“Investing 2% of global GDP into 10 key sectors can kick-start a transition toward a low-carbon world,” the Nairobi-based agency said in a statement.

The investment would expand the global economy at the same rate, if not higher, as under present economic policies, said the report by the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP).

“The sum, currently amounting to an average of around $1.3 trillion a year and backed by forward-looking national and international policies, would grow the global economy at around the same rate if not higher than those forecast, under current economic models.”

Currently there are 2.5 billion people living on less than two dollars a day, and it is expected that more than two billion people will be added to the global population by 2050. “It is clear that we must continue to develop and grow our economies”, says UNEP’s Executive Director Achim Steiner in the statement.

Agriculture, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism, transport, waste management and water are sectors that could do with more greening, the report said. The recycling sector’s footprint could nearly double by 2030, or 30 percent of total energy-related carbon dioxide.With an investment of $108 million in the waste sector annually could increase recycling threefold by 2050 and reduce landfill contents by more than 85 percent.

Only in Brazil 10 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissioins are avoided by recycling, a sector which generates US$ 2 billion, states the report.

Via: Reuters

It is probably one of the most famous household products in the world. No matter if we are rich or poor, sustainable or not, we all use toilet paper. It’s something familiar to all of us. The product has no secret, since it’s really simple: it consists of one paper tube rolled up with 30 meters of toilet paper. But what if we take the tube off? In fact, the paper tube has numbered days.

The toilet paper roll is about to experience its biggest change in 100 years: going tubeless. Last week, Kimberly-Clark, one of the world’s biggest makers of household paper products, will begin testing Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores throughout the Northeast of United States. If sales are successful, it may introduce the line nationally and globally. The holes in the rolls aren’t perfectly round but they will fit over standard spindles and every last square of toilet paper will be useable.

This is a good and real consideration of the 3 R’s rule, especially the first one: to reduce waste. So, behind the marketing push is a growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products.

In the USA 17 billion toilet paper tubes are produced annually which account for 160 million pounds of trash, according to Kimberly-Clark estimates, and could stretch more than a million miles placed end-to-end. That’s from here to the moon and back — twice.

Environmentalists may applaud the move. "It’s a positive example of how companies are seeking creative ways to reduce environmental impact," says Darby Hoover of the Natural Resources Defense Council. But more relevant than nixing the tubes would be more recycled content in its paper, Hoover says. While Scott Naturals normally has 40% recycled content, this test product does not — but future versions will, Doug Daniels says, brand manager at Kimberly-Clark.

Most consumers don’t recycle used tubes, adds Daniels, so this may be an innovative an efficient way to green a household product as mature as this one.

Via: USA TODAY

The wireless mouse relies on piezoelectric elements to generate power, a technology that is available and has made an appearance in some watches. Thanks to an innovative design, which includes regional sourcing and assembly, product take-back and recycling and availability of disassembly data to recycling centers, Corky participated in the 2010 Greener Gadgets Design Competition. It didn’t win but a 5th place, out of 18, is not that bad.

In electronics recycling the process of dismantling and recycling a device is difficult if not impossible, since disassembly information is often considered proprietary and not disclosed. For this reason, the sustainability system-based approach involving Corky is highly appreciated!

The author, Adele Peters, well deserves an applause… On second thoughts we’d better use our hand to power the mouse!

Via: Inhabitat | Green Packs | Green Gadgets

Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. In the UK, a standard kettle is used between 4 and 7 seven times a day, that is to say, between 1,500 and 2,500 times per year. According to Energy Saving Trust, if every household in the country used a 20% more efficient energy kettle there would be a saving around £170 million of electricity a year. As well as this, if everyone boiled only the water they needed each time they used the kettle, the electricity saved in a year would be enough to power the UK’s street lights for nearly 7 months.

How can a standard kettle be more environmentally friendly? There are three simple ways:

1) Making it easier to view the level of water in the kettle: 1.27 billion kWh of electricity could be saved every year only in the UK doing that.

2) Keeping water hot for longer: having a well insulated kettle would mean less energy would be needed later on when you needed more hot water.

3) Fitting a temperature gauge: There wouldn’t be need to re-boil water if you knew that the water inside the kettle was still hot enough to make your drink.

And for this purpose, we have eco kettles. The eco kettles heat water efficiently, which means just heating the amount of water that you need, and keeping boiled water hot for longer. And, which is the latest champion in eco boiling? The Energy Sense Kettle, by Kenwood. This new kettle, via and improved water heating technology and the guidance to only boil the water required, is able to save up to 35% of the electrical usage of an average electric kettle.

The Energy Sense Kettle is just £47.99 and comes in a recycled box that can itself be recycled, and without bright pictures to help towards more eco friendly packaging.

And if you want to find more recommended eco kettles just click here!

Via: Envirogadget | Energy Saving Trust

The ranking system is based on how hazardous to the environment the chemical substances that are being used by the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles might be, according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. Commitment to ecological awareness awards companies with “green points” on the Greenpeace chart.

The current leading “green company” is Nokia, with a value of 7.5 on the chart, followed by Sony Ericsson with 6.9 points. Greenpeace admires Nokia’s initiative to remove altogether toxic and dangerous elements from their newest products. The japanese company Nintendo on the other hand is regarded as the least eco-friendly on the chart, with a mere value of 1.8.

Greenpeace states that their ultimate three goals for creating this guide to greener electronics is to get companies to:

-clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances

-take back and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete

-reduce the climate impacts of their operations and products

If the guide to greener electronics proves to be effective, companies that currently hold significantly low points such as Nintendo, Lenovo and Microsoft, will start to make a positive change to become greener and more environmentally friendly.

Via: Veoverde

In May 2009 Starbucks decided to tackle this problem, they sponsored a design contest, the Betacup Challenge, to find a creative solution to solve this huge paper-cup waste. Shaun Abrahamson, of the social production consultancy that organized the challenge, Colaboratorie Mutopo, explained that the ideal solution would be one that could be implemented right away, and start making a difference from day one.

The winner to this contest was declared recently, chosen by a jury made up of designers, engineers and entrepreneurs, out of a pool of 430 other designs. The acclaimed design is surprisingly simple: Chalkboard. Customers who bring in a reusable mug can put a mark on this board, and every tenth guest gets a free beverage. The name of this whole concept is Karma Cup. “There are plenty of great reusable mugs out there,” the entry says. “But what people really need is an incentive to make the behavior change — a free cup of coffee and a bit of peer pressure.”

Starbuck’s ultimate goal is to serve 100% of their beverages in reusable or recyclable cups by 2015. But the company hasn’t yet announced that they will be implementing the contest winning chalkboard or any of the other designs that took part in the competition. Abrahamson states “Even if Starbucks isn’t interested in incorporating any of the proposed ideas my team is determined to find people and companies who are. Obviously we’re hoping that [interest] comes from Starbucks”.

Hopefully this is the beginning of a new trend to be applied by many coffee stores and companies, but most importantly, by people. Consumers are needed to be willing to join in and make the change to sustainable coffee cups instead of disposable ones. A lot of trash could be saved from piling up in landfills, and resources used to make the disposable cups would be used in significantly smaller numbers. A simple concept as the Karma Cup might be the answer to this problem.

via: Mashable

The Kokua Festival in Hawaii, organized by Johnson himself, features Johnson and his band as the headline act, attracts 20,000 concert-goers over two nights. The environmental message is everywhere, even before fans make it through the gates. Posters and signs encouraging bike-riding, using renewable energy and overall protecting and respecting the environment are to be found wherever you look. There is even a bicycle valet-parking enclosure outside the Waikiki Shell, an outdoor auditorium on the outskirts of Honolulu where the festival takes place.

Kokua means help, as soon as you arrive at the auditorium gates you find more posters which set the “greening principles” for the event. Plastic water bottles are banned, sustainable biodiesel and biodegradable food utensils are used, the whole festival aims for zero waste. The money raised goes to a range of island-wide non-profit organizations, the Kokua Foundation’s stall is situated alongside representatives from the Hawaii Farmers’ Union, the Surfrider Foundation and the Liquid Aloha Brewery (‘coming soon: sun-powered beer’). Johnson’s non-profit foundation supports environmental education in schools and communities in the islands.

‘Eighty-five per cent of the islands’ food is imported – that’s crazy,’ Johnson says. ‘That’s one of those statistics that made us start up Aina In Schools – aina means land in Hawaiian, and it’s an acronym for Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture. Teaching pupils about growing their own food and supporting farmers is the kind of local activism that is important.’ Johnson is very determined to deliver his green message to younger generations of Hawaiian population. By consuming healthier, organic food a lot of waste is reduced, since packaging and transportation are no longer needed.

Before becoming a world famous musician Johnson was a surfer, he began his professional life making surfing films. A keen water fanatic this sportsman is aware  of pollution, the east of Hawaii’s main island, Oahu, ‘is a filter for the Pacific Ocean, and there’s just plastic over the whole beach. It’s close to my heart because I surf over there a lot.’ he says.

Johnson’s message addresses major environmental issues, green food, recycling, pollution, renewable energy. He encourages younger generations to participate in this compromise with our planet. ‘It’s about trying to give children the same experiences I had. Try to give them a respect for nature.’ Johnson teaches that enjoying nature will show people the importance of respecting it, caring for it and hopefully preserving it.

The artist’s new, sixth album, To the Sea, was recorded in his home studio on Oahu’s North Shore using electricity provided by solar panels on his roof. It is so efficient that it puts energy back into the power grid for the use of his neighbors. ‘I’m not trying to say we’re saving the world. We’re just trying to put a little energy into it.’ And he does so. Literally.

via: Telegraph UK

American designer Justin Kakobson came up with an amazing idea to stop feeding landfills with our takeout packagings: he has managed to transform the discarded material into lightweight portable speakers. The speakers do not only contribute in keeping our planet clean, they are also incredibly functional and look amazing!

This ingenious designer did not stop at the paper takeout box speakers, he has also designed a bamboo camera and a milk bottle USB.

Via: EcoFriend

Coca-Cola has teamed up with design firm Emeco to create a new fate for the millions of plastic coke bottles that are normally thrown away. The construction of the new “111 Navy Chair” will use at least 111 former coke bottles, or 60% PET plastic (recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic), along with pigment and glass fiber for strength. The classic design of the chair was originally created for the U.S. Navy in 1944. The 111 Navy Chair will be available for purchase next month.

Gregg Buchbinder, the Chairman of Emeco explains:

When Coke came to me with this project I jumped on it. It’s a huge investment for a small company, but we have the potential of reusing the PET from about 3 million plastic bottles a year. That’s a lot of bottles and a lot of chairs too. The new chair is the strongest, and most beautiful we can make. We’ve turned something you throw away into something you want and can keep for a long, long time.

Coca-Cola is not alone in recycling trash into beautiful and useful designs, and it is building its reputation as a corporation dedicated to a greener future. “The 111 Navy Chair is a reflection of our commitment to sustainability, constant innovation and originality in design,” said a spokesperson for the company. Other recent Coke initiatives include switching to hybrid delivery trucks and making their plants more environmentally friendly by installing energy efficient lighting and water saving technology.

Changes like these from a company as large as Coca-Cola could set a strong example for other businesses to follow. Do you think such effort will make an impact?

For more insight into the effects of plastic on the environment, check out the fascinating documentary, Addicted to Plastic, by filmmaker Ian Connacher.

Tags: plastic, recycling, documentaries, Coca-Cola, green design, Ian Connacher

The main strategy used by Zurich’s government is making the use of one official garbage bag mandatory. The “Zuri-pack” needs to be purchased by everyone to dispose of their trash. The idea is to discourage waste generation by setting a high price on the zuri-pack.

Between 1992 and 2005, waste was reduced from 140,000 tons a year to 100,000.

Further, waste collection days have been gradually reduced. Currently, waste is picked up just once a week. In order to ensure people’s compliance with waste disposal rules, fines are charged to those who either don’t use the zuri-pack or leave their waste on the street the wrong days.

Also, the fact that waste is collected less often forces people to having to coexist with their trash more time. So, if they want to avoid being covered by their trash, they had better think before “throwing” their stuff away.

In average, the Zurich family produces one zuri-pack a week.

Another positive consequence this program has is that consumers start trying to buy products with less packaging. If you know that you’re going to have to pay for every extra piece of garbage, you start measuring your generation of waste much more seriously.

Regarding food waste, there are community compost bins, where people can take their organic waste. Additionally, compost is generated, for the benefit of everyone.

VIA: Sustainable Cities / NY Times

To enhance recycling, a number of features need to be taken into account. First, people need to be aware of the importance of recycling; they also have to learn how to dispose of their trash correctly. Further, without a market or an industry which processes materials, not much is possible. And a crucial factor is that people need to have information on where they can dispose of their trash. Today, I want to look at RecyclingNearYou, an Australian initiative that offers lots of useful information online.

On their webpage, you can insert the product you want to recycle, or the area you live in, and find out the recycling and waste services offered by your council. If the online data does not do, you can always call the RecyclingNearYou hotline on 1300 733 712.

This project was launched in 2006 by Planet Ark. So far, the site has received more than 2.5 million visits. A report published last year shows that the N 1 concern of the site’s visitors is electronic waste. Apparently, Australians are becoming increasingly aware of how much this sort of material can contaminate, and how important their correct disposal is.

This is, without a doubt, a project to learn from and to test in as many cities and regions as possible.

Gap has teamed up with Cotton Inc, establishing this “denim drive” to collect as much jeans as possible. The resulting insulating material is then donated to places in need.

The program started in 2006, and it is called “Cotton, from blue to green”. Since then more than 270,000 pieces of denim have been collected, which were then used for insulation in 540 houses. Most of these houses were located in areas which had suffered from natural disasters, like New Orleans, after hurricane Katrina.

By recycling jeans, 200 tons of denim are kept from being sent to landfills each month.

Some benefits of this cotton insulating material include the absence of VOC (volatile organic compounds), it absorbs sound very well reducing noise, it prevents mold and mildew, and it has no irritating components.

Cotton Inc has been helped by National Geographic Kids magazine, which in 2009 set a Guinness record for “Most Items of Clothing Collected for Recycling”, collecting 33,088 pieces of denim. All of these were donated to the Cotton from blue to green denim drive.

Being jeans such a popular garment, this initiative is great. If I try to remember how many pair of jeans I’ve bought during my life, I have no clue, but undoubtedly more than 15. All those jeans required resources and energy for being manufactured. They also have characteristics that make them useful. So why just dump them? By transforming jeans into an insulation material, we avoid landfilling, and we generate a sustainable material that will help insulate houses, which in turn helps reduce energy usage.

VIA: Treehugger

It may be discouraging to think that only a law can change human behavior. We who work in organizations that try to foster more eco-friendly ways of living can be led to ask ourselves whether informing readers is worth it. I still think it is.

Laws are generally the result of human evolution. Though maybe an extreme example, slavery was legal until people’s minds started to change, and they began to see it as something immoral. That’s when a law that declared slavery illegal came around.

So, coming back to North Carolina and its banning of not recycling bottles and cans, I think this is the result of a generalized progress in our conception of waste. A few years ago, bottles were just dumped without anyone worrying about it. After years of this risky carelessness, we are coming to realize that a change is needed.

The way in which we produce, distribute, consume and then dispose of products is not sustainable. This process is a linear one, in which great amounts of energy are used, and wasted. In nature, processes are cyclical, so there is no waste, everything is recycled. The problem with our own, human, artificial system is that too much is wasted. This leads to contamination, because ecosystems are not capable of processing all of our trash. Further, to power our flawed linear cycles, we use non-renewable and polluting sources of energy; fossil fuels.

So, with what may seem as small efforts, such as N.C.’s law on recycling bottles, we are correcting ourselves, trying to generate less waste.

For now, there has been some progress thanks to the law. Recycling rates have grown. There are three recycling centers in the county, and since the landfill bottle ban was passed, the average amount of pounds of plastic collected per month went from 14,000 in September 2008 to 19,000 pounds in September 2009.

More than 14,000 people work in the recycling industry in North Carolina, so the law not only helps better care for the environment, it also provides employment to many.

VIA: Treehugger

More: North Carolina Department of Environment

The building I just mentioned is the Kroon Hall, home of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. It consumes 81% less water and 58% less energy than other similar buildings.

The Kroon Hall also uses renewable energy; it has solar panels on its roofs that provide it with 25% of its electricity needs. Solar power is also being used for heating around 50% of water, with solar water heaters.

As regards recycling, the Kroon has a system to reuse water. Storm water is collected, as well as grey waters. These are filtrated using native aquatic plants. Grey waters and storm water are used for flushing toilets and for irrigation. On the other hand, plumbing includes low-flow mechanisms, and so do irrigation fixtures, which greatly lowers the demand for water.

Other initiatives include profiting from natural light, and controlling artificial lights with sensors that turn them off when there is no one around. Construction materials include FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) wood, 16% recycled materials, 34% of all materials came from regional sources, a special type of concrete that helps insulate, and low-impact paint. Now that the building has been completed, all appliances and equipment are Energy Star TM rated.

All of these strategies got the Kroon 59 points on the LEED certification, more than enough for obtaining Platinum.

Concerning its pledges to reduce GHG emissions, for now, Yale has achieved a 7% decrease, even though the campus grew 3.2% in size.

Some of its projects include working on energy efficiency on the whole campus, and increasing the dependence on renewable energies. Yale not only uses solar power, but also co-generation in one of its two main power plants, biofuel, and hydrogen cells. There is also a project to implement wind power.

Further, green purchasing is encouraged as a means of making consumption greener and showing the institution’s commitment to environmental actions.

The whole of the campus works to increase recycling levels. And this isn’t new for them, given that Yale’s recycling efforts began in 1970. Students have participated in the recycling competition we’ve told you about in Sustentator called RecycleMania and came out fourth. Plus, last year the university recycled and donated more than 1,400 tons of trash.

The last initiative I’m telling you about (there’s really so much) is the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which has developed and manages an organic farm on campus. It also works to make the food sold on campus more sustainable, considering and spreading the idea that food has an important environmental impact.

It is very encouraging to see young people learning to care for our planet, and actually making things happen.

VIA: Courant

For more: Yale Sustainability

Walmart has three main, very demanding goals. These are to be supplied 100% by renewable energy, to eliminate waste and to sell more sustainable products.

Regarding its first goal; using solely renewable energy, Walmart has been investing in both wind and solar power. The company has made a four-year purchase agreement with Duke Energy, a wind farm in Notrees, Texas. Since April 2009, Duke Energy is providing approximately 15% of Walmart’s total energy load in around 350 Texas stores and some other facilities.

Walmart is also looking to solar power to green its ways. Between 2009 and 2010 solar panels will be installed on 10 to 20 of its stores. 18 solar arrays are already in place. When all of the new panels are installed, solar power will provide between 20 and 30% of each location’s total energy needs.

The company is also trying to increase its use of biofuels. The fuel it uses in its multiple operations, such as with its fleet of trucks, is increasingly being blended with ethanol.

On the whole, by using renewable energy, Walmart is expected to avoid producing more than 139,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

The company has a global aim of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions at its stores, operations, transportation, and distribution centers around the world by 20% by 2012, compared to 2005 levels. It is also looking to help suppliers, and consumers reduce their own emissions. How is it helping consumers? By offering more energy efficient products, and more sustainable disposal options.

One interesting project is being carried out in Phoenix, Arizona; 15 trucks are being adapted to run on waste cooking grease, which is collected from Walmart stores.

To achieve its aim of zero waste, Walmart is working on different projects. It is using a process dubbed “sandwich baling”, which consists of sandwiching loose plastic between layers of cardboard and putting it together making up bales that are sent to certified recyclers. Thanks to this process, 1100 tons of waste that would have been sent to landfills were recycled.

On the other hand, Walmart is trying to reduce its packaging, or to make it reusable or recyclable. It is also encouraging its suppliers to use less packaging. Less packaging means less waste, and less space. Less space means more products fitting in a shipping container, and that means less contamination generated by transportation.

Another strategy to help reduce waste are the different partnerships Walmart has established with different organizations, so as to make recycling easier for consumers. Among others, it has partnered with Samsung and Gazelle to enhance the recycling of electronic products.

Walmart is yet another example that succeeding in business can go hand in hand with being sustainable.

VIA: Walmart

The video has to address one of the following topics: reducing, reusing, recycling, composting, and consuming. It has to be between 30 and 60 seconds long. There are four categories of prizes. The first one consists of $2500. The second one, $1500. The third prize, $1000. And lastly if two students (aged 15 to 18) participate together, they can win $500 each.

EPA calls for competitors’ help to create videos that will make people get involved, communicate information, and lead to action.

When addressing the topics, consider the following information. Reducing and reusing has to do with reducing consumption, designing products that last longer, reducing and repairing products. Why is reducing and recycling important? Trash that goes to landfills is a great contaminant. When you reduce, not only are you generating less trash, but by reducing your consumption of new products, you avoid unnecessary production, and avoidable energy usage.

EPA mentions in its website that from 1960 until now, each person has doubled the amount of waste he or she generates per day, from 2.7 to 4.5 pounds.

Recycling consists of turning materials that are likely to become waste into useful resources. By recycling you avoid the need for elaborating new products, you reduce waste generation, and energy usage. Last year, in the US, of the total 250 millions tons of trash generated, 83 million tons were recycled, a recycling rate of 33%.

Composting is a process by which organic waste is transformed into a natural fertilizer. It is a fantastic phenomenon, because if all of your food waste goes to a landfill it decomposes and emits methane. Instead if you compost it, you create a useful fertilizer.

And lastly, consuming is one of the most powerful tools individuals have to act positively on the environment, either by buying green products, green services, or trying to consume less, choosing not to consume contaminating stuff, and so on.

To participate you need to be either a US citizen or legal resident. Music and images included in the video need to be original, that is, of your own creation.

For more information click here

Schools have to report the amounts of trash collected and recycled, and according to this data they are ranked on a weekly basis. The criteria are: the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, and the highest recycling rate. Each week schools’ results vary, and participants can watch rankings and so work to improve their positions.

This remarkable initiative began in 2001 when Ed Newman, from Ohio University and Stacy Edmonds Wheeler, from Miami University, decided to do something to increase recycling in their campus. So they created RecycleMania, and the first year their universities competed with each other.

There will be two orientation webinars explaining how the competition works and answering questions, for which you need to register.

The aims of RecycleMania are to involve students and staff in recycling, to increase awareness of schools’ waste management and recycling programs, to lower on-campus waste generation, and to promote waste reduction programs in universities.

“Colleges and universities are small cities that consume large amounts of resources and generate much solid waste”, this is why such a project is needed and is so useful. Also, the importance of education in increasing awareness on environmental issues is decisive. Students that participate in a recycling competition will incorporate skills, knowledge, and ideas that they will keep and hopefully spread throughout their lives.

Besides, sometimes universities already have environmental programs, and an external competition can help re-value the importance of such activities. As can be read in RecycleMania website, environmental messages are not always effective. A competition is a way of reaching out for students and teachers and getting them involved in an effective and popular manner.

This year, 510 schools participated, and all North American states were represented.

VIA: RecycleMania

One of the latter is Malmo, a city located in the south of Sweden, with a population of about 280,000 people. Malmo has set itself the target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% between 2008 and 2012. By 2030, the city plans to run entirely on renewable energies. To achieve this, different measures are being applied.

To start with, sustainable transport is being promoted. Public transportation is being fostered, as well as car-pooling, a more eco-friendly way of driving, and more sustainable cars and buses. Regarding buses, these are connected to traffic lights, so as to get green lights faster than cars, and they have separate lanes. 42% of them run on biogas created from the city’s waste.

Eco-driving is taught to municipal employees; it is also offered in several driving schools, and it has been spread to some of the largest truck companies.

Besides, the city encourages the use of bicycles; it has more than 410 km of cycle ways, and in 2004 it was named Bicycle City of the year in Sweden. So far, one fourth of the city’s daily trips are made by bike!

Renewable sources of energy are being developed in Malmo. Among them, solar energy, specifically photovoltaic panels are being deployed all over the city. Malmo has the largest area of PV installations in Sweden, around 3400 m2. The city is investing a lot in solar energy. Also, the Swedish government funds PV technology, so the conditions are quite optimal. Other renewable sources of energy being developed in Malmo include wind energy, and bioenergy. About 25% of the heat energy comes from the city’s incinerator which transforms waste to energy. And 16% of the city’s heating comes from water warmed by the excess heat released from industrial plants in the area.

Attention is also being paid to energy efficiency. An interesting example is Sadelmakarbyn’s preschool, which is the municipality’s first low-energy preschool. Its walls are a half meter thick, to help insulate, and reduce the energy consumed for heating and cooling. Plus, in this preschool, lights are controlled by sensors. On the whole, since 2001, energy consumption has been reduced 20% in municipal properties.

Another interesting initiative is that schools will increasingly be offering healthier, greener food to its students. Nowadays, 50% of the food offered in schools is ecological, and the aim is to reach 100%.

Concerning recycling, 96% of household waste is collected. Whatever can be recycled, is in fact recycled. The rest is used to generate biogas, including food waste.

There are three main neighborhoods that are specifically being led to greater sustainability. These are Western Harbor, Sege Park, and Augustenborg.

Western Harbor runs exclusively on renewable energy, produced locally. Its main sources of energy are the sun, the wind, the water and organic waste. With the organic waste, biogas is produced, and with it some buses are powered.

Augustenborg is well-known for its green roofs. These reduce water runoff, help insulate buildings, and add vegetation to the area. The district also has photovoltaic panels, some of them used for shading. Besides, the world’s first emissions-free electric street trains were created there.

Way to go Malmo! A truly inspiring initiative.

VIA: HowStuffWorks (PDF)

Malmo

A few weeks ago, a numeric summary of Patagonia’s environmental work in 2009 was published in the company’s blog. It says that this year, so far 3,816,750 dollars were donated. Who received all this money? 398 different environmental groups.

In his book, Chouinard says that he wants to make use of Patagonia’s size to have the largest positive impact possible on environmental issues. Some of Patagonia’s initiatives are the following:

1% for the planet: Chouinard has donated 1% of Patagonia’s sales to environmental groups since its beginnings. Later on, he and Craig Mathews transformed this into an initiative to which other businesses can adhere. Now, 1,220 companies belong to this 1% For The Planet.

Tools for Grassroots Activists Conference: 1,034 activists have received training at this Conference (which is held every 18 months) since it started. Through it, Patagonia intends to transmit and develop the necessary tools and skills for promoting environmental change.

Environmental Internship Program, created in 1993. Through this program, employees can leave their jobs for a certain amount of time, and work for an environmental group. Employees continue to get paid. Since the beginning of this program, 750 employees have done the experience.

Common Threads Recycling Program, it was launched in 2005. Through this program customers can return their worn out Capilene Performance Baselayers, Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece clothing, cotton T-shirts, and other additional polyester and nylon products for them to be recycled. Of all the products of Fall 2009, 65% can be recycled through this program. Since 2005, 12 tons of clothing have been recycled, and 26 tons have been collected for recycling.

The Footprint Chronicles initiative has to do with the company’s desire to “build the best products and cause no unnecessary harm”. Since its early years, Patagonia has tried to minimize the environmental impact of each of its products. Some of them are made with recycled material, many of them are recyclable. Also, most products are done so as to have a high quality and therefore a long life. During 2009, the environmental impact of 21 products was measured.

An inspiring example of how business can be quite sustainable. Let’s hope other companies join this road of greener business.

Please don’t hesitate to add more information or comments concerning Patagonia’s green initiatives.

Via: The Cleanest Line

Two companies are developing a plant, in the UK, in which diapers will be recycled, and the plant itself will run on the organic material contained in the diapers, to put it elegantly. The plant will start working on May 2010.

In the US, each year 27.4 billion diapers are thrown into landfills. In the UK, 8 million diapers a day. To start to reduce this gigantic amount of trash, Companies Versus Energy and Knowaste will together build a plant where diapers will be recycled, in the UK. It will open in May 2010 in Birmingham. They plan to build four more plants. Diapers will come from nurseries, nursing homes and hospitals.

Knowaste was created in 1989, and it recycles different kinds of absorbent hygiene products, such as bed-liners, adult incontinence, and feminine hygiene products.

How does the recycling process work? First the nappy material is washed. Then the products are broken apart in a shredder. The absorbent polymers are deactivated. Next, the plastic components are removed and sent to a different device where they are again cleaned. The plastic is compressed into small pellets, which can be sold for reuse. The organic waste is used to generate green energy, and the remaining parts of the diaper are once again checked to capture any leftovers of plastic or organic material.

Let’s hope the project works, and this fantastic initiative is spread to other cities and countries, helping to reduce the ridiculously large quantity of trash we generate.

Via: Ecogeek

Triplepundit

Knowaste

It’s been a few years since they’ve been working on their environmental impact. Lately, they’ve been developing quite interesting initiatives, and have many plans.

Their work is organized in a number of areas.

Energy consumption

Their latest decision has been to replace conventional light bulbs for LEDs in 8,000 stores. Thanks to this, each store will be saving about 10% in electricity consumption. These LEDs are a special design made for Starbucks by General Electric.

Starbucks has undertaken an energy audit, through which it learned that 80% of its carbon footprint comes from energy use. That’s why this particular area represents the biggest opportunity and challenge to improve. The company has set the goal of consuming 50% renewable energy by 2010, of the total used energy.

Also, many stores are being upgraded and new stores are being built to use 25% less energy. Starbucks has decided that all new stores will be certified green by the end of 2010.

Among other current efforts, stores conserve energy by allowing temperatures to reach 75 degrees instead of 72 on warm days, and so reduce air-conditioning use. Further, in 2008, it bought renewable energy credits that represent 20% of all electricity consumed in US and Canada stores.

Green construction

Starbucks is trying to make its stores greener by improving design, building and operation of the stores. Some actions include the incorporation of sustainable building materials and furnishings, also measures of efficient energy and water usage into store designs.

An important goal that has been established is to make all new stores certified green. Starting in late 2010, all new company-owned stores will be created to function in a green manner, and will follow LEED criteria. Besides, in spring 2010, Starbucks plans to open 10 pilot stores that will test different strategies to reduce energy and water use, and will be LEED certified.

Recycling

Starbucks wants to make 100% of cups reusable or recyclable by 2015.

For the time being, it is promoting customers to bring their own reusable mugs. Customers that bring their own mugs get 10 cents off their price. The company is trying to participate in commercial recycling, avoiding its waste to end up in landfills.

These are the main courses of action developed by Starbucks. I think its initiatives are numerous and interesting. It is encouraging to see how large and successful companies are able to gradually integrate capitalism with a more responsible impact on our environment.

More: Starbucks

Today, November 15, is the US national recycling day. It is dedicated to fostering recycling among Americans, and to promote the buying of recycled products.

This is the 12^th year the America Recycles Day takes place.

You can find events happening today here .

The US Open is a tennis tournament that is known worldwide and is held once a year. It receives attention from the media and people all over the world, and about 700,000 fans attend. This gives even more value to the actions taken by the organization, since they have the ability to reach a lot of people.

The USTA worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Environmental Resources Management (ERM), an NGO and a consulting firm, respectively. Together they evaluated the feasibility of a series of ecological initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of the US Open 2009.

They established a program for recycling plastics and cans, placing recycling containers for these materials in all of the buildings for the tournament. They met their goal of recycling between 18,000 and 20,000 ball containers. They also committed to reusing the 60,000 balls that will be used during the US Open. These will be reused or donated to community programs.

They also took interesting measures with respect to energy consumption. Last year, IBM used 60 servers for the US Open; this year they will use 6. Yes, the number was reduced from 60 to 6! The consumption of energy was reduced by 40%. Furthermore, USTA purchased renewable energy certificates to compensate for energy consumption during the tournament.

They also attempted to raise awareness among tournament attendees. They promoted the use of public transportation and publicized and distributed practical ecological suggestions. Even the tickets for the event were printed on paper made of 30% recycled material.

And finally, organic waste from two of the restaurants in the US Open buildings will be recycled.

This is an excellent initiative. We hope that it continues and spreads to other events.

For more info:

www.usopen.org

www.usta.com

www.constellation.com

www.nrdc.org