"Our partnership with Johnson Controls is a tremendous step forward and is an opportunity for us to work with the global leader in automotive battery manufacturing and responsible recycling," said Dr. Stephen Clarke, chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals. "We will build on this exciting relationship in order to enable clean and efficient battery recycling around the world."
The U.S. Senate voted 54-45 on Feb. 2 to kill it via the Congressional Review Act, a measure dating to 1996 that allows Congress to vote to eliminate a recently enacted federal regulation. In this case, the rule requires coal companies to clean up waste from mountaintop removal mining and prevent it from going into local waterways.
The REMADE Institute will focus on driving down the cost of technologies needed to reuse, recycle, and remanufacture materials such as metals, fibers, polymers, and electronic waste. It aims to achieve a 50 percent improvement in overall energy efficiency by 2027.
Waste Management recycled and composted more than 14 million tons of materials from the waste stream in 2015 and operated more than 5,100 natural gas-fueled vehicles.
The company says these efforts are core parts of its Global Environmental Challenge 2050, a set of six challenges that ultimately will create a net positive impact on the planet.
"Protecting the environment is something that Microsoft and our employees believe in strongly. We are grateful for this recognition by GBCI and look forward to building on our work to reduce waste at our Redmond headquarters," said Susan Wagner, senior director of Microsoft Real Estate & Facilities.
RightCycle removes gloves, masks, garments, shoe covers, and other apparel accessories from the waste stream and turns them into plastic pellets that are then used to create eco-responsible consumer products and durable goods.
Tacoma searched for years to find an identity. While the search continued, the city found out who it was not by tearing down what it used to be, but by restoring, reclaiming, and reutilizing what was there already. The result is a city becoming a leader at cleaning and reusing.
- By Dan Putnam
- July 14, 2016
"We are extremely pleased to be able to call our new world headquarters a truly global leader in sustainability," said Rob DeMartini, New Balance's president and CEO.
If entry mats help keep hard-surface floors and carpets cleaner, longer, then it can be assumed that not only are fewer cleaning solutions needed, but there is also less need for heavier cleaning equipment such as floor machines and carpet extractors.
- By Adam Strizzi
- May 11, 2016
Employees need a leader who integrates sustainable solutions into the company's mindset, focus, and strategy and every-day culture with consistent, coherent actions. Staff members want to work for a leader with a personal commitment to making the company eco-friendly.
It's possible that cars on the road today are being powered by the same materials that were in a battery used in a vehicle from decades ago. In fact, lead used in a battery in the United States will continue in the manufacture-recycle-manufacture loop for nearly 280 years.
- By Ray Shemanski
- April 22, 2016
The 2015 Solid Waste Rule is more stringent than the earlier versions of the Rule, and EPA is requiring authorized states to modify their programs in order to comply with the 2015 Sold Waste Rule.
- By William J. Anaya
- March 11, 2016
"As food rots in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. At the same time, one in six Americans lack access to the nutrition they need to live an active, healthy life," according to EPA.
Linked to earthquakes, water contamination, and general pollution, fracking becomes more controversial by the day. Meanwhile, 13,000 new wells are being drilled every year. There have been over a thousand documented cases of water contamination next to areas of gas drilling—cases of sensory, respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological damage. From the water we drink to the ground beneath our feet, is it too late to ask, “What gives?”
- By Julia Troute
- July 23, 2015
A new report by the ACEEE places Boston as the most energy efficient city, with New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, and Seattle closing up the top five efficient cities.
"With our customers' environmental expertise, plus funding, PIG products, and leadership, we believe this program can make measurable improvements in communities around the country," said Doug LaPlante, New Pig's vice president, Strategy.
This is one of the world's largest programs for recycling harmful household products. The New York City Department of Sanitation administers the program.
The thing about repurposed materials being used in place of new products and machines is that they are much cheaper but no less effective.
- By Aubrey Rhoadarmer
- February 20, 2015
The Elektra European Electronics Industry 2014 Environmental Award went to ENVIRON's Environmental Compliance 4 Products, a web-based system that companies use to ensure their compliance with the EU's waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, batteries and packaging.