyday life can significantly reduce the amount of waste thrown away. They had a series of activities lined up during the week across north London for you to take part in including:

• Creative cooking with leftovers


• 'Sew good' workshop


• Love Food Hate Waste Roadshows


• Collaboration for Growth event


• Hackney plastic bag amnesty


• Nappuccino's at Hackney City Farm


• Camden Give & Take events

It's the third year in a row they got involved in the European Week for Waste Reduction, run as part of the European Commission's LIFE+ Programme. Last year residents in North London contributed to the 2,672 actions that were implemented in 14 European countries. Secondary school children in the seven NLWA boroughs contributed to last year's activities. More than 100 pupils took part in the Waste: The Bigger Picture poster competition which ran from 13 September to 15 October.

The competition helped to raise awareness of waste prevention among young people. The message was spread even more widely with the winning design from each borough being used as the basis for seven eye catching and informative posters, being displayed on buses across north London from 15 to 28 November. Congratulations to the winners.

Hackney - Rivka, Year 9, Stoke Newington School

Text from North London Waste Authority's page

Inter- Waste Prevention Word Cloud

World Cloud done with http://www.wordle.net/create

UK - Green Patriot Posters

Check out The Green Patriot Posters website which has a new book of 50 detachable, read-to-hang posters on the theme of sustainability by some of the world's most prominent graphic designers and artists

London: Take the Zero Waste Challenge

Hackney Council's recycling team in London have released a new Zero Waste Challenge pack that aims to challenge residents to reduce and reuse their waste as much as possible over a seven day period. They can download the Challenger's Pack (PDF, 2.7MB) and pick a week to measure how much normal waste they produce the week before the zero waste week. Then record the amount of waste thrown out during the actual challenge week and send results to them at recycling@hackney.gov.uk

Click to enlarge and read the comments from previous challengers!

Technorati Tags: Hackney waste minimisation waste prevention zero waste waste reduction

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

Technorati Tags: IKEA waste minimisation waste prevention furniture furniture reuse

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

Technorati Tags: wormery waste minimisation waste prevention compost worm composting

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