Saturday, November 26, 2011

Recycling opportunity for quality, used children's clothing


It’s time for another clothing drive to help children in Palestine and the refugee camps in Jordan.  This time, there will be two drives to make it easier for people living on one side of Melbourne’s great metropolitan sprawl to the other.  People wanting to donate from interstate should contact Moammar Mashni   at <info@olivekids.org.au>  or on his mobile 0419 999 773.

So many people have been generous since Olive Kids began this initiative and we hope that as our festive season draws closer, you will also remember how little joy Palestinian children have in their lives and that even the smallest gift can light up those sad faces.  Please consider giving a NEW toy along with any used clothing, or even separately.  They may well bring much comfort to those children in Gaza who are still suffering from the terrifying sounds and effects of Israel’s aerial attacks and artillery fire that continue spasmodically without so much as a mention in our media. 

Sonja Karkar
Editor
http://australiansforpalestine.com

~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Ford Australia: Doing its bit and sending a strong and positive message


The paint sludge from Ford’s Broadmeadows plant is being used by Dandenong-based waste specialist Geocycle, which uses the sludge as an alternative source of fuel in its cement making process.

Geocycle has recycled around 10 tonnes of paint sludge each month since the program commenced in August.

Paint sludge is a by-product of the vehicle painting process at the Broadmeadows assembly plant. Before the Geocycle partnership was formed, Ford sent all the sludge offsite for processing and disposal in landfill.

Ford Australia says it will halve the amount of sludge it sends to landfill when the recycling program is fully implemented. Australia’s second-largest vehicle manufacturer currently recycles 56 per cent of the solid waste produced at its Broadmeadows facility.

Ford Australia president and CEO Bob Graziano explained the Geocycle program was another environmental initiative by Ford, following last year’s $20 million upgrade of the Geelong Iron Casting Plant to make it more efficient.

“Ford around the world is committed to initiatives aimed at providing a better environment for consumers,” Mr Graziano said.
“Ford Australia is part of that process and we continue to seek out solutions with companies like Geocycle to minimise our impact on the environment.”

Ford's efforts at the Geelong Iron Casting Plant deserve a very honourable mention on the sustainability and recycling front.  Here's what they are doing:

• An electricity efficiency gain of more than 5,100 kW hours a day, obtained by reducing furnace idle times;

• Increased use of recycled stormwater to 77,000 litres a week, or 3.7 million litres a year – around 20 per cent of all water used at the Plant will be from recycled stormwater, up from the current 5 per cent;

• Increased use of recycled shredded metal, increasing from 32 per cent to 70 per cent – 67 tonnes of metal a day will be recycled, or almost 15,000 tonnes a year; and

• Sand reclamation to increase to almost 100 per cent by selling around 138 tonnes of surplus sand each week for cement production, reducing sand landfill requirements to zero.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Acquisition and Disposal: the twin peaks of waste, dumping and disposal


This is the BIG QUESTION!
Has your local council satisfactorily resolved 
the Hard Rubbish/Hard Waste on the Footpath issue, yet?


Yarra City Council is home to many environmentally conscious citizens and they display this consciousness with some success at the ballot box. I am sure the Council would consider itself pro-active.

Generally speaking, Councils - and I can only speak from my Melbourne experience - have gone from something like twice-yearly general hard waste collections - put it on the footpath and they will come, between the stipulated dates. - to a "book it, put it on the footpath with a sticker, between the stipulated dates" system.  Councils have gone from a general zonal system to an individualised site specific system complete with mailout and printed sticker



I'm not sure how Councils expect this way of doing things to be cheaper and effective -
and there's a Councillor at Yarra who says it's certainly not cheaper.


To be fair, Councils are between a rock and a hard place on this issue....
  1. It makes sense to give householders regular opportunities to relieve themselves of large items of waste.  No system at all means back to the bad old days and ways - fridges in creeks, mattresses under bridges and so on.
  2. Under the zonal general pick-up system, Councils believed gleaners were an issue leaving footpaths messier than just the original site.
  3. Councils believed gleaners should be deterred and brought in new laws accordingly. Word soon spread (on my advice not justifiable in law) that once hard waste is on the footpath it is then Council property and for gleaners to remove it means that they are stealing and major fines are attached!
Here let me declare my interest.  Miss Eagle is a gleaner and there are few circumstances in which she doesn't glean.  In the long, long ago, before Councils had heard of hard waste on footpaths, I would seek out auction sales, garage sales, second hand shops.  In fact, my first port of call is the hard rubbish on the footpath.  I do admit once that 'Booked' sign goes up, I really do think twice about taking stuff. Some householders are getting too clever by half and tie up items for disposal with rope in such an in-and-out zig-zaggy way that it can be a bit difficult to remove a likely piece.

There are the householders at the other end of the continuum.  They put out big mobs of stuff on the footpath, don't put a 'Booked' sticker on it - or may long after the event. There it is open to everyone and open to rain, hail or shine. Perhaps they think they are being generous to gleaners - and that may be. 

However, all rubbish is not equal. 
Some is grotty, horrible stuff which should be in plastic bags in a rubbish bin.

The reason this blog came into existence is because I am thoroughly cheesed off by what I have seen in my gleaning.  As I have already said, grot is put out which should be in a plastic bag and put in the standard rubbish pick up.  Some is recyclable and could go in the blue (or whatever your recycling colour is) bin.  Above all, so many in my neighbourhood are only five minutes or less away from the Salvos and Vinnies and don't seem to be bothered to take appropriate stuff there.

I don't want to appear an ungrateful gleaner but a few facts have to be remembered at the gleaning end:
  1. Just as all rubbish is not equal, all gleaners are not.
  2. Some gleaners break and pull things apart and generally make a mess as they fossick and glean.
  3. Some, like me, are the opposite. We try to place things back as they were. We deliberately set out NOT to make a mess.
  4. Where the householder is around, permission is asked.
  5. People glean for different things. I once met a man with a ute and a disability collecting metal to sell to a scrap-metal dealer.  This was to eke out his disability pension.  I glean houshold and gardening items.  I have been renovating furniture for forty years.  I have a good eye for making useful, even beautiful, what others reject.  This gift has been passed on to my children and my daughter has passed it on to her partner.  What I seek the metal collector will pass by and vice versa.
  6. There are professionals. My daughter met last year the owner of a well-known antique shop in a well-heeled suburb as he was gleaning too. He explained that the second hand section accessed by a separate entrance at the rear of the antique shop had seen his business through many a lean year.  And why not? Small business faces continual pressures and hardships that Wall Street and Reserve Banks don't recognize nor do they understand.   
So how does all this get sorted out?

Firstly, we have to realise that rubbish will always be with us and will never be entirely eliminated. Aboriginal midden heaps of great antiquity are still with us and some are  protected by government.
Secondly, we have to realise that gleaners will always be with us and will never be entirely eliminated. I jokingly say that we gleaners are the third oldest profession - after the first two unmentionable ones. We are mentioned in the bible
It is suggested that most gleaners are women. I would modify this statement because in very poor populations across the word, the gleaners are often children.
So we have two irresistible forces. We have rubbish - far too much of it.  We have gleaners - but probably not in sufficient numbers to spirit the waste off Melbourne's footpaths.

We have health factors to consider.

I think that, to deal effectively and cheaply with disposal of rubbish, we have to focus on the diminution of rubbish and waste.  We are already making inroads at the household level so that we can say with a degree of certainty that there is a good level of understanding about recycling.  This comes at the disposal end.  What we lack is a satisfactory level of understanding about acquisition.  

Acquisition is a behaviour that dares not speak its name.
Acquisition provides a lot of business.
Acquisition provides a lot of jobs.

Public education programs are needed so that people consider acquisition and its impact. 
 More stuff,more storage, more storage, more outgoings, 
more outgoings, more credit, more credit more interest, 
more interest less savings, less savings less superannuation....
PLEASE CONSIDER!


Saturday, November 19, 2011

A reminder from @helishingly: re-use your coffee cups



@helishingly tweeted this to-day.
It is a reminder to only use re-usable cups
and ref-use the disposable ones.
The link above goes to the Green Solar Group
so if you don't know quite where to go
please give them a buzz.
And, by the way, if you have a good publishable photo
of The Greens' re-usable coffee cup @helishingly mentions,
please send me a picture to
misseaglesnetwork(at)gmail(dot)com

Commonwealth Product Stewardship: corporates: resource recovery from E-waste



11/17/2011 | 08:20 pm

Enter MOU to acquire an 

E-waste recycling company

17 November 2011
ANNOUNCEMENT HydroMet enters MOU to Acquire an E-waste Recycling Company An Emerging Market in the Waste Management Industry

The Board of HydroMet Corporation is pleased to announce that, as part of its diversification and expansion plan, the company has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with a rapidly growing E-waste recycling company, PGM Refiners Pty Ltd, to take a controlling stake via a new share placement which would be funded by HMC from internal resources.

PGM is an Australian based company with a newly upgraded processing facility in Dandenong, Victoria and has plans for expansion into other states. The company expects that with the recently passed Commonwealth Product Stewardship specifically designed to increase E-waste recycling rates, reduce E-waste from landfill and reduce illegal exports, there will be substantial quantities of E-waste requiring to be recycled by companies such as PGM.

PGM has designed and developed its own technology to recover valuable commodities such as aluminium, copper, steel, plastics and precious metals from electronic waste. It also separates and upgrades the television glass fraction (CRT) which predominantly contains lead to be sent for lead recovery by lead smelters. It is expected the above acquisition should increase the combined processing capability of both Hydromet and PGM and along with downstream processing will offer an enhanced one stop solution to the growing E-waste problem in Australia. The senior members of PGM's management team should offer further resources and strength to the overall growth of Hydromet in the future.

On completion of the final agreement, this acquisition is subject to the approval of PGM shareholders and, as Dr Lakshman Jayaweera, Chairman of Hydromet, and his son Mr Karvan Jayaweera have interests in and are directors of PGM, approval of this transaction by Hydromet shareholders is also required under the Corporations Act. The Hydromet shareholders meeting to approve this transaction should take place in February 2012.

For further information:
Gregory Wrightson
Managing Director
02 4271 1822
Lot 3, Five Islands Road, Unanderra NSW 2526 Australia
PO Box 42, Unanderra NSW 2526 Australia
Telephone: +61 2 4271 1822 Facsimile: +61 2 4271 6151
Website: www.hydromet.com.au email: office@hydromet.com.au

Press release transmitted by noodls

The cans and can'ts of recycling and resource recovery


Bin it properly, there's no time to waste

Waste transfer recycling station manager Mick Pombert at Chullora. Picture: SIMON BULLARD
Waste transfer recycling station manager Mick Pombert at Chullora. Picture: SIMON BULLARD
MANY OF us have stood bleary eyed over the recycling bin first thing in the morning pondering whether that thing in our hand is rubbish or recycling.
But have you ever wondered where it all goes after the decision is made?
Well, the answer is probably somewhere like Chullora Resource Facility.
The 13.5ha site, run by waste management company SITA, takes in refuse and recycling from across Sydney and operates in much the same way as the sites used by Woollahra Council in Alexandria and Rockdale.
Despite being one of the city’s smaller sites, Chullora still deals with between 600 and 800 tonnes of waste and recycling each day.
Much of the sorting is done by machines, which predominantly use weight to distinguish between different materials, but the human touch is still needed to pick out the waste and to do some of the sorting.
For example, green, brown and clear glass are separated by hand so they can be recycled effectively.
Woollahra Council waste projects co-ordinator Pamela Mina explained that the commercial success of these operations proved Sydney residents were really getting the message about recycling.
“Our community is really good at recycling,” she said.
“We’ve got really good recycling rates. I think we have an 80 per cent recovery rate at the moment.
“So people are pulling out and separating 80 per cent of what’s recyclable from their garbage. Awareness and education is a huge focus for us, getting the message out there about what is recyclable.
“We hold a lot of workshops for residents, so they are able to actually go out there and actively participate in waste minimisation.”
RECYCLING RULES
* All hard plastics can now be recycled; you no longer need to pay attention to the numbers or symbols on packaging.
* Soft plastics, such as bubble wrap, should not go in recycling bins.
* The parts of pizza boxes that have food on them cannot be recycled but the clean areas can.
* Items smaller than a 50 cent coin are almost impossible to recycle effectively; consider this when deciding what to do with bottle tops.
* Plastic bags can’t currently be recycled and anything you put in a plastic bag, even if it’s in the recycling bin, will go into landfill.
* Bottles and jars are the only type of glass that you should recycle. Drinking glass, window glass or other types have a different melting temperature.
The article above was so informative that I had to reprint it.

The Activists - and stuff

Have just discovered an interesting site - The Activists.  
Some interesting artwork as indicated by this below.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Pees! Poos! Three Cheers for Loos! To-morrow is World Toilet Day


Water for People

SEND AN E-CARD FOR WORLD TOILET DAY, NOV. 19
World Toilet Day is one of our favorite holidays, and it is this Saturday. 
With 2.6 Billion people in the world lacking a toilet, World Toilet Day 
helps to raise awareness and also gets us all thinking about innovative ways 
to tackle the problem.
At Water For People for example, we are working with local entrepreneurs 
in Cuchumuela, Bolivia to support urine-diverting toilets, not as a giveaway, 
but as a long-term business idea. Here’s why it’s working: The area’s 
Monterrey pines are a perfect home for a mushroom called a bolete. This 
isn’t just any mushroom — a family in Cuchumuela can earn about $800 (US)
 per year from mushroom sales. 
More mushrooms require more pines. And pines thrive off of fertilizer from 
urine-diverting toilets. Now there’s demand for the toilets and income revenue 
to boot!
Help spread the word about World Toilet Day and send a great E-card. 
Send up to 19 at a time and remind everyone about this important day.

So let's hear it: Pees! Poos! Three Cheers for Loos!


TWO HUGE SUCCESSES POWERED BY YOU
We just tallied the numbers for the Donate to Drink $2 Million Challenge
where several generous donors put up $1 Million of their money and challenged
 you, our supporters to raise the other million. We're thrilled to announce that you
 made this a HUGE success. All together, you raised $2.3 Million!
And here's the impact of your donation. This month, we announced that 
Everyone in Chinda, Honduras has safe water. 
This isn't the end of our work in Chinda, but rather the beginning. Every family, 
school and clinic has safe water, but now the challenge is to ensure that it lasts 
forever. And just like you, the community, the local government and the private sector — WE'RE ALL IN.
Watch the new video to see how Everyone came together to make a 
difference for every person in Chinda.
Happy World Toilet Day from all of us at Water For People!


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Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Plastic Spoon - why we would manufacture yet another one instead of washing one


More Moves on Taiwan Trash


EPA drafts new law to boost recycling

EPA drafts new law to boost recyclingA pile of cans is ready for processing at a New Taipei City waste recycling depot. (Photo: Chang Su-ching)
The Environmental Protection Administration is drafting a new law on recycling, mapping out a 10-year policy to treat waste products as resources and simultaneously reduce waste, officials said Nov. 15.
According to the EPA, the law will combine the existing Waste Disposal Act and Resources Recycling Act. The move comes partly in response to a proposed amendment highlighted at the Conference of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which wrapped up in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, Oct. 21.
Lai Ying-ying, deputy director of the EPA’s Department of Waste Disposal, said the Basel Convention, an international treaty designed to reduce the movement of hazardous waste between nations, came into effect in 1992 with 178 signatories.
With the transport of toxic wastes increasing in severity, a revision to the convention, known as the Ban Amendment, has been introduced to prohibit all exports of hazardous wastes, including old electronics, obsolete ships, discarded computers and mobile phones, from developed countries to less developed ones. International nongovernmental organizations expect the ban to come into force within two to three years when sufficient numbers of parties to the convention ratify it.
Although Taiwan is not a party to the United Nations treaty, the Ban Amendment is expected to impact the private sector and challenge the government as the convention involves importing and exporting countries as well as countries of transit.
“Both government and corporations will have to play a greater role and prepare an early response,” Lai said.
As of August, recycling rates for Taiwan’s industrial waste and household garbage had reached 80 percent and 50 percent, respectively, according to the EPA. While these figures represent significant progress, the amount of recycling and the scope of materials covered must be increased, Lai said, adding that heavier penalties for knowing violators are also needed. (PCT-THN)

Rainbow Hands: Purchase Christmas Cakes, Shortbreads, and Gift Hampers - all for a good cause


E-Waste Recycling


Australia's Leading E-Waste Recycling Partnership Established




Industry funded, competitive and environmentally focused
The National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme received an unprecedented boost with the announcement a new industry-led partnership.

The ANZRP (Australian and New Zealand Recycling Platform), in association with Infoactiv Group have launched a unique partnership to build and implement the industry-leading model for recycling end-of-life (EoL) TVs and computers.

The service will be rolled out across Australia commencing early 2012, and will be free of charge to the public at designated collection points.

ANZRP will be seeking early approval from the Australian Government to become an Arrangement Administrator under the Product Stewardship Act and subordinate regulations.

The proposed Arrangement and ‘product stewardship organisation’ will be open to all liable parties under the regulations. It will represent a robust and competitive approach while also aiming to be the most environmentally sound ewaste service in Australia.

The PSO welcomes all liable parties to make contact and be part of the industry-leading solution.

Comprising manufacturers, brands and importers of computer and TV equipment, the ANZRP will be the authoritative voice of industry and ensure that community expectations and environmental outcomes are firmly placed at the centre of a national ewaste recycling service.

As Australia’s leading ewaste management and logistics firm, Infoactiv Group will manage and deliver all operational aspects of the service, from collection and transport through to equipment disassembly, recycling and community education. Infoactiv will also coordinate designated collection sites and community recycling events across metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.

The formal collaboration between ANZRP and Infoactiv will translate into a truly national service. In practical terms, this means that the public will benefit from a user-friendly recycling program that is underpinned by strong environmental, health and safety requirements.

Infoactiv Group has extensive Australian and international experience in operating successful ewaste collection and recycling programs for IT equipment, consumer electronics and mobile phones. Their current experience in Australia is unmatched and already diverts thousands of tonnes of ewaste from landfills.

The announcement during National Recycling Week underscores the computer and consumer electronics industry’s commitment to building a successful ewaste-recycling scheme that is national, community oriented and environmentally sound.

This unique partnership is exceptionally good news for the community, the environment and liable parties wanting to be part of the industry-leading computer and TV recycling program.

Liable parties, manufacturers, brands and interested stakeholders are encouraged to make contact with ANZRP or Infoactiv Group.:

Helen Jarman – Managing Director, Infoactiv Group, Mobile: 0410 555 671
Carmel Dollisson – General Manager, Australian & New Zealand Recycling Platform, Mobile: 0418 360 057

Further Reading:

Taiwan Trash becomes a treasure: this building is a marvel

My friend Junitta has sent me this beauty:



Brain Pickings and objects upcycled to furniture



This is one of my favourite websites.  It is a veritable treasure trove.  I follow on Twitter so get lots of links everyday.  Design is a major emphasis of the site and I just had to show these designs.  So imaginative.


Brain Pickings

@brainpickings www
This is the Brain Pickings bot – daily blog posts, automated. For the real thing, follow 

A toy exchange for Christmas? Find out how


Perhaps another thing that could be included in the Sustainable Festive Calendar
 could be a Toy Exchange.  
Don't know how to organise one?  

Christmas is coming: sustainable celebrations and festivities


Christmas is really not so far away.
To plan a sustainable, green, and waste minimised Festive Season
takes some forethought.
You see, we are not yet getting it right yet.
Our minds aren't yet in the right place .
Here are some sites 
where you will find some help 
in getting your mind in the right frame.

Environment Victoria has a festive guide full of suggestions about
Decorations
Green Gifts
Cards and wrapping - and
Food, glorious food

Over at eartheasy, the site is jam-packed with ideas.
Among all their ideas,
you will find suggestions for how to lower the impact of Christmas lighting
and suggestions for alternatives to wrapping paper.

Download this checklist below



Even that much esteemed Australian organisation, CSIRO,
has chipped in with some advice which you can find here.

Last - but by no means least - the new kids on the block, Green Renters,
are there to help and encourage.


Join Green Renters for a festive celebration and workshop on Dec 15th
Topics include:
Green entertaining and parties
Sustainable drinks
Decorations
Gift giving the green way
Dealing with non-green relatives
And of course, 

how to cook an environmentally friendly Christmas lunch!


It'll be an evening of cheer with some musical entertainment, 
food and drink and a very special visitor....
this event is made possible by a grant from the City of Melbourne.
December 15th, 6 - 8pm
Ross House Association, Ground Floor
247 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
$5 adults, $2.50 children
Price includes one drink and nibbles, with more available to keep the festivities flowing for a donation
In addition to this special festive event, Green Renters has dozens of other workshops happening between now and the end of the year, so make sure you visit www.greenrenters.org/workshops for up to date listings. As well, Green Renters is a purveyor of gifts and goodies, too
Upcycled Festive gifts
Green Renters has a fun and affordable range of handmade, upcycled gifts for the festive season, perfect for you, your family, friends or colleagues including wallets, brooches, badges and decorations, lovingly re purposed for a second lease of life.
Find the entire range here and remember, every cent helps support Green Renters activities.

So, Garage Salers, put thinking caps on now and get out the planning notebooks (the ones with recycled paper) and have a thoughtful, sustainable, green Festive Season.
Do you think Rolf should change the words to his famous Christmas song and make it Six Green Boomers?