Weekly News Roundup

This Week In The News | May 21

Friday, May 21st, 2010

:: Local ::

Amerigroup celebrates its first Eco Fair || On May 6, Amerigroup Corp. hosted its first Eco Fair at the corporation’s Virginia Beach national support center, which included nearly 700 attendees from local businesses and the company.

:: National ::

Using recycled PET saves energy and generates less green house gases ||  Based on study results, as well as U.S. EPA and Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, the total amount of PET post consumer containers recycled in 2008, if reclaimed in the U.S., would require approximately 30 trillion Btu less energy than the amount of energy that would be required to produce the equivalent tonnage of virgin PET resin; this is equivalent to the annual energy use of 317,000 U.S. homes. The corresponding savings in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is 1.1 million tons of CO2 equivalents, an amount comparable to taking 189,000 cars off the road. For a single pound of recycled PET flake, the energy use required is reduced by 84%; the GHG emissions, by 71%. To view the report visit the National Association For Pet Container Resources.

Regulators OK Ameren’s ‘Methane to Megawatts’ project || The project, which will rely on methane, a natural byproduct of the decomposition of waste in landfills, is expected to be the largest landfill gas-electric facility in Missouri and one of the largest in the nation.  The turbines will be capable of generating about 15 megawatts of electricity, enough to meet the demands of about 10,000 homes.

Barrington part of residential food waste composting pilot program || From now until November, 300 residents in the North Fox Point subdivision of Barrington, Ill., will take part in a pilot residential food waste collection and composting pilot program.

:: International ::

Ford offers incentives for vehicle recycling in Canada || Just in time for the peak selling season, Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. recently announced it will offer between $1,000 and $3,000 to consumers who turn in autos that are seven years or older for recycling and then buy a 2010 company model.

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This Week In The News | May 14

Friday, May 14th, 2010

:: Local ::

Virginia collects 200,000 lbs of electronic waste || Through electronic waste recycling events hosted by Cox Communications, more than 200,000 pounds of electronic waste were collected at three Virginia events. All events were held Saturday, April 24.

Landfill tipping fees go up $2 per ton || Hardison said the cost of bulk tipped at private landfills is a negotiated, rather than hard, number, and some northeastern North Carolina counties use a Chesapeake, Va., landfill costing $170 a ton.

:: National ::

Recycling for the 21st century || Currently, there are approximately 300 recycling bins at public spaces throughout the city providing New Yorkers with more opportunities to deposit glass, paper, plastic and aluminum recyclables in parks and other highly visited areas. The new legislation would require the Department of Sanitation (DOS) to greatly expand the number of recycling bins in or near public parks and other highly trafficked areas.

Nudging recycling from less waste to none || Though born of idealism, the zero-waste philosophy is now propelled by sobering realities, like the growing difficulty of securing permits for new landfills and an awareness that organic decay in landfills releases methane that helps warm the earth’s atmosphere.

:: International ::

Environmental management is critical ||  EnviroServ Waste Management regional commercial manager Theresa Walton says that, while there is a need for social and economic development, environmental management is critical, or the world’s fragile climate and ecosystems will collapse.

Study shows e-waste in developing countries on the rise || A new study released by the American Chemical Society is forecasting that obsolete personal computers could reach 700 million in developing regions by 2030, and the amount of e-waste generated in these countries will exceed developed regions by 2016.

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This Week In The News | May 7, 2010

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Welcome to our weekly news round up of recycling news. Click on the links to find the news article or website.

:: Local ::

• Suffolk adds TFC recycling bins, Va Pilot ||  Chesapeake Recycling Company, TFC Recycling has replaced SPSA’s recycling drop-off bins around the city.

• Virginia Beach Convention Center Is Nation’s First Convention Center To Achieve LEED Gold Certification For Existing Buildings || The Virginia Beach Convention Center announced Monday it achieved the LEED Gold Certification for its environmentally friendly practices. TFC Recycling was a critical partner in helping the convention center to reduce and recycle their waste. Virginia Beach recycling efforts are helping to make the area a more desirable green destination.

• Lipton has zero-waste recycling down to a T || Virginia Pilot writer Linda McNatt talks about how Suffolk based Lipton Tea has attained the impressive zero-waste status. Lipton Tea estimates it has saved about $150,000 through their environmental efforts.

:: National ::

• Harris Teeter: Engaged Recycling || Harris Teeter has a new partnership with Engaged Recycling to recycle electronics. By recycling your electronics with Harris Teeter you will earn a Harris Teeter gift card and donation to the school of your choice.

• Terracycle Brigade Partners With Schools To Recyle Ziploc Bags || If you haven’t checked out the Terracycle website, you need to. They collect all sorts of things you can mail in and in return you will receive a donation to a charity or school of your choice. The Ziploc Bag program helps get those pesky Ziploc bags off the streets and into usable products. For each bag collected Terracycle will pay your school 2¢. In order to be on this particular brigade you must be a part of the school system.

• Lexmark assessment shows footprint reduced by 60% || A Life Cycle Assessment commissioned by the Lexmark print cartridge company revealed recycling toner cartridges reduce the product’s carbon footprint by 60%.



:: International ::

• Earth Island Journal, Spring 2010: Cash For Trash || This article is only available in magazine format. The article reports on how Brazil’s unemployed keep recycling rates higher than in the US.  The catador (collectors) use hand pulled carts to collect trash, hand sort trash and deliver the recyclable material for sale. The writer gives an in depth comparison on the Brazilian and American recycling markets.


• In 2008 Brazil recycled 90% of aluminum cans while the US recycles 54%.
• In 2008 Brazil recycled 54% of their plastic bottles while the US recycled 20%.
• In 2008 Brazil recycled 47% of glass bottles while the US recycled about 40%.

Tags: community, Hampton Roads, recycle, recycling, recycling electronics, Virginia Beach
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