Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) Environmental News

An up-close assessment of Walmart's sustainability index

2013-05-21T10:20:23-05:00

Source: GreenBiz, 5/17/13.

Does the retail chain measure up? EDF's Bentonville office weighs in.

AT&T and EDF join forces to develop Water Score Card Guide

2013-05-21T10:13:28-05:00

Source: GreenBiz, 5/20/13.

The tool gives facilities a score for their water management efforts by shedding light on water use and prioritizing opportunities for conservation.

Sustainability and Our Horizontal Infrastructure

2013-05-21T10:12:22-05:00

Source: Governing, 5/20/13.

Green building-rating systems have been around for well over a decade. The best known in the United States is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the certification system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is for the "horizontal infrastructure" world of buildings. But what about "horizontal infrastructure" -- our roads, bridges, railways, landfills, water and wastewater-treatment plants, power-transmission lines, and public spaces in our cities and towns?

IL: 'Biochar' company may bring plant to Kane Co.

2013-05-20T14:45:12-05:00

Source: Daily Herald, 5/16/13.

The burgeoning biochar industry may soon find footing in Kane County as a Michigan-based energy company made an early pitch Thursday to build a local production plant.

Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Launches First Interactive, Online Lighting Design Resource for Homes

2013-05-20T14:12:04-05:00

Source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 5/20/13.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has launched the first interactive website to help homeowners, contractors and builders choose the right light bulbs, fixtures and controls to maximize energy savings, calculate lighting costs and achieve lighting effects to meet a wide range of needs in their homes. It also shows how to design safe, healthy lighting for aging adults.

Conn. Passes First-in-Nation Mattress Recycling Law

2013-05-20T13:50:12-05:00

Source: Environmental Leader, 5/20/13.

Connecticut has passed the nation's first-ever extended producer responsibility (EPR) bill for mattresses that supporters say will save local governments about $1.3 million and increase recycling opportunities for businesses. The law will require mattress manufacturers to finance and manage a mattress collection and recycling program.

European RoHS Enforcement Explained

2013-05-20T11:02:48-05:00

Source: Printed Circuit Design & Fab Magazine, 5/15/13.

A series of workshops next month on compliance with RoHS and other directives will help US companies looking to break into the European market. A trio of trade groups -- ITI, IPC and SEMI -- in June will host UK environmental regulators Steve Andrews from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and Chris Smith and Matthew Bignell from the National Measurement Office for a series of private sector seminars on product policy and compliance. The speakers will provide implementation and enforcement updates on a range of European Union regulatory approaches, including RoHS, WEEE, REACH and the ErP Directives. Other company environmental professionals will discuss sector compliance strategies, and subject exports will cover US, Canadian, Asian and Latin America developments and conflict minerals issues. They will be joined by legal, technical and compliance experts from industry, law firms and consultants. The series will take place June 6 in Round Rock, TX; June 10 in Santa Clara, CA; and June 12 in Schaumburg, IL. One of the featured presenters, Chris Smith, Technical Manager, Enforcement Authority in the UK, spoke with Mike Buetow by phone on May 7.

Wisconsin: 100 million pounds of e-waste recycled

2013-05-20T10:45:29-05:00

Source: Associated Press viaTwin Cities Pioneer Press, 5/13/13.

More than 100 million pounds of electronic waste has been collected in Wisconsin since it began an e-waste recycling program three years ago, state officials said. The Department of Natural Resources program, called E-Cycle Wisconsin, bars the disposal of many consumer electronics in landfills and incinerators. "It definitely adds up when you think about how many electronics we use now and how often we replace them," said Sarah Murray, E-Cycle Wisconsin coordinator. The DNR's latest household survey found that Wisconsin residents own about 7 million televisions, or about three per household. TVs are at the top of the list of electronic waste. More than 24 million pounds of old TVs were collected in Wisconsin in the year ending June 30, 2012. With spring cleaning underway at many households, the DNR is urging residents to take advantage of more than 400 registered collection sites across the state.

Dairy Industry Launches Sustainability Reporting Guide

2013-05-17T14:19:59-05:00

Source: Environmental Leader, 5/17/13.

The Innovation Center for US Dairy has published a guide to help dairy companies and farms measure and report on sustainability.

Scientists develop 'green' pretreatment of miscanthus for biofuel

2013-05-17T13:05:58-05:00

Source: Biomass Magazine, 5/15/13.

Two University of Illinois scientists have developed an environmentally friendly and more economical way of pretreating miscanthus in the biofuel production process.