Sustainability


South Dakota Awards $22.3M for Environmental Projects

The funds will go toward improving water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure as well as watershed, landfill, and recycling projects.

Burning trash in the backyard is illegal in many states.

Wisconsin DNR Reminds Residents of Trash Burning Rules

The state agency says that burning trash and landfilling or burning recyclable materials are prohibited by state law.

Earth911 Joins Consortium, Looks to Standardize Recyclability Reporting

A major focus of the consortium is to develop Sustainability Measurement and Reporting Standards that will define, for a particular product type, what product manufacturers should measure, how to measure it, and how to report it to a common database.

Sunoco Tops List of Greenest Overall Oil Company

Greenopia, an online directory for green, sustainable, and socially conscious purchase decisions, has updated its oil company sustainability guide.

U.S. Automakers to Win Profits under Higher Mileage Standards

Two reports from Citi and Ceres predict U.S. car manufacturers will see greater sales than their global competitors.

Who's Doing What?

Here's a snapshot of personnel moves, recognition, contracts awards, partnerships, and new company names that were announced in March.

Zhong Lin Wang and a nanogenerator

Georgia Tech Puts the Squeeze on Nano Power

In three to five years, environmental professionals could be using nanogenerators as a power source for sensors used in infrastructure monitoring, according to researchers.

Carbon Dating Analysis Finds Some Consumer Products Not So Green

The study led by a Seventh Generation chemist shows that manufacturers who desire to use less petroleum-derived carbon can incorporate radiocarbon dating per ASTM D6866-10 to verify the content of raw materials and finished products.



Synagro CEO Stepped into Sludge Tank on 'Undercover Boss'

Bill Massa also worked alongside a centrifuge operator to separate water from solids and helped dredge and clean a lagoon for the television program.

Recycling Facility Joins Cal/OSHA SHARP Program

"There are just over 1 million employers in California and of those, only 42 are current SHARP recipients," said Cal/OSHA Area Manager Kelly Howard.

Lighter Weight Plant Fibers May be Used for Vehicle Plastics

Although the process is costly, researchers from Brazil said it takes just one pound of nano-cellulose to produce 100 pounds of super-strong, lightweight plastic.

Microwave Method Converts Used Motor Oil into Fuel

Researchers at the U.K.'s Cambridge University mixed samples of waste oil with a highly microwave-absorbent material and then heated the mixture to convert nearly 90 percent of the samples into fuel.

The Cambrian Center

ARRA Funds Green Retrofit for HUD Facility

Salas O'Brien will engineer a cool roof and use fuel cells to save energy at the Cambrian Center near the Los Gatos-San Jose border.

Researchers Transform Bone Meal Waste into Partly Biodegradable Plastic

Clemson University study used meat and bone meal, which has been discarded due to Mad Cow Disease concerns, to make petroleum-free bioplastics.

LA Middle School Adopts Nation's First Environmental Curriculum

Stella Middle Charter Academy will implement environment-based education in science and history/social science from California's Education and Environment Initiative.

New York-based Architect Designs Bio-diverse Tower

International Architect Kevin Kennon has designed a mixed-use commercial building for Eco-City, Tianjin, China, that utilizes advanced Biophilic design technologies and strategies to reconnect people with nature.

Veolia ES Earns LEED Certification for Landfill Building

The new building at Veolia's Evergreen Landfill in Valdosta, Ga., will be used as a scale house for weighing all waste streams entering the landfill and as an on-site administrative office.

Solid Waste Privatization Lowers Costs, NSWMA Says

A National Solid Waste Management Association study describes how cities can privatize their garbage collection, disposal, and recycling programs while protecting the environment and often while maintaining employment.

GE: Better Incentives Needed to Stimulate Water Reuse and Recycling

Regardless of the incentive type, experience shows that incentives are most effective when implemented within a regulatory structure that already exists and functions well, according to the company's white paper.

Mercury can be recycled.

Allied Environmental Offers Mercury Recycling Program in Ohio

The Lima, Ohio, company will collect mercury and mercury-containing devices, following discontinuation of a similar program by Bowling Green State University.