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Move will save energy, reduce carbon dioxide
By Pamela Powers, Leader-Telegram, Nov. 30, 2009
MENOMONIE - UW-Stout's University Dining Services started the semester working toward going more "green."
The service switched to commercially compostable packaging for all food and beverages served in disposable containers.
All of the products used in the university's residence dining halls for take-out food are compostable.
In the university's nine dining retail operations, more than 80 percent of the packaging has been replaced with materials that are compostable.
This includes cutlery, hot and cold cups and lids, plates, hot and cold bowls, straws and clamshell-style hinged containers.
Some packaging is made from corn starch or a material reclaimed from sugar cane, said Ann Thies, director of dining services.
It costs about 60 cents total for a hinged container, a cup and cover, and cutlery, about twice the cost of Styrofoam and plastic, Thies said.
The extra cost is passed on to the people buying take-out food in the cafeteria. In the dining retail areas, the extra expense also is built into pricing.
While the compostable products cost more, their production uses less energy and produces less carbon dioxide compared with the traditional Styrofoam and plastic.
Using a program developed by Eco-Products of Colorado, the primary supplier of compostable packaging, UW-Stout has estimated it will save 2,755 gallons of gasoline and 27,146 pounds of greenhouse gases this school year by not using petroleum-based products.
"From my perspective, it is an important first step," said Sarah Rykal, UW-Stout environmental sustainability coordinator.
The next step will be to find a commercial compost site, which the university hopes to accomplish by January, Thies said. University officials met last month with a waste hauler about the project.
Currently the compostable items are going to a landfill, where they will not turn into compost.
When composting begins, the materials can be reused as ground cover for soil.
Powers can be reached at 715-556-9018 or pamela.powers@ecpc.com.
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Uw-Stout takes initiative on 'green' food packaging
Bio-breakthrough in Missoula
Company says it has found way to mass produce environment-friendly, wide-purpose chemical
AP, Spokesman.com, Nov. 30, 2009
MISSOULA – A former University of Montana chemistry professor said he and other scientists have discovered a way to cheaply produce large volumes of an environment-friendly chemical that has wide applications.
Don Kiely said the new technique means biodegradable glucaric acid can be produced in large enough quantities to make it feasible.
He said glucaric acid can be converted into high-value, bio-based chemicals to be used for such things as road salt and detergents. That means glucaric acid products could replace petrochemicals and phosphates that can last for centuries and harm the environment.
“We all have a chance to save the world bit by bit,” said Kiely, 71. “Our contribution to that would be improving water quality. So many harmful chemical products end up in our groundwater and are our major pollutants. But we think we are onto something that could change that.”
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Reportlinker Adds Lactic Acid - A Global Market Report
PR Newswire, Nov. 30, 2009
NEW YORK - Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
Lactic Acid - A Global Market Report
http://www.reportlinker.com/p0164411/Lactic-Acid---A-Global-Market-Report.html
World consumption of lactic acid stands enthused by its use in key industries such as cosmetics, biodegradable plastics and food additives. The recently uncovered potential of lactic acid as a pH balancer in shampoos and soaps, and other alpha hydroxy acid applications, is expected to pep up consumption in this market. Use of lactic acid in biodegradable plastics is expected to gather momentum, given the rising demand for environmentally friendly packaging. Emerging application possibilities are additionally expected to prop up the market's growth in the upcoming years. Use of lactic acid bacteria in anti microbial compounds, food additives, flavoring agents, and as a substitute for hazardous solvents in industrial applications, will all help ensure steady consumption into the future.
These and other market data and trends are presented in "Lactic Acid: A Global Market Report" by BizAcumen, Inc. Our reports are designed to be most comprehensive in geographic coverage and vertical market analyses.
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Sunday, November 29, 2009
New machine turns waste into fertilizer
By MIKE TRELEVEN, Napa Valley Register, Nov. 27, 2009
At the St. Helena restaurant Press, gone are the days when kitchen staff scraped leftovers into trash bags destined for the landfill.
Instead, the restaurant has installed a state-of-the-art dehydrating system that takes wet food-waste along with other compostable materials and turns it into a dry, nutrient-rich soil additive.
The St. Helena restaurant is the first eatery in the Napa Valley to install the technology, which was developed in South Korea, where it has been in use for 12 years. It has been in the United States for 18 months.
Press’ kitchen staff will never have to cope with flies, rodents and smells or worry about clogging the sewer system with the food waste.
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Pipe-clogging cooking oil recycled into eco-friendly fuel
By David Kernodle, News 14, Nov. 27, 2009
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CHARLOTTE -- Black Friday isn't just a busy day for shoppers. Plumbers often spend the day clearing pipes clogged with discarded oil from Thanksgiving dinner.
But there are alternatives to dumping it down the drain. Charlotte Energy Solutions owner Mark Englander collects, refines, repurposes and eventually resells any and all old cooking oil -- most commonly for fuel.
“Five gallon jugs for $1.50 a gallon,” he said.
Englander says demand for recycled cooking oil for fuel purposes is so high he can hardly keep up. One of his customers, Vince DiFrancesco, brought in two containers, about four gallons, of leftover cooking oil from Thanksgiving, and less than 10 minutes later, a buyer was in line to ready to fuel his car.
The Charlotte Energy Solutions cooking oil drop-off site is located at 337 Baldwin Avenue, near uptown Charlotte.
Plastic bags: Should we tax the sacks?
By Dorothy Pellett, The Burlington Free Press, Nov. 29, 2009
What flutters ghost-like from tree limbs, clogs storm drains and plugs the stomachs of sea turtles — OR keeps your library books dry in a storm and stashes your excess zucchini to be hung on a neighbor’s door? Plastic bags can be like a helpful household servant with an evil twin, their usefulness unquestioned but their damage to the environment occurring silently.
Taxing, banning, reusing or simply cutting down on their use — all are solutions up for debate as Vermont environmentalists search for the best solution, and the Legislature is poised to consider bag-tax measures in the upcoming session.
A bill before the House Ways and Means Committee would charge consumers 17 cents for each lightweight plastic bag they take home. State Rep. Johannah Leddy Donovan, D-Burlington, was the lead sponsor among 19 legislators on the bill, which was introduced last session.
“The 17-cent amount seemed significant enough to catch the attention of shoppers,” she said this month. “If we are going to change behavior, we must have a tax that is going to be meaningful.”
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Friday, November 27, 2009
Atlanta airport gets pet-friendly with new dog park
AP, USA Today, Nov. 27, 2009
ATLANTA — Furry travelers now have a place to stretch their legs at Atlanta's airport.
A new fenced-in dog park is part of the ground transportation center on the west end of the passenger terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The 1,000-square-foot park, which opened on Nov. 18, can accommodate two pooches at a time and features flowers, grass, rocks, benches and two original pieces of art.
Biodegradable pet waste bags are also available there.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Algae Could Be the Key to Ultra-Thin Biodegradable Batteries
By Ariel Schwartz, Inhabitat, Nov. 25, 2009
Algae is often touted as the next big thing in biofuels, but the slimy stuff could also be the key to paper-thin biodegradable batteries according to researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. Eventually, the bio batteries could compete with commercial lithium-ion batteries.
Conducting polymers have long been thought to be a solution in developing lightweight, flexible, nonmetal batteries. But up until now, these polymers have had been impractical because regular paper can’t hold enough of them work effectively. Now Uppsala researcher Maria Stromme and her team has found that the smelly algae species that clumps on beaches, known as Cladophora, can also be used to make a type of cellulose that has 100 times the surface area of cellulose found in paper. That means it can hold enough conducting polymers to effectively recharge and hold electricity for long amounts of time.
The algae-based paper sheet batteries hold up to 200% more charge than regular paper-based cellulose batteries, and they can recharge in as little as 11 seconds. Eventually, they could be used in any application that requires flexible electronics — for example, clothing or packaging that lights up. Perhaps most importantly, the algae batteries could one day cut down on e-waste from conventional metal batteries.
Via Live Science
Huge Emissions Savings, Other Environmental Benefits Achieved Through Urban Compost Collection Program
Recology Press Release, Earth Times, Nov. 24, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (Business Wire) - Officials and local farmers announced today that city residents and businesses have composted more than 620,000 tons of material, mostly food scraps, through the city’s green cart program. By composting all that food since the program was created instead of sending it to landfill, San Francisco:
* Avoided creating 137,000 tons of methane gas, which the Environmental Protection Agency reports is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.Blumenfeld, Director of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, and Obama appointee to head US EPA Region 9, said “The reduction in air emissions achieved through the compost program represents real progress and tell us two things. We should compost all our food scraps, and this program should be replicated in many other cities. That would go a long, long way to reducing greenhouse gases.”
* Sequestered, or put back into the soil, 18,400 metric tons of CO2. That is the equivalent of keeping nearly 3,600 cars off the road.
* Created a total C02E benefit (methane avoided and carbon sequestered) of 155,000 tons. That’s equal to reforesting 35 square miles of sustainable forest for 23 years or offsetting emissions from all vehicles crossing the Bay Bridge for 311 days.
These numbers are based on a current, approved protocol set by the Climate Action Reserve. In addition to reducing air emissions, by placing food scraps in compost collection carts San Francisco residents and businesses help local farms improve soil health and structure, increase drought resistance, and reduce and even eliminate the need for supplemental water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
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More West Coast communities banning PS products
By Mike Verespej, Plastic News, Nov. 24, 2009
WASHINGTON - The bans and initiatives to ban polystyrene takeout food packaging on the West Coast continue to grow.
The town of Issaquah, Wash., with a population of 11,000 some 17 miles east of Seattle, has approved a ban on PS takeout packaging, effective Oct. 1, and said that food service providers should immediately begin to make “reasonable efforts” to purchase recyclable or compostable packaging instead of PS packaging.
Pre-packaged soups and pre-packaged foods that grocery stores, restaurants and food vendors purchase and resell to customers are exempt from the ban, which was enacted Nov. 16.
In California, the town of Del Ray Oaks, with an estimated population of 1,650 three miles east of Monterey, is expected to approve a PS ban when the ordinance is read and heard for the second time Dec. 15. The ban will go into effect 30 days after that.
On a larger scale, Monterey County, which issued a study and a draft proposal for a PS ban earlier this month, will hold three public hearings in December on its proposal and plans to approve the ban early next year with an effective date one year after it is passed.
The Monterey County ban would apply to the approximately 170 restaurants, grocery stores and food vendors that operate within the unincorporated areas of the county. There are estimated 2,200 restaurants, grocers and food vendors in all of Monterey County, with PS bans already in effect in Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel, and with Del Ray Oaks expected to soon join them.
Altogether, 26 California towns and two counties have banned PS takeout packaging, most of them in northern California from the Monterey area to just north of San Francisco. Five California cities and one county have banned the use of PS takeout packaging at city facilities or events.
Further up the coast, Seattle, Portland and Issaquah have PS bans.
On the East Coast, Boston is considering a proposal introduced last month to ban PS takeout packaging at food-service establishments that have more than 5,000 square feet or more than five different locations in the city.
Three of the underlying reasons the bans continue to grow is that legislators view PS takeout packaging as a litter and landfill problem and because PS takeout packaging manufacturers, the industry and restaurants have developed very few programs to recycle PS — which has led to a conviction on the part of legislators that PS food service packaging is not recyclable.
“There are currently no meaningful ways of recycling polystyrene-based food packaging,” said the Issaquah city council in its summary statement that recommended the adoption of the ban.
The Del Ray Oaks council made a similar assertion. “Food service ware made from polystyrene foam is not biodegradable, returnable or practically recyclable,” the Del Ray Oaks council said in its findings. “It is not economically feasible at this time to recycle polystyrene foam in or near the city” — a thought that was echoed by Monterey County in the draft of its proposed ban.
In addition, legislators, in general, have a negative view of PS food service products, even after they receive feedback from packaging manufacturers, grocers, restaurants and industry associations.
For example, the Council Sustainability Committee in Issaquah held six meetings to get feedback from the companies and businesses the ordinance would impact.
But the final summary statement from Issaquah city council still made the assertion that “polystyrene packaging … has many detrimental effects, including the chemicals released during the manufacturing process, the lack of ability to recycle the material in Washington, [and] the volume of landfill space” it occupies. Its “non-biodegradable nature … makes it a major contributor to the litter found along our roadways and in our waterways.”
Its ordinance was equally as blunt in its disrespect for PS food service packaging. “The use of polystyrene-based … food packaging and service ware serves a limited purpose that is disproportionately detrimental to the welfare of the environment [as it is] often used, and disposed of, in minutes or days,” read the bill. “There is no meaningful method of recycling polystyrene-based food packaging and service ware.”
Del Ray Oaks made a similar assertion.
“Take-out food packaging that is biodegradable, compostable or recyclable is the most responsible and sustainable choice for the tourist economy, the citizenry and the environment,” said the Del Ray Oaks council in its findings “Biodegradable takeout packaging [products] do not harm the environment and are not a permanent blight on the landscape.”
The Issaquah ban applies to PS containers, clamshells, bowls, plates, trays, cartons, cups, lids, straws, utensils and any other items used in the food service business, including containers for leftovers. But it won’t apply to lids, containers, knives, forks and spoons used for hot foods and beverages until May 1, 2011.
The Issaquah law also requires all food service business utilize either a commercial food waste recycling service for compostable products and recyclable materials or provide containers onsite for recycling and composting.
Food service operators are also required to use compostable products made solely of organic substances or recyclable products, defined as products made from materials that can be separated from a waste stream and collected and delivered to a processor for reuse or remanufacture.
The Del Ray Oaks ban, expected to be approved Dec. 15, would not apply to single-use plastic straws, cup lids and utensils. It does not have an exemption for hot foods and hot beverage containers, lids and utensils, but, like the city of Issaquah, it will permit food service operators to sell pre-packaged food that food service operators buy and resell to customers.
The Del Ray Oaks ordinance would also require food service operators to use biodegradable, compostable or recyclable products. It defines recyclable plastics as plastics coded with resin identification codes of 1-5 and recyclable as any material that is accepted by the city of special district recycling program, including, but not limited to, paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard and plastic bottles, jars and tubs.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Environmentalists target foam food trays
By Laura Isensee, Reuters, Nov. 24, 2009
LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Environmentalists and green businesses are targeting foam food trays used to sell vegetables, fruits and meat in grocery stores.
The ubiquitous trays, which are made from polystyrene, have a long shelf life in landfills, much like plastic bags which the green brigade also took aim at in recent years.
"The developers of expanded polystyrene made the perfect material. They brought the costs down. Functionally it works great. There are no complaints ... But it never goes away," said Richard Feldman, chief executive of G4 Packaging.
The Los Angeles-based company makes trays primarily from sugar cane pulp that can be composted in 90 days or recycled.
Some U.S. cities have started to limit the use of foam trays. Portland, Oregon passed a ban in 1989 and last year Seattle, Washington voted to ban foam containers from all businesses serving food.
Seattle will ratchet up its measure next year. Beginning in July grocery stores will have to stop using foam trays for meat packaged on site and all businesses must use food containers that are compostable, as well as recyclable.
"Most plastics have pretty significant environmental impacts and we didn't want them sent to the landfill," said Dick Lilly, the business area manager for waste prevention at Seattle Public Utilities.
Smaller cities in Washington followed Seattle's lead while the Costa Mesa, California-based nonprofit Earth Resource Foundation is pushing for statewide ban in California.
"This plastic problem is as big as global climate change ... It hurts your health, the economy and the environment," the group's executive director Stephanie Barger said.
Feldman believes legislative pressure could help to propel eco-friendly trays into a $100 million market.
His two-year-old company has more than $300,000 in monthly sales. Its deals include supplying trays for zucchini and peppers sold at upscale grocer Trader Joe's. A veteran of the food packaging industry, Feldman has previously worked with fast-food giant McDonald's Corp.
But going green in groceries will cost money -- a major hurdle even when the economy is on an upswing. Trays made from natural materials like sugar cane pulp or bamboo weigh more and cost more than traditional foam trays.
Trays made by G4 Packaging can cost 8 cents each, about double the cost of a traditional container, Feldman said.
"At some point more and more people will say I as a consumer am willing to pay three or four cents more in order to go ahead and see this change," Feldman said.
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World's first bio-sourced degradable smart cards
plastemart.com, Nov. 24, 2009
The world's first bio-sourced degradable smart cards has been introduced by Gemalto. The card body is made from renewable material, is easily recyclable and compostable, and can be incinerated without emissions of toxic fumes. Also, the company offers packaging made from recycled paper and vegetable inks that significantly reduce the product's environmental impact. These bio-sourced smart cards will be ready for mass production in Q1-2010.
This innovation meets the global demand from banks and operators - a bio-sourced smart banking card and a bio-sourced SIM card, each compliant to the industry standards in their respective sector. The bio-sourced smart cards complement Gemalto's portfolio of eco-friendly cards, made from paper-based materials for short-term use (e.g. scratch cards), as well as ABS and PETG based products, a chlorine-free alternative to PVC cards. The company opted for non-chlorine polymers in the late 1990's and today, adopting material stemming from agro-products is a major step forward in promoting sustainable solutions for card vendors and end users alike.
