Archive for June, 2009
Plastic Association Warns Against Degradable Materials
Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by admin.
SONOMA, Calif. — The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) is urging manufacturers of PET resin and products to avoid using additives that make plastic degradable.
PET is widely used in making plastic bottles, containers and other packaging. It is also widely recycled, identifiable by the resin code 1.
As companies investigate more sustainable packaging, some have started using plant-based plastics in place of PET or started using additives that make the PET degradable based on certain conditions.
NAPCOR, the trade organization for the PET packaging industry, is asking companies to stop using additives until more information is gathered on what effect additive-laden plastic could have on recycling streams if that plastic ends up being put in recycling systems instead of being left to degrade.
NAPCOR also wants to see documentation related to degradability claims, more information on what effect degradable additives could have on products made out of recycled PET, and information on what impact the additives have on product lifespan.
“Without the testing and data necessary to understand the potential impacts of degradable additives in PET, it’s not an overstatement to say that they could potentially put the whole PET recycling system at risk,” said NAPCOR Executive Director Dennis Sabourin. “We don’t yet understand the impacts that these additives could have on the quality of the PET recycling stream, let alone the impacts on the safety and functionality over time of next-use PET products like recycled-content PET packaging, carpeting, or strapping.”
NAPCOR is also questioning the use of degradable plastics because when plastic is left to degrade instead of being recycled or remanufactured, the inherent energy in the packaging is lost, and the plastic industry also loses material that could have recycled into new packaging.
In 2007, the U.S. recycled 1.4 billion pounds of postconsumer PET packaging, and some companies have started using bottles and packaging made entirely out of recycled plastic.
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Carbon ‘Pedometer’ Helps Volvo Cut Commute’s Footprint
Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by admin.
STOCKHOLM, SE — Using a mobile phone-based software program has enabled a test group of Volvo employees to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of their daily commute by more than 30 percent.
The company this week unveiled a prototype of their CO2 pedometer project, which Volvo IT developed as part of a collaboration with the city of Göteborg, Sweden, to try and improve the economic and environmental efficiency of the city’s commuting structure.
After registering with a website through the mobile-phone pedometer software, employees were notified about the CO2 footprint of their daily travels. In order to cut their emissions, members of the test group switched their commute schedules, using public transit or bicycles instead of driving.
Volvo’s Carbon Pedometer. carbon pedometer
Volvo also enabled employees who left their cars at home access to an “eco car pool” for making business trips during work hours.
“Our project demonstrates how green IT can show people how they can help to reduce the climate threat and thereby increase their motivation to change their behavior and help to improve the environment,” said Kerstin Hanson from Volvo IT.
The project was part of a collaboration with the city of Göteborg to improve the efficiency of the road networks. The CO2 pedometer technology can be one facet of a technological tool to boost the efficiency of commuting by public transit, and can help those who drive avoid traffic slowdowns, saving energy and reducing emissions.
Last month, GreenBiz.com managing editor Matthew Wheeland visited CITRIS, a research group at the University of California, and learned about technology in development that uses cell phones as traffic-monitoring devices. The simple system lets individuals take part in the crowdsourcing of traffic conditions, and offers a cheaper, faster and more effective alternative to existing traffic monitors.
