How to save 181,000 trees and pay bills at the same time
Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by admin.
You probably don’t think of “saving green” when paying the bills, but a study conducted by the PayItGreen Alliance, a coalition of financial service companies, shows that switching from paper to electronic bills, statements and payments could help protect the environment.
According to the study, the average American household receives 19 bills and financial statements in the mail every month and makes seven payments in paper form. Here’s the impact on the environment if just 2% more households made the switch to electronic bills and payments:
More than 15 million pounds of paper would be saved, preserving more than 181,000 trees.
Emissions of more than 390 million pounds of greenhouse gases would be halted.
More than 143 million gallons of wastewater would be prevented from entering the environment.
To find out the impact your household could make, use the “Green Calculator” at payitgreen.org.
Source: Vicki Kriz , USA Today
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PepsiCo Opens Green Beverage Plant in China
Posted on 29. Jun, 2009 by admin.
CHONGQING, CN — PepsiCo opened a new manufacturing plant in China specifically designed to be more environmentally friendly than conventional company facilities.
The company expects the plant, located in western China in the city of Chongqing, will use 22 percent less water and 23 percent less energy than other PepsiCo plants in the country. The company predicts the annual savings will total 100,000 tons of water, four million kilowatt hours of energy, and 3,100 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
It was built to meet LEED standards with 35 water and energy saving features. For example, it sports water saving fixtures, waterless lubricant for conveyor belts, a high-pressure cleaning system, while recycled water is used for landscaping
A green roof covers the facility, which also enjoys natural lighting in 75 percent of its indoor areas, along with a skylight in the warehouse and packing area. An environmental management system measures water and energy use on every piece of equipment and production line in real time, PepsiCo said.
PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi at the new facility in Chongqing, China Image courtesy of PepsiCo
The company called the facility China’s first green beverage plant, and is the first of five new facilities planned for the next two years. PepsiCo has committed to investing $1 billion in China, which is the company’s fastest-growing market and largest market outside the United States.
In the U.S., General Electric will receive $60 million in incentives over 12 years for a new manufacturing plant in Michigan that will produce renewable energy, aircraft engine, and gas turbine products, in addition to serving as a software development hub for advanced technologies, such as the smart grid. The $100 million research and development facility is expected to employ more than 1,100 workers.
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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
