From PESWiki

Overviews

• The Story of Stuff (http://www.storyofstuff.com) - Brilliant, entertaining, must-see, 20-minute video/cartoon by Annie Leonard describes the problems with the status quo linear supply chain, driven by consumerism, which is unsustainable and self-destructive; and encourages a renewable, responsible, self-sustaining, cyclical approach. (StoryofStuff.com)
  

Feature

• Smart Trash Cans (http://sciencedaily.com/videos/2006-10-01) - Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) chips embedded in household recycling bins. The bins are scanned and weighed right at the curb, and the system tallies credits for households that are above average for recycling, issuing "recycle dollars" that can be used at participating businesses for discounts. (Science Daily; Oct. 1, 2006)
  

Programs

CO2

• Strategy Could Lead to Emission-Free Cars (http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/537668/?sc=dwhp) - Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a strategy to capture, store and eventually recycle carbon from vehicles. Georgia Tech researchers envision a zero emission car, and a transportation system completely free of fossil fuels. (NewsWise; Feb. 11, 2008)
  

Computers

• Junk Computers Could Fuel Cars (http://www.livescience.com/environment/080514-computer-waste.html) - Scientists in Romania and Turkey employ a special combination of catalysts, high temperatures and chemical filtration to destroy flame-retardant additives, so these electronic scrap materials can be safely recycled, resulting in oils that could be safely used as fuel and also recycling rare metals. (Live Science; May 14, 2008)
  

• Michael Dell challenges PC industry to go green (http://www.technologyreview.com/Wire/18052/) - Michael Dell, chairman of Dell Inc., issued a challenge Tuesday to the entire PC industry to adopt free recycling programs for customers as he announced that his company would offer to plant a tree for every PC sold. (MITTechnology Review / AP; Jan. 9, 2007) (See Dell Earth (http://www.dell.com/html/global/topics/pure_earth/index.html))
  

• A Greener Apple (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/) - Apple started recycling in 1994 and today they operate recycling programs in countries where more than 82% of all Macs and iPods are sold. By the end of 2007, that figure will have increased to 93%.
  

Plastic

• Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil (http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12141&feedId=online) - Global Resource Corporation can turn plastics back into the oil they were made from, and gas (and a few leftovers), using a finely tuned microwave that uses 1200 different frequencies within the microwave range, which act on specific hydrocarbon materials. (New Scientist; June 26, 2007) (See Slashdot (http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/27/2324207) discussion)
  

• Making Diesel from Plastics Waste (http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/34956/story.htm) - A Dutch environmental technology company plans to build 15 plants that will produce diesel fuel from plastics waste in 14 European Union countries. (Reuters; Feb. 8, 2006) (Envosmart.com (http://Envosmart.com/) [1] (http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:kTgJeLhIVRcJ:envosmart.com/+envosmart&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1cached))
  

• 'Plastic oil' could improve fuel economy in cars, chemists say (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-06/acs-oc061305.php) - Recycled plastic bottles could one day be used to lubricate your car's engine. These polyethylene-derived oils could help improve fuel economy and reduce the frequency of oil changes. (EurekAlert; June 12, 2005)

• Waste Plastic Becomes Clean Burning Fuel (http://www.wasteplastictechnology.blogspot.com/) - Penn. State University has developed PlastoFuel pellets from dirty waste Agri-plastics. GR Technologies of Korea has patented burner converting same to alternative energy. (Blogspot; June 6, 2005) (Thanks Robert George)

Styrofoam

• Eat Styrofoam (http://www.livescience.com/technology/060307_styrofoam_cup.htmlBacteria) - Scientists at the University of Dublin have found a way to break down Styrofoam, the bane of recyclers/composters everywhere. Bacteria have been found that eat Styrofoam and turn it into useable plastic. (LiveScience; Mar. 7, 2006) (See Slashdot (http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/08/1620225) discussion)
  

Tires

• Make A Water Filter From Old Tires (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/11/water_filter_fr.php#perma) - Crumb rubber, chewed up old tires, is used on athletic tracks, playgrounds, and increasingly as an alternative to mulch. Now, Dr. Yuefeng Xie, associate professor of environmental engineering at Penn State Harrisburg (http://live.psu.edu/index.php?sec=vs_highlight&story=20894&highlight=1), has found crumb rubber makes an excellent water filter. The rubber keeps the large particles out on top, and thus creates a much higher throughput. (TreeHugger; Nov. 21, 2006)
  

• Innovative Tire Recycling Process Named as Australian New Invention Of The Year (http://www.azobuild.com/news.asp?newsID=1764) -The innovative process, known as Molectra, reclaims all of the components that make up a tyre cleanly and efficiently without waste, residue, or emissions while extracting various products for re... (AZOBuild; Nov. 2005)
  

Government & Politics

• The Promise and Pitfalls of E-Waste Takeback (http://www.greenercomputing.com/feature/2008/05/14/the-promise-and-pitfalls-e-waste-takeback) - The challenges of funding, developing and ingrainingextended producer responsibility (EPR) into a corporate structure are daunting. And in the U.S. especially, states have addressed a failure to map an e-waste solution on the federal level with a patchwork of varying laws, making the process all the more difficult. (Greener Computing; May 14, 2008)
  

• City sues man for canceling trash service (http://www.examiner.com/a-1187195~City_sues_man_for_canceling_trash_service.html) - A man who claims to have reduced his waste to nearly nothing out of concern for the environment now faces a lawsuit from San Carlos for canceling his garbage-collection service. Eddie House recycles paper, metal and plastics, regularly hauling them in his pickup truck to a recycling center and collecting the refund. What little backyard waste he generates is ground into powder by his wood chipper and food scraps are either pulverized by his garbage disposal or eaten by his dog. House’s larger items are either sold or given to people on Craigslist. (Examiner; Jan. 29, 2008)
  

Recyclers

• Lohrmann International Recycles Power Plants - Company focuses on the worldwide mobilization of power components and complete plants (including renewable) for power generation of all sizes (from 1 - 1000 MW) electrical/thermal output and all configurations. Used equipment is more inexpensive, is available quickly, and has a proven performance record.
  

Recycling Products

• Grey water recycling by Brac Systems - Collects water from shower drains, bathtubs and laundry, then filters and pumps it through a dedicated supply line to the toilet tanks for flushing, reducing average household water consumption by a third. It is designed into the plumbing of new construction and existing residential homes.
  

Cautions

• Is Recycling Utter Rubbish? (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/is_recycling_ut.php#perma) - Consider the energy consumed during the recycling process: householders driving their empty wine bottles to the bottle bank, lorries collecting the bottles and taking them to the recycling plant, the washing in hot water and the removal of labels, all before the reprocessing can even begin. (Financial Times (http://www.envirovaluation.org/index.php?p=3458&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) / TreeHugger; July 13, 2006)
  

See also

• Conservation (http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/Conservation/index.html)
• Energy-Efficient Lighting (http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/Lighting/index.html)
• Plastic (http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/Plastic/index.html)
• Recycling (http://freeenergynews.com/Directory/Recycling/)
• Directory:Waste to Energy

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