Monday, May 7, 2012

The clean green toy that every child wants and appreciates

Sometimes the best toys aren't bought in shops and covered in packaging. 
Sometimes the best toys are found in bins, or are the packaging. 
Do The Green Thing is proud to introduce 
the all-natural, 100% recyclable and totally compostable toy 
that is everywhere and can be everything you want it to be.

Courtesy of maria popova, @brainpicker


Friday, May 4, 2012

When things go wrong #1.... Landfill stinks

Golden Plains Shire
Golden Plains Shire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
City of Ballarat
City of Ballarat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
04 May, 2012 12:01 AM
BALLARAT City Council has enforced a shutdown of its Smythesdale landfill to commercial operators after the first stage of the site’s new cell failed an independent audit.The news came as Golden Plains Shire mayor Geraldine Frantz confirmed that her council was taking steps in response to resident complaints about odour from the landfill. The landfill, which is owned and operated by Ballarat City Council but located within Golden Plains Shire boundaries, will continue to be used for domestic waste but commercial operators have been asked to stop using it.
The news yesterday brought little relief for Smythesdale residents Greg Cartledge and Carol Riley, who say they have been plagued by terrible odours from the landfill for the past two years.
The couple, who have lived 500 metres from the landfill for 20 years, said they had made frequent complaints to the Ballarat and Golden Plains councils and the EPA since the smell started. They want the current cell closed and tapped, arguing it has become too big and too full.
“It’s having a real effect on us, particularly my partner Carol who gets headaches,” Mr Cartledge said. “Who knows what’s in that toxic smell?”
A City of Ballarat spokesperson said testing indicated that recent flooding had caused cell capping washouts at a number of sites, and repair works were being done at the Smythesdale landfill.
Cr Frantz said the shire had re-established the Smythesdale Regional Landfill Monitoring Committee with the City of Ballarat and residents to monitor the landfill more regularly.

Further reading:

Ballarat council to vote on $5000 spend for Swedish bioenergy conference

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Thursday, May 3, 2012

CANBERRA E-WASTE RECYCLING SCHEME DUE TO START 15 MAY 2012


GOOD NEWS OUT OF CANBERRA VIA COMPUTER WORLD
Canberra will be the first jurisdiction to dispose unwanted electronics under the incoming national e-waste recycling scheme.
Under the industry-run and -funded National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, to be launched mid-2012, DHL Supply Chain — a government-approved administrator — will provide free pick-up of computers, hard drives, keyboards, printers and televisions from 15 May 2012.
The service will operate from Mugga Lane and Mitchell transfer stations in ACT seven days a week.
A spokesperson for the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities told Computerworld Australia that fellow administrators, the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform and E-Cycle Solutions will be required to provide recycling services to the ACT by the end of 2013.
The scheme aims to curb the increasing dumping of electronic waste in Australian landfills — expected to hit 181,000 tonnes by 2028 from 106,000 tonnes in 2008 — and boost the recycling rate for TVs and computers from 17 per cent in 2010 to 80 per cent by 2021.
It is also looking at reducing human and environmental exposure to hazardous e-waste materials such as bromine, lead, mercury and zinc, as well as meeting a material recovery of 90 per cent by 2015.
The scheme was established under the Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulations 2011 legislation and is to be amended to align the products and product codes with the revised product codes used in import declarations.
An exposure draft of the Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Amendment Regulation 2012 has been released for public comment until 17 May 2012.
The scheme is to be rolled out across the country by 31 December 2013.
Follow Diana Nguyen on Twitter: @diananguyen9
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU

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