Helping to cut plastic - Californa EPR bill - a report from https://www.recyclingtoday.com

While the plastics industry says its recycling infrastructure is growing, anti-plastic groups see the answer as shifting away from plastic in some applications.

Photo by Recycling Today staff.

Updated: California SB 54 ups plastic pressure

Advocacy groups say by phasing out plastic in some applications the state’s litter problem can be addressed.

July 1, 2022

Brian Taylor

Legislation & Regulations Municipal / IC&I Plastics

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 54, which creates several amendments to the state’s Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 and is designed to address plastic litter issues and low recycling rates in the Golden State, into law.

The text of SB 54 ( go to the website to view the document)sets reporting requirements for transfer station and “disposal facility” operators to provide “periodic information to the [state] on the types and quantities of materials that are disposed of, sold or transferred to other recycling or composting facilities or specified entities.”

Trade associations such as the National Waste & Recycling Association and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) likely will seek clarification on the reporting requirements and how they affect operators of transfer stations, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and other locations where discarded materials are handled in the recycling chain.

The bill also states, “The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 regulates the disposal, management and recycling of, among other solid waste, plastic packaging containers and single-use foodware accessories.”

At least one advocacy group sees this as the death knell for plastic in several applications in the state. Washington-based Oceana calls the measure “the strongest plastic source reduction policy in the nation” and “the first state law to mandate source reduction of all single-use plastic packaging and foodware, from detergent bottles and bubble wrap to cups and utensils.”

According to Oceana, the law requires packaging producers and product makers to “slash their single-use plastic packaging and foodware by at least 25 percent by 2032 and implement the first reuse and refill mandates in the nation.”

Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, says, “Oceana commends the state legislature and the governor for realizing the urgency of the plastic pollution crisis and taking strong action to protect California's coast and communities. California’s effort to aggressively tackle plastic pollution at the source and require companies to shift from throwaway plastic to reusable and refillable alternatives sends a strong signal to the nation, and the world."

The Washington-based American Chemistry Council (ACC) previously told Recycling Today it had concerns about the future of chemical recycling investments and other unintended consequences should the legislation be passed.

Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Washington, released a statement saying the ACC is pleased that the anti-plastics ballot initiative has been withdrawn and SB 54 was signed into law.

“Negotiating SB 54 over the last 18 months has not been an easy process," he says. "We appreciate the hard work of Sen. Ben Allen and his staff to get us to this resolution. The law is not perfect, as we outlined in our previous statement.  

“However, SB 54 is a better outcome than the withdrawn anti-plastics ballot initiative. Had that initiative passed it would have cost Californians an estimated $9 billion annually but only invest approximately 30 percent of that to improve recycling in the state."

Baca adds, “Now we will focus on working with lawmakers, regulators and other stakeholders to help ensure the implementation of SB 54 matches its intent: eliminating plastic waste and improving plastics circularity while minimizing costs on Californians.”

He continues, “Petitioners of the ballot initiative released a statement yesterday inaccurately questioning our intent to work collaboratively on the implementation of SB 54. Nobody got everything they wanted in SB 54, but we remain steadfast in our belief that all stakeholders can do more to benefit California by working on constructive solutions rather than attacking each other. We want to be a partner in sustainability so society can retain the benefits plastics provide to our modern lives while ending plastic waste in our environment.”

Oceana stresses the pollution control aspects of the legislation, with Tara Brock, Oceana’s Pacific counsel, commenting, “Single-use plastic foodware and food packaging products are consistently among six of the top 10 types of items most commonly picked up during annual beach cleanups across California. Voters are concerned and want change.”

The Washington-based American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), representing that sector, has tweeted it is “pleased California policymakers [have] taken a first-of-its-kind approach to extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation that recognizes the success of paper recycling.”

The AF&PA’s tweet says SB 54 “provides an off-ramp for industries like paper that have already stepped up and made the investments necessary to achieve a high recycling rate.”

“The paper recycling rate in the United States reached a record of 68 percent in 2021, and California’s new law recognizes this,” adds Natalie Urban, a spokesperson for the AF&PA.

The Ecology Center in Berkeley, California, says several environmental organizations, including the Ecology Center, provided input to the legislation, adding that it establishes guardrails to ensure compliance.

Martin Bourque, executive director of the Ecology Center says, “The industry-run producer responsibility organization (PRO) that this law creates will require more watchdogging than ever to ensure it does not follow age-old industry tricks, false promises and greenwashing. We are satisfied that CalRecycle will have the necessary authority to ensure the PRO lives up to its legal requirements, and we will be watching to make sure they do.”

At least we are making a bit of progress, some countries faster than others it would seem!

It is all about education at the end of the day, the one person can make a difference is really true!

The blog song for today is: " Passenger" by Iggy Pop

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What are parklets? A report from https://www.wearepossible.org/parklets

 

Parklets

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What are parklets?

A parklet is an old parking space that has been transformed into something for people to enjoy. There’s no such thing as a typical parklet; they can take many forms. They are great for bringing communities together, and providing some much-needed local green space. 

The current way our cities are structured means that we accept the harm that comes with cars. As part of our Car Free Cities campaign we want to help people reimagine their streets as places free from the harms of car dominance. Parklets are a great way to do this by giving space back to people and nature.

Parklets can be unique to your neighbourhood; with residents co-designing and maintaining them, they can increase peoples’ sense of belonging whilst meeting local needs. Parklets offer a place for children and adults to play outside and develop their independence. They can provide a space for those with mobility needs to rest, improve people’s access to greenery and public space, foster a stronger sense of community, whilst also being a place to learn new things. You can grow fruit and veg on them, use them as performance spaces or areas for outdoor learning, or even just have them as a simple patch of grass.

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In a world recovering from a global health crisis whilst also tackling the climate crisis; green space, and access to it, has never been more important. Green spaces help clean our air and cool us down. Being outside in nature fosters happiness and social connection, and can improve our health and wellbeing. But not everyone has the same access to adequate green space.

These graphics show publicly accessible green space in our four Car Free Cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, and London. Tap or click to make them bigger. As you can see, access to green space is not always fairly distributed.

Parklets are a great way to transform our streets and bring people closer to nature. They provide the opportunity for communities to engage with nature and each other, whilst also helping residents reimagine their street space.

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Get parklets on your streets!

We are calling for councils across the country to set up a simple process that lets any resident transform their street with a permanent community parklet.

Local residents, such as yourself, must be actively involved and engaged in the process of reclaiming and reimagining the streets you live in. Therefore, councils across the country must establish a simple process that lets residents create their own permanent community parklets. 

You can take action by emailing your councillor to demonstrate how we can improve the streets we live in by converting parking spaces into parklets. You have the power to transform your street and start initiatives that challenge car dominance and can help tackle the climate crisis.

Take Action: Email your local council

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Parklet Plotter

Use our parklet plotter to find a spot you think would be ideal for a new parklet. We’ve created an interactive map to help people learn more about the areas they live in - from which communities have the least access to green space to how different areas measure up against the multiple deprivation index. Where could parklets be installed to best help improve access to green space and give streets back to people and nature?

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Design your own parklet

What does your perfect parklet look like? Maybe it’s a place to rest and relax outside, or play and socialise. Maybe it’s a place to grow some veg, or park your bike. The possibilities are endless! 

Why not have a go at designing your own parklet? Download our design tool to create your own parklet, and share your design with us.

  'Design Your Own Parklet' tool

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Parklets pot

We want to help communities transform parking spaces into areas to rest, socialise, play, and fill with plants. Can you help us spark this parklet dream? With your help we can get this show on the road (or into old parking spaces at least) and help pave the way for cleaner and greener neighbourhoods.

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What a really great idea, I will watch this ones progress!

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The blog song for today is: "with a little help from my friends"by the Beatles

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Is TerraCycle Greenwashing the Waste Crisis? - an earth911 report

 

Is TerraCycle Greenwashing the Waste Crisis?

BySarah Lozanova

Jun 28, 2022

Although our municipal recycling programs collect only a few types of products, almost everything — from diapers to cigarette butts — is technically recyclable. However, economics typically drive what these programs can actually recycle. If the cost of collecting and processing a waste item exceeds the value of the recovered materials, the recycler has no financial incentive to recycle it.

TerraCycle is a U.S.-based company that’s dedicated to eliminating waste. Through collaboration and innovation, it helps manufacturers find recycling or reuse solutions. The company may be best known for its recycling programs for hard-to-recycle consumer items such as disposable gloves, candy wrappers, and markers. It also has an affiliate nonprofit organization dedicated to removing trash from waterways and is creating a global system for reusable packaging.

However, a recent lawsuit and allegations of greenwashing have eroded some public confidence in TerraCycle. Is it a legitimate company, and is TerraCycle greenwashing its partner companies?

TerraCycle Lawsuit

The Last Beach Cleanup filed a lawsuit against TerraCycle in 2021, alleging the company misled customers of eight companies into thinking they could send back products for recycling for free. Unfortunately, only a certain number of customers could recycle these products for free, leaving others with the option to either pay to recycle the product or dispose of it themselves.

Due to the settlement terms, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Late July Snacks, Gerber, L’Oreal, Tom’s of Maine, Clorox, and Materne must now state on product labels if participation in the program is limited. Also, TerraCycle must implement a supply chain certification program to help earn customer trust. The company says it was already doing this internally.

TerraCycle headquarters, Trenton, New Jersey. 

Image courtesy of TerraCycle

How Does TerraCycle Work?

The company was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky to fix the broken recycling system. Municipal recycling programs collect certain products but aren’t equipped to handle complex products, such as toothpaste tubes and makeup packaging. Recycling many of these products without an added incentive is not financially worthwhile.

So, TerraCycle partners with dozens of companies, including the eight mentioned in the lawsuit. Through these partnerships, it generates millions of dollars that it uses to fund recycling programs for these companies’ products or packaging. However, when the funding for a given product is exhausted, TerraCycle stops accepting new participants — even if customer demand for recycling is high.

Unfortunately, some consumers may have made purchasing decisions influenced by the availability of a free recycling program that wasn’t actually available to all customers. This leads to greenwashing, misleading customers into thinking a product is greener than it actually is through vague language and false or irrelevant claims.

TerraCycle also operates mail-in recycling programs for hard-to-recycle waste that consumers fund. These zero-waste boxes range in price from $42 to $199, and participants simply mail back packaging and goods.

Does TerraCycle Greenwash Companies?

The way we consume clothing, food, and most goods has changed dramatically over the last century. Previously, packaging was reusable, and products were made to last years or even decades. As a society, we want cheap, affordable, and shiny new things. However, this is fueling the waste crisis. The amount of plastic in the world’s oceans is a symptom of this consumption and the use of disposable packaging.

Many people believe corporations should have greater accountability because they manufacture these products and put them on store shelves. Likewise, many of the products they produce are hard to recycle, often containing several materials. As a result, a lot of plastic packaging ends up in landfills. Even if consumers clean plastic takeout boxes and clamshell containers and leave them in their recycling bins, many recycling programs can process only plastic bottles. The rest of the plastic waste ends up in landfills or incinerated.

One desirable aspect of the TerraCycle business model is that it includes corporations in creating recycling solutions. Currently, most of the burden of waste management falls on local governments. When companies are paying at least part of the recycling bill, they have an incentive to manufacture packaging and products that are easier to recycle and widely accepted by local recycling programs.

Unfortunately, the claims made against TerraCycle for greenwashing plague the waste management industry and are not unique to the company. TerraCycle has been criticized for making the companies they partner with seem greener than they are because recycling is merely a step in the right direction and not a true solution.

Yet, misinformation plagues the entire recycling industry and isn’t specific to TerraCycle. For example, many of the products on store shelves feature a recycling emblem, alerting customers that the product is recyclable. However, this can be misleading because local recycling programs can’t accept all types of products and materials.

Is TerraCycle Fixing a Broken Waste Management System?

Although recycling efforts can certainly be improved by making packaging easier to recycle, using renewable energy when processing materials, and ensuring that there is proper infrastructure in place to handle waste, recycling isn’t fundamentally sustainable in many applications. After all, in the EPA’s waste reduction pyramid, reuse is higher than recycling.

To address this, TerraCycle launched Loop, a global reuse platform for multiple stakeholders, including manufacturers, retailers, operational partners, and consumers. The goal is to create a circular supply chain for packaging that manufacturers refill and use repeatedly. Loop is now available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Japan, and likely soon in Australia.

“Recycling — whether through TerraCycle or through municipal recycling — is only a Band-Aid,” said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle. “We believe reuse is the right answer and we’re continuing to pour all our profits into making Loop work. And frankly, if Loop really takes off, it will actually cannibalize our other business, kind of like Netflix’s streaming killed off their DVD business. That will be a good thing.”

Whether or not Loop is ultimately successful, TerraCycle is in a unique position to bring together various stakeholders to create reusable packaging solutions. The recent lawsuit and greenwashing claims have harmed TerraCycle’s reputation, but the company has achieved a lot.

It has won numerous entrepreneurship and sustainability awards and launched a nonprofit organization, TerraCycle Global Foundation, which has removed nearly 1 million pounds of waste from waterways. In 2020, it kept 3,600 tons of waste from landfills or incinerators across 22 countries.

In particular, the company’s ability to encourage collaboration among stakeholders to find solutions is especially promising. After all, the waste crisis needs holistic solutions that involve redesigning products, establishing new infrastructure to eliminate waste, and stakeholder collaboration. Although TerraCycle may have let consumers down somewhat in the past, the company is achieving results in an industry plagued with issues.

I still believe that Terracycle have made a huge difference,but it is up to us the customer as well to look for products that come in packaging that can be recycled. Glass is the best alternative for me. As I have said before I make all my own soap, shampoo and shower gel and the amount of plastic that I have reduced from our family has been amazing.  I usually go to Camamilla and refill existing bottles for washing up liquid and general purpose cleaner. It really is quite amazing of how much I have reduced!

The blog song for today is: " Since you've been gone" by Rainbow

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How To Be Cautious About Cadmium Exposure-an earth911 report

How To Be Cautious About Cadmium Exposure

ByGemma Alexander

May 30, 2022

Cadmium wasn’t discovered until the 19^th century, when it quickly found use as a pigment that could produce bright yellows, oranges, and reds. Cadmium is still used in some pigments. But today it is also an important component of batteries, metal alloys, electroplating, solar panels, and plastic stabilizers. It’s kind of hard to imagine how we ever got along without it. And that’s too bad because cadmium and all its compounds are highly toxic and carcinogenic. In fact, cadmium has earned a place on the Red List of materials that green builders try to avoid.

Cadmium

Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal. Elemental cadmium (Cd) is a soft, malleable, bluish-white material extracted from zinc ores, and increasingly recovered from batteries. Unlike other serious toxins, acute exposure to cadmium is rare. Rather, health effects occur through chronic exposure and the subsequent accumulation of cadmium in tissues over time. Skin does not absorb cadmium. But cadmium can be inhaled or ingested. The most significant exposure pathway for cadmium toxicity is smoking. Among nonsmokers, contaminated foods are the highest risk.

Cadmium Ingestion

Although mollusks and crustaceans can sometimes accumulate high concentrations of cadmium, more than 80% of dietary cadmium intake comes from plants. Plants absorb cadmium from soil. Except for crops grown in contaminated soil, dietary cadmium levels remain low enough to be safe for most people. People with anemia, the chronically undernourished, and those with hypertension may be more susceptible to cadmium exposure. Addressing these underlying health risks is a better strategy than focusing on food choices. Even unhealthy quantities of cadmium are measured in millionths of a gram.

While cadmium consumption is rarely an issue for adults, it can be a problem for small children in much the same way as lead exposure is. In 2010, there was a massive recall of children’s products, including play and costume jewelry and other toys with elevated levels of cadmium. Young children’s tendency to put things in their mouths created a risk of ingestion. In 2018, Consumer Reports found concerning levels of cadmium in many popular baby and toddler foods and presented suggestions for safer snacking.

Workers in certain industries — including nonferrous metals and NiCad battery recycling — are at a high risk of cadmium exposure.

Occupational Exposure to Cadmium

Workers in the nonferrous metal industry; those involved in the manufacture of products containing cadmium or doing work such as plating, soldering, and welding; and those involved in nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd or NiCad) battery recycling face the highest risk of exposure. They may experience flu-like symptoms from acute exposure and cancer, kidney, bone, and lung disease from chronic exposure.

Although occupational exposure is more likely to be a problem than products containing cadmium, it’s helpful to know what items in the home contain cadmium.

Batteries

Nickel-cadmium batteries are in widespread use in portable, rechargeable devices like cellphones, laptops, and power tools that are an important part of daily life. Alternative battery types like lithium-ion and lead-acid have their own health and safety concerns. So, even though the expanding Ni-Cd battery recycling industry is a growing concern for cadmium exposure, recycling your rechargeable batteries is still the best course of action.

Electronics

Heavy metals, including cadmium, are found in a wide variety of electronic products from televisions to computers. These items must be properly recycled to keep cadmium out of the soil, groundwater, and even the air. Although it is not always easy to recycle electronics, it is important to do so and may even be required by law where you live.

The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive essentially bans cadmium from electronics except where absolutely necessary for product performance. Purchasing electronic products that are EU compliant, TCO certified, or certified under the EPEAT program managed by the Global Electronics Council will help you avoid cadmium and other known toxins as much as possible.

Today, cadmium pigments are mostly used in plastics but are still found in some artists’ paint.

Cookware

Cadmium is not commonly found in cookware, but some glazes and coatings on glass or ceramic can leach cadmium into food. Since ingestion is the primary pathway for accumulating cadmium in the body, it’s best to look for nontoxic cookware and kitchenware options.

Pigments

Like lead, cadmium used to be included in house paints. Old paint can lead to exposure through chipping paint or paint dust created during construction. Today, cadmium pigments are mostly used in plastics but are still found in some artists’ paint. Painters should avoid skin contact with wet paint to avoid accidental ingestion and take care when cleaning brushes. Spray applications and sanding dry paint can also create a risk through inhalation. A movement to ban cadmium from paints in the EU led to strict limits on the cadmium content of paints sold there. There are many cadmium-free paint options.

 Very informative and interesting! I have been told of instances where painters have collapsed because they were using this type of paint and didn't have any ventilation or take breaks! Very dangerous indeed! There are warnings on the containers advising people to use utmost caution but unfortunately this is not always the case.

The blog song for today is: " Best of my love" by the Eagles

TTFN

 

Morrisons becomes the first supermarket to scrap plastic milk cartons - A report from the Daily Mail.co.uk

 A report from the Daily Mail newspaper

Morrisons becomes the first supermarket to scrap plastic milk cartons and replace them with its own-brand fresh milk in plant-based cardboard cartons

• Morrisons will save around 100 tonnes of plastic in move to cardboard cartons
• Carbon neutral Tetra Pak cartons will be made from plant-based paperboard
• They contain thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene
• Majority of its own-label fresh juice will also move from plastic bottles to cartons

By Jamie Phillips For Mailonline

Published: 14:29 BST, 22 February 2022 | Updated: 14:29 BST, 22 February 2022

Morrisons has become the first supermarket to scrap plastic milk cartons and replace them with its own-brand fresh milk in plant-based cardboard cartons.

Nine types of Morrisons fresh milk will be sold in carbon neutral Tetra Pak cartons, saving around 100 tonnes of plastic each year.

Fresh milk currently accounts for around 10 per cent of all plastic packaging used in the UK, but the new Tetra Pak cartons will instead be made from plant-based paperboard.

The new cartons contain a very thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene - procured from sustainably sourced sugarcane.

The nine products have also been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, Carbon Trust and Carbon Neutral.

Tony Fearon, Dairy Category Director at Morrisons, said: 'Fresh milk does not need to be in a plastic bottle. It keeps just as fresh in a carton. 

'Fresh milk is the top user of plastic packaging in our stores, so this will result in significant plastic reduction. 

'Tetra Pak has also been independently verified as a better sustainable packaging option. If customers take to it, we could be looking to move all of our fresh milk to Tetra Pak cartons in time.'

Morrisons will save around 100 tonnes of plastic packaging in the move to carbon neutral cardboard cartons

The new cartons (pictured) contain a very thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene - derived from sustainably sourced sugarcane

The cartons will be kerbside recyclable in most regions, as well as recycling banks across the country.

They will come in 500ml, 1 litre and 2 litre sizes and cover skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk options, Morrisons has confirmed.

Prices will be 60p for 500ml, 95p for one litre and £1.25 for two litres.

It comes as Morrisons has also announced that the majority of its own-label fresh juice will move from plastic bottles to cartons - a move that will remove a further 678 tonnes of plastic a year.

The supermarket also became the first in the UK to scrap ‘use by’ dates on milk last month.

The company switched to ‘best before’ dates on 90 per cent of milk bottles and cartons from January 31 to encourage customers to bin it only when it smells off – and see the date as no more than a guide to freshness.  

Hugh Jones, Managing Director of Advisory at the Carbon Trust, said: 'We welcome this move by Morrisons towards reducing the environmental impact of its milk packaging. 

'Our Carbon Trust ‘Carbon Neutral’ label, which will feature on these milk products in their new Tetra Pak packaging, recognises the CO2 reduction of this move and certifies that the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of the packaging is in line with targets.'

Decreasing the volume of single-use plastic in stores is said to be the top concern for the supermarket giant's customers.

What great news! 

Let us hope that others follow suit. TetraPak being the main suppliers of milk cartons and other cartons, as I previously showed because of the many different components of it,without a lot of effort not easily recycled, so reading that they are behind the change is encouraging news.

The Blog song for today is: "Bloody Well Right" by Supertramp

TTFN

Broken Phone? Don’t Throw It Out; Fix It Yourself - a report from earth911.com

 

Broken Phone? Don’t Throw It Out; Fix It Yourself

ByEarth911

Jun 16, 2022 right to repair, smartphone

When your phone breaks or just doesn’t work as well as it used to, do you go out and buy a new model? It’s an exciting prospect to get a new phone. But tossing out our old phones has negative environmental impacts. With just a few repairs, your phone might work fine for several years and save you money, too.

If your phone isn’t functioning as well as it should, you have a choice to make: Throw it out and hurt the environment by buying a new phone, begin the process of recycling it, or repair it yourself. Let’s talk about why you should choose the latter two and how to get your phone up and running again.

The Environmental Cost of Discarding Our Phones

There are numerous reasons why improperly discarding your smartphone is bad for the environment. For starters, your phone is made up of many materials, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. If we just throw away our smartphones, these useful but toxic materials end up as waste in landfills. From there, they can potentially leak into the soil and make their way into our water supply.

When we don’t reclaim those materials by recycling our e-waste, companies need to mine new materials from the earth. This process is harmful to the local ecosystems and results in carbon emissions from machinery used to mine, transport, and process the materials. The use of recycled materials results in fewer emissions.

Also, when we are so quick to replace our phones, factories and manufacturing plants respond to the demand by producing more new smartphones. The production process, packaging, transporting — and even warehousing of excess inventory — all consume resources and energy, resulting in more carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

When we buy and consume more than we need, we are not working towards sustainability. So, to help the planet and save some money; consider trying the repairs yourself.

You Can Make Many Repairs Yourself

Although smartphones are becoming more complex every year, fixing some common issues is easier than you may think. By searching online at websites like iFixit, you learn which tools you need and get step-by-step instructions to fix any brand of phone. For instance, to replace the battery on an iPhone, you can use special tools to open the phone, unscrew the existing battery, make the switch, and then seal up the device like it never happened.

Whether you have an Android or iPhone, you can find instructions to replace your battery or screen, change out a headphone jack, remove the SIM card, and do many other tasks. Although you can find repair guides online, some of these repairs may need an expert; take your phone to a certified dealer if necessary. Always check the fine print on your phone contract to determine if fixing something will void your warranty.

If the phone appears to be a total loss or the manufacturer tells you it cannot be fixed, make sure it gets to a facility that will recycle it. You can do this by bringing it to the phone company or a local electronics retailer that accepts electronics for recycling, like Best Buy. If the phone still works but you still need a newer version, then consider donating it to a charitable organization or Goodwill, where they may be able to sell it to someone who needs it. Before you donate or sell it, be sure to remove all data from your phone for your protection.

Phone Companies Are Creating Solutions

The good news is that phone companies are becoming part of the solution by creating repair programs that can help you use your phone longer. For instance, Samsung is collaborating with iFixit to give customers access to parts, tools, and instructional guides to help them repair their phones. Initially, Samsung Galaxy owners will have the opportunity to replace display assemblies, back glass, and charging ports, according to Samsung. The company will accept the used parts for recycling. Samsung says it has plans to expand this self-repair option to other devices.

Over at Apple, they have a program called Self Service Repair. While currently limited to U.S. customers and iPhone versions 12, 13, and third-generation SE, Apple has plans to expand the service. Through the online portal, customers can access repair manuals, order parts and professional repair tools, and print a label to return replaced parts for recycling. Apple recommends that only those with knowledge and experience attempt to repair their device. To purchase Apple parts, you must supply your serial number, so make sure you have that before you start.

It’s worth noting that even if your phone doesn’t need a repair now, you can help it last longer by adding a screen protector, restarting the device periodically, and removing unnecessary apps and files.

In the end, the choice to repair your phone instead of throwing it away is a good idea for everyone. If repair is not an option, be sure to recycle your phone so that valuable materials can be reclaimed and reused instead of polluting the planet.

About the Author

Sam Bowman writes about people, the environment, tech, and how they merge. He enjoys getting to utilize the internet for community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time, he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore.

Feature image by Kilian Seiler on Unsplash

I am so pleased to be reading a report like this one because it is not the first one ! I am seeing more and more people pushing to reuse, repair and conserve what they have instead of rushing out and buying new. 

The blog song for today is:"Save me"by Queen.

TTFN

Carbon dioxide now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels- a report from: https://www.noaa.gov

Carbon dioxide now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels

June 3, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii is a benchmark site for measuring carbon dioxide, or CO2. NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography make independent measurements from this station on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano. (NOAA)

Carbon dioxide measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory peaked for 2022 at 421 parts per million in May, pushing the atmosphere further into territory not seen for millions of years, scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography offsite link at the University of California San Diego announced today. 

NOAA's measurements of carbon dioxide at the mountaintop observatory on Hawaii’s Big Island averaged 420.99 parts per million (ppm), an increase of 1.8 ppm over 2021. Scientists at Scripps, which maintains an independent record, calculated a monthly average of 420.78 ppm. 

“The science is irrefutable: humans are altering our climate in ways that our economy and our infrastructure must adapt to,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “We can see the impacts of climate change around us every day. The relentless increase of carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa is a stark reminder that we need to take urgent, serious steps to become a more Climate Ready Nation.” 

CO₂ pollution is generated by burning fossil fuels for transportation and electrical generation, by cement manufacturing, deforestation, agriculture and many other practices. Along with other greenhouse gases, CO₂ traps heat radiating from the planet’s surface that would otherwise escape into space, causing the planet’s atmosphere to warm steadily, which unleashes a cascade of weather impacts, including episodes of extreme heat, drought and wildfire activity, as well as heavier precipitation, flooding and tropical storm activity.   

Impacts to the world's oceans from greenhouse gas pollution include increasing sea surface temperatures, rising sea levels, and an increased absorption of carbon, which makes sea water more acidic, leads to ocean deoxygenation, and makes it more difficult for some marine organisms to survive.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, CO₂ levels were consistently around 280 ppm for almost 6,000 years of human civilization. Since then, humans have generated an estimated 1.5 trillion tons of CO₂ pollution offsite link, much of which will continue to warm the atmosphere for thousands of years. 

CO₂  levels are now comparable to the Pliocene Climatic Optimum, between 4.1 and 4.5 million years ago, when they were close to, or above 400 ppm. During that time, sea levels were between 5 and 25 meters higher than today offsite link, high enough to drown many of the world’s largest modern cities. Temperatures then averaged 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than in pre-industrial times, and studies indicate offsite link that large forests occupied today’s Arctic tundra.

This graph shows the monthly mean carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, the longest record of direct measurements of CO2 in the atmosphere. Monitoring was Initiated by C. David Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in March of 1958 at a NOAA weather station. NOAA started its own independent and complementary CO2 measurements in May of 1974. (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. 

Mauna Loa ideally located to monitor global pollution 

NOAA’s observatory, situated high on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano, is the global benchmark location for monitoring atmospheric CO₂. At an elevation of 11,141 feet above sea level, the observatory samples air undisturbed by the influence of local pollution or vegetation, and produces measurements that represent the average state of the atmosphere in the northern hemisphere. 

Charles David Keeling, a scientist with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, initiated on-site measurements of CO₂ at NOAA’s weather station on Mauna Loa in 1958. Keeling was the first to recognize that CO₂ levels in the Northern Hemisphere fell during the growing season, and rose as plants died back in the fall, and he documented these CO₂ fluctuations in a record that came to be known as the Keeling Curve offsite link. He was also the first to recognize that, despite the seasonal fluctuation, CO₂ levels were rising every year. 

NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since. Keeling’s son, geochemist Ralph Keeling, runs the Scripps program at Mauna Loa. 

“It's depressing that we've lacked the collective will power to slow the relentless rise in CO_2,” said Keeling. “Fossil-fuel use may no longer be accelerating, but we are still racing at top speed towards a global catastrophe.”

The Mauna Loa data, together with measurements from sampling stations around the world, are incorporated by NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory into the Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, a foundational research dataset for international climate scientists and a benchmark for policymakers attempting to address the causes and impacts of climate change.

Despite decades of negotiation, the global community has been unable to significantly slow, let alone reverse, annual increases in atmospheric CO₂ levels. 

“Carbon dioxide is at levels our species has never experienced before — this is not new,” said Pieter Tans, senior scientist with the Global Monitoring Laboratory. “We have known about this for half a century, and have failed to do anything meaningful about it. What's it going to take for us to wake up?" 

To visualize how sea level rise may affect your community, visit NOAA’s sea level rise viewer, at: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/

Media contact

Theo Stein, theo.stein@noaa.gov

Not much to comment on this is there?

The blog song for today is: "Dancing Days" by Led Zeppelin

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recycling 5ltr plastic water bottles, it's time to get out the scissors again!

 Here is the empty 5ltr bottle ready to be recycled.

First take off the label, it makes it easier to chop up.

I usually cut the bottle in half, then go for it!

The great thing about it is that it helps with two things: less to carry to the recycling bin (here they don't do door to door yet) and the other is that the big yellow bin does not get filled up too quickly! It is a real pain to walk there and find it is full up of empty 5ltr water bottles and not much else.  If we all chopped them up smaller it would benefit everyone, there wouldn't have to be so many collections (saving petrol which is really expensive) by the council,which means less pollution from the lorries collecting and less wear and tear on the roads.

The blog song for today is: " Ghosts" by Japan

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What Are VOCs and How Can You Avoid Them? a report from earth911.com

 

What Are VOCs and How Can You Avoid Them?

ByGemma Alexander

Jun 7, 2022 indoor air quality, Red List, VOCs

Somewhere around the turn of the century, people began to realize that new car smell is actually an unhealthy combination of 50-60 VOCs off-gassing from plastics, vinyl, and glues. For a while, environmentalists paid a lot of attention to avoiding VOCs, but it’s hard to maintain attention these days.

The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for handling false advertising claims, but they have filed only two to five environmental marketing cases per year since 2015, which means that very few greenwashers are ever held accountable. Unfortunately, some companies have taken advantage of the lack of scrutiny to greenwash their products, as evidenced by one of those rare FTC legal actions. The FTC took action against YOLO Colorhouse for advertising their paints as no-VOC when that wasn’t true at all. Here’s why that’s a bigger problem than just false advertising.

What Are VOCs

VOC stands for “volatile organic compound.” Volatile organic compounds include a wide variety of chemicals that share two key characteristics. First, they are all emitted as gases from solids or liquids that contain them in a process called “off-gassing.” Second, they are all organic. In environmental circles, “organic” is usually a positive term that implies natural origin. But in chemistry, “organic” is a neutral term that refers to carbon-based compounds.

Organic chemicals include most of the compounds that make up living matter. Relatively few of them are volatile, but some such as methane and benzene are naturally occurring. But many other VOCs are manufactured chemicals that are rare in nature if they exist there at all. Regardless of their origin, VOCs work as industrial solvents, fuels, paint thinners, and dry-cleaning agents. They are also present in thousands of commercial products, from paints and paint strippers to cleaning supplies, pesticides, glues and permanent markers.

What’s Wrong With VOCs

VOCs, including formaldehyde, a variety of compounds found in paints and finishes, and some flame retardants, are on the Red List of materials green builders try to avoid. When released outdoors, VOCs react with nitrogen oxides in the air to form ozone pollution. Organic compounds in myriad chemical products become pollutants in groundwater, and volatile organics in many home products contribute significantly to indoor air pollution.

Organic pollutants can have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Because VOCs comprise such a widely varied group of compounds, their health impacts are also varied, but can include irritation of eyes, nose, and throat; difficulty breathing and nausea; central nervous system and other organ damage; and even cancer. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Toxic Substances Portal identifies specific health effects from different kinds of VOCs.

Indoor air quality can be two to five times worse than outside air quality. Concentrations of many harmful VOCs are up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. There are several remedies for indoor air quality at home, but one of the most important is source control.

Before you start a house painting project, make sure you buy no-

VOC or low-VOC paint to minimize adverse health effects.

Avoiding VOCs

Choose cleaning products, solvents, glues, and paints that are labeled low-VOC or no-VOC. To avoid the kind of greenwashing revealed in the Colorhouse case, look for third-party certification. Unfortunately, there is no single certification system for VOCs. Paints and finishes may have one of several types of certification, including GreenGuard, Green Seal, and Indoor airPLUS. Green Seal also looks at the safety of cleaning products. Numerous other certification systems, such as MADESAFE, consider the safety or toxicity of ingredients in a wide variety of consumer products.

You can also avoid VOCs by choosing different types of products. Avoid anything made from vinyl (also known as PVC). Choose solid wood furnishings instead of upholstered ones and bare wood or tile floors instead of carpet to avoid the VOCs in foams.

Most off-gassing takes place when products are new and decreases over time. Buying second-hand is one way to avoid VOCs in soft furnishings and other products where VOCs may be unavoidable. When you must buy new products – for example, engineered woods bound with adhesives that contain VOCs – let the materials off-gas outdoors or in the garage before bringing them into the home.

Time remodeling and craft projects for summer so that you can keep doors and windows open while working. Completely avoiding VOCs in products is impossible when even computers and mattresses contain them. So, try to maintain good ventilation in your home at all times to remove any VOCs released. Off-gassing is more severe in high temperatures and high humidity, so keeping your home cool and dry is also helpful. Finally, communicate with the manufacturers of the products you buy and encourage them to offer low and no-VOC products.

The main problem I have noticed near where I live is that there is the facility to dispose of unused paints and stuff here but there is a big charge for it and most people just dump it wherever.  The complaint from these people is that they already pay the council to take the rubbish, why should they pay extra? Companies mainly put it in the green refuse bin,which is better I suppose than tipping it down the sink which people have been known to do.

 The blog song for today is: "Loop di Love" by Shag

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More than 150,000 Europeans call on EU to ban bottom-trawling to protect ocean and climate - a report from Oceana.org

 

More than 150,000 Europeans call on EU to ban bottom-trawling to protect ocean and climate

Environmental NGOs present Commissioner Sinkevičius with giant pop-up storybook on how bottom-trawling impacts our marine environment

Press Release Date

Monday, December 20, 2021

Location: Brussels
Contact: Emily Fairless: efairless@oceana.org

A giant colourful pop-up book depicting the devastation caused by destructive bottom trawling - and how the marine environment thrives in its absence - was delivered to European Union (EU) Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius by NGOs this morning, on behalf of more than 150,000 Europeans who have signed a petition calling for the EU to phase out destructive fishing practices, starting with an immediate ban of bottom trawling in all Marine Protected Areas. [1]  

The tens of thousands of signatories are demanding that EU Commissioner Sinkevičius (responsible for the environment, ocean and fisheries) and EU Commission Executive Vice-president Frans Timmermans (responsible for the EU Green Deal) include a ban on bottom-trawling in the upcoming EU ‘Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems’ (Ocean Action Plan), to be adopted next spring. Bottom trawling, the most harmful fishing method for the environment and climate, is widely used in Europe where it impacts more than 50% of the seabed, and even takes place inside Marine Protected Areas. 

Oceana, Seas At Risk, Our Fish, WeMove Europe, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Environmental Justice Foundation, delivered the 1.5m by 2.5m pop-up book, which features both Commissioners Sinkevičius and Timmermans embarking on an ocean adventure modeled on The Life Aquatic, a popular film which references the work of famous ocean explorer and conservationist Jacques-Yves Cousteau, outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. The book presents a story on how the EU has the chance to turn the tide on destructive fishing by banning bottom-trawling, through a journey from current underwater devastation to a healthy, thriving and resilient marine environment. 

Vera Coelho, Senior Director of Advocacy at Oceana in Europe said “Marine Protected Areas, as the name suggests, are supposed to afford protection to marine life, yet in 2020 over 2.5 million hours of bottom-trawling took place inside them. It is unacceptable that the EU continues condoning the destruction of the very places it has committed to protect. This madness can and must be fixed now, for good.” 

Tobias Troll, Marine Policy Director at Seas At Risk added “European citizens start to realise that the seas are fragile ecosystems that need protection because they are the life support system of the planet. Destructive fishing techniques like bottom trawling must end, inside marine protected areas but also beyond. We need a just transition to low impact fisheries to protect biodiversity and allow future generations of small scale fisherfolk and coastal communities to have a good life.” 

Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, Our Fish said “We can’t just continue with pledges and promises forever - we are running out of time and every ton of carbon counts. It’s time that the EU got serious about transitioning out of destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling, which produces CO2 emissions through burning fuel, releasing carbon stored in the seabed, and depleting fish populations, and instead secured a sustainable and resilient future for our climate, ocean and coastal communities.”  

Giulio Carini, Senior Campaigner, WeMove Europe said: “Almost half of the EU population lives within 50 kilometers of the sea, and no one wants to have a devastated and dead ocean for decades to come.”  

Steve Trent, CEO, Environmental Justice Foundation said: “As well as destroying ocean ecosystems, endangering wildlife, and threatening coastal livelihoods, bottom trawling is also hastening climate breakdown. This practice churns up the seabed, releasing vital stores of carbon that have lain safely locked away for centuries. It is gravely disappointing that the EU, which has led progressive efforts to improve sustainability in fisheries, still allows bottom trawling within protected areas. This must end now." 

Background 

-   Bottom-contacting gear, including dredging and bottom trawling, is the most unselective and destructive fishing gear. The method involves dragging heavy weighted nets across the sea floor, indiscriminately catching all types of living creatures and habitats that happen to be on their way. Such trawling can strip up to 41% of invertebrate life from the sea-bed, and the ocean floor can take many years to recover. Its continuous use has led to drastic, and in some cases irreversible, degradation of marine ecosystems including habitats like corals and seagrass, as well as sensitive species like sharks, turtles and dolphins. Moreover, bottom trawling disturbs the seabed and releases large amounts of carbon stored in sediments into the sea - novel, early-stage research suggests a level of released carbon that would put it on par with the aviation sector (study). 

- Recent data by Oceana revealed how EU countries continue to allow destructive fishing in Europe’s Marine Protected Areas, with over 2.5 million hours of bottom fishing occurring in 2020 inside areas supposedly designated to protect Europe’s most valuable and threatened marine species and habitats. 

 

-    A socioeconomic analysis commissioned by Seas At Risk has revealed that a ban on bottom-contacting gear (bottom trawling and bottom dredging) in Marine Protected Areas would yield net benefits as soon as four years after the ban comes into force. 

-    The EU Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems, announced in the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, is expected in 2022. An EU public consultation is opened until December 20th.-

 We are all doing what we can as individuals but we are much stronger together! Keep up the good work all those wonderful people at Oceana, Seas At Risk, Our Fish, WeMove Europe, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Environmental Justice Foundation, along with many more!

The blog song for today is: "counting out time" by Genesis

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