Canadian firm first in the world to recycle juice boxes

Now there's a process for recycling juice boxes and milk cartons

Until now, juice boxes and waxed milk cartons had to be trashed. Now there’s a new recycling process for them.

Groupe RCM,Inc., a recycler in Quebec, Canada, has begun accepting juice boxes and milk containers for recycling. Their new process breaks down the cartons, plastic bag and film waste into a thermoplastic resin that will then be used in industrial and commercial manufacturing.

Climate change could heat up Yosemite

Yosemite National Park and others threatened by rising temperatures

According to a new report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and ) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)., future emissions of gasses like CO2 could bring triple digit heat to Yosemite National Park .

Long stretch of oil seen in Gulf of Mexico

Boat travels through oil spotted in West Bay just west of the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River Friday October 22, 2010. photo by Matthew Hinton / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Environmentalists have repeatedly said there’s still oil out there and that the government was too quick to re-open fishing areas of the Gulf. Now there’s proof.

Louisiana fishermen have found a miles long string of floating oil that’s heading towards fragile marshes on the Mississippi River delta. According to the Times Picayune “boat captains working the BP clean-up effort said they have been reporting large areas of surface oil off the delta for more than a week but have seen little response from BP or the Coast Guard, which is in charge of the clean-up.”

Scientists create biodegradable foam packaging

Styrofoam is recyclable but few recycling centers will accept it

Styrofoam (or polystyrene) has been the standard for packing around electronics for years. Despite the fact that numerous recycling centers for this material have sprung up around the country, few municipalities accept it as part of their recycling stream – mostly due to lack of market demand and high transportation costs.

Now an international group of scientists has created a new type of biodegradable foam made from clay and casein, a protein found in cow’s milk.

SpoutOff keeps rain gutters flowing

The SpoutOff downspout system almost eliminates the need to clear out rain gutters!

Clearing rain gutters is a regular, thankless task homeowners face. A new product is quickly making this sometimes dangerous chore practically a thing of the past.

SpoutOff^TM is an eco-friendly downspout that reduces the need to clean out rain gutters.

Soft toilet paper versus recycled content?

When it comes to choosing toilet paper with recycled content, consumers still want softness

The question that most consumers ask themselves when it comes to using toilet paper made with 100% recycled content is, of course, “how soft is it?”

According to an article in the New York Times and a report by the National Resources Defense Council, less than 10 percent of the paper products purchased for the home contain any recycled content, about 60 percent purchased for outside the home locations do.

Corn Lobbyists don’t get the final word

 

The ill-fated SB-1454 would have banned "biodegradable" plastic

The recent demise in California of legislative bill SB-1454 took some by surprise. This cleverly written piece of legislation was designed supposedly to clarify misleading labeling claims and would prevent the sale of plastics in California whose packaging is labeled not only biodegradable but also compostable.

 

But the bill’s backers were stunned when California’s Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, noting the possible “unforeseen consequences could result from such a vast expansion” of existing law.

For more on this, see http://3.ly/aQ3W.

Seattle to let consumers opt-out of delivery of phone books

Photo by Joshua Trujillo / seattlepi.com

Known for often leading the way in environmental innovation, Seattle will now allow consumers to sign up for an Opt-out Registry that will prevent the unwanted delivery of yellow pages phone books.

Computer memory manufacturer launches a memory card take-back program

Kingston Technology – a leading manufacturer of memory products for computers and other electronics including memory modules, USB drives, SD and microSD cars – has partnered with California-based Electronic Recyclers (ERI)- the largest electronics recycler in North America – to launch the first-ever mail-back program for unwanted memory cards and other memory products.

Stonescent Water Diffusers – an elegant way to freshen the air

Ads for air fresheners are everywhere. From sprays to plug-ins, they promise to get rid of annoying smells, to “clean” the air – and they use chemicals and fillers to do it.

The Stonewick fragrance system brings sweet scents into your home in a greener way

Stonewick Fragrance Design has created a unique system to bring pleasant fragrances into your home. Their Stonescent Water Diffusers, their patented porous ceramic ScentSticks and their Pure Fragrances will help transform your home environment.

Simply fill a small vase with 4 to 6 ounces of water, then add four eye-droppers of the fragrance of your choice – there are six to choose from. Place three ScentStick diffusers in the vase. Within minutes, the fragrance not only fills the room it’s in but adjacent ones as well.