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Digital TV Transition May Create Tons of E-Waste
Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by admin.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The long-awaited digital TV transition began today, leaving millions of Americans without a signal unless they secured a set-top converter box.
Many will replace their older analog TVs with new flashier models, creating a mountain of e-waste that some TV manufacturers are ill equipped to recycle. Some estimate one in four households will throw out a TV this year, which could mean millions of TVs ending up in landfills.
That makes environmental groups worry.
“With the upcoming digital TV conversion looming before us, many people don’t know where to take their old TVs,” Barbara Kyle, Electronics TakeBack Coalition National Coordinator, said in a statement this week. “There are some responsible manufactures and retailers who offer takeback programs, but unfortunately not all — including market leader Vizio.”
Kyle called out Vizio and others in its second TV Company Recycling Report Card released Wednesday. Most manufacturers increased their scores compared to the rankings of the first scorecard published in November.
Read entire article at GreenBiz.com
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In with Green Packaging, Out with Convenience
Posted on 12. Jun, 2009 by admin.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Food producers, take note: Forget the easy-to-prepare foods and give consumers items made with fresh ingredients and encased in environmentally friendly packaging.
A new Ipsos Marketing study suggests consumers may be more willing to ditch convenient packaging for greener packaging, while the food itself should include fresh ingredients and deliver health benefits.
Green food packaging has landed in the headlines in recent weeks. Marks & Spencer said in its latest corporate social responsibility report that it reduced food packaging 18 percent and uses salad containers made from recycled PET bottles.
Meanwhile, DuPont honored several companies for innovative food packaging with a green hue in late May. Whole Foods, for example, was touted for its use of Sealed Air’s Renew-A-Pak compostable bakeware made from 100 percent renewable content, while Healthy Choice frozen food trays contain 40 percent post-consumer recycled PET plastic. Bertolli’s microwavable pasta sauce pouches use 70 percent less materials compared to standard glass jars.
Read entire article an GreenBiz.com
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Clean Energy Creates Jobs, Improves Economic Growth
Posted on 12. Jun, 2009 by admin.
OAKLAND, Calif. — For at least the last year and a half, “Green Collar Jobs” has been the buzz term among those in business and policy circles as the answer to rising unemployment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Two recently released reports show that the nation and states such as California can improve economic growth by employing clean energy strategies. In addition, one report states that “business-as-usual” could make California’s economy worse in the long run.
The Pew Charitable Trust released a report on June 10, noting that jobs in the clean energy sector have generated significantly more jobs than the overall economy. And in an unrelated report, released June 9, “Energy Pathways for the California Economy,” (PDF) compiled by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Berkeley presents similar findings. The report by the ARE department was funded by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization, Next 10.
“The clean energy economy is poised for explosive growth,” Lori Grange, who is interim deputy director of the Pew Center on the States, said in a news release. “These jobs are driving economic growth and environmental sustainability at a time when America needs both.”
Read entire article on GreenBiz.com
