Evian and Volvic prove their green credentials
Danone, the producer of Evian and Volvic, is tackling critics from environmental groups with a plan to recycle as many plastic water bottles as it uses in the UK. The aim is to increase use of recycled PET (plastic used in water bottles) from 10,000 to 40,000 tonnes by 2012. Danone wants its bottles to be made from 50% recycled plastic – or more if technical difficulties can be overcome – within the next few years. The company, who made the announcement on February 11, claim the WRAP endorsed scheme will be the UK’s first ever true “closed loop” plastics recycling initiative Contact: Danone www.danone.co.uk
Steelcase helps companies donate old furniture
Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer, and the Institution Recycling Network (IRN) have joined forces to help organizations find environmentally responsible solutions for their unneeded office furniture. Through Steelcase’s Environmental Partnership Program, they are matching previously owned office furniture with non-profit organizations around the world. When Notre Dame moved its Law School in January, the university donated 1600 pieces of furniture to Food for the Poor, a charitable organization in Jamaica and Haiti. Typical recipients include US cities damaged by natural disasters and developing communities who use the furniture to build schools, clinics and businesses. Contact: Steelcase www.steelcase.com
UK recyclables in demand in China
Greater demand from China is helping to increase prices for recyclable materials from the UK, according to research by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme), released on February 11. Overseas buyers have helped to push prices of recyclable materials up by £15 a tonne for cardboard, by £10 a tonne for mixed papers and by £5 per tonne for steel. WRAP’s Director of Market Development, Marcus Gover said ‘our research shows export demand returning in recent weeks from Europe, India and especially China where the Chinese New Year break appears to have had no impact on the steady market progress. Lower freight charges and fuel costs, as well as the weak pound have also helped to boost overseas markets.’ Contact: WRAP www.wrap.org.uk
US and Canada reform waste management
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a movement to improve product design by altering the financing paradigm for recycling and waste disposal, is picking up steam as California, Oregon and Canada have recently introduced framework EPR legislation. Also known as product stewardship, EPR essentially attempts to incorporate product lifestyle impacts into pricing, including paying for what happens after a consumer is done with the product. On February 18, the Canada-wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility was released for public comment by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s Extended Producer Responsibility Task Group. Meanwhile, on February 12, the California Product Stewardship Act was introduced and on February 26, an Oregon House Bill was introduced by the House Environment and Water Committee. Contact: Product Policy Institute www.productpolicy.org Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment www.ccme.ca
HP to tackle electronic waste in Africa
On February 17, HP together with the Global Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) unveiled the first results of a pilot project to tackle the problem of electronic waste (e-waste) in Africa. This initiative was carried out in South Africa, Morocco and Kenya and has allowed HP to gather information on how African governments, organisations and society are dealing with the rising problem of e-waste management, as well as test solutions on the way forward. The information and experience gathered in this project, which also included contributions from local organisations and NGOs, will support the launch of the second phase of the project, which aims at engaging corporate and government partners to further extend e-waste management programmes to other countries and tackle the problem of e-waste in the entire continent. Contact: HP www.hp.com
Dell adds 6 states to free computer recycling program
Dell and Goodwill Industries are extending their five-year recycling partnership to six additional states – Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont. The expansion is partially a response to Dell research, released on February 13, which showed that almost 80% of would-be recyclers believed there was value left in the technology they were donating. So far, the partnership has collected about 50 million pounds of technology equipment. Dell has also launched Dell Exchange, a free online trade-in system that offers customers gift cards in exchange for their unwanted electronics. The exchange even offers an option to wipe confidential information off systems before donation, for a $15 service fee. Contact: Dell www.dell.com
Comment
This February has seen, if not a flurry of activity, at least some very promising developments across the pond regarding the future of waste management. It seems the Canadians and some Americans are ahead of the game when it comes to this exciting thing called ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’.
In England, according to Defra, 27% of household waste is recycled. This might sound good compared to the 7% which was recycled back in 1997, but it is still a rather paltry figure. Apparently there are huge differences in local authority performance figures when it comes to recycling, which surely surprises no one. We are all familiar with the battle over alternate weekly collections (AWCs), and hygiene implications associated with only picking up non-recyclable waste once a fortnight. Some wheelie bins in Europe and North America carry microchips, which can determine the amount of non recyclable waste a household produces, and then charge them for it.
However, there are those who would argue that all this rubbish bin obsessing is missing the point. The focus of the debate is now moving towards harnessing the power of corporations, not only to carefully consider the amount of waste they are ultimately going to produce, but also to be financially or physically responsible for such products after their useful life. This is exactly what the Canadian Extended Producer Responsibility Task Group is suggesting, with its report; ‘Towards a proposed Canada-wide action Plan for extended producer responsibility’, submitted for a 90 day consultation period ending May 29, 2009.
In the UK, Defra call it ‘producer responsibility’ and the concept underlies the approach taken in implementing the EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste in the UK and in both the EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directives. However, European legislation, transposed in UK law, only covers packaging, end of life vehicles, waste electrical equipment and batteries. We have to do better than that. Necessity is the mother of invention, and if anyone can find a way to tackle the waste problem, it is the corporations. The time is over for burying our heads (and all our rubbish) in the sand. Resources are running out, and current levels of consumption are unsustainable. In the same way that a company’s CR strategy needs to be planned holistically – the design, production and disposal of products also needs to be planned holistically – with the longer term picture always in mind.
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