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Recycling
For energy conservation and alternative energy sources
using what otherwise might have been thrown away.
Overviews
- The Story of Stuff
- Brilliant, entertaining, must-see, 20-minute video/cartoon by Annie
Leonard describes the problems with the status quo linear supply
chain, driven by consumerism, which is unsustainable and
self-destructive; and encourages a renewable, responsible, self-sustaining,
cyclical approach. (StoryofStuff.com)
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Programs
- Smart Trash Cans
- Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) chips embedded in household
recycling bins. The bins are scanned and weighed right at the curb, and the system tallies credits for households that are above average for recycling, issuing "recycle dollars" that can be used at participating businesses for discounts.
(Science Daily; Oct. 1, 2006)
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CO2
- Strategy
Could Lead to Emission-Free Cars -
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a strategy to capture, store and
eventually recycle carbon from vehicles. Georgia Tech researchers envision a
zero emission car, and a transportation system completely free of fossil
fuels. (NewsWise; Feb. 11, 2008)
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Computers
- Michael
Dell challenges PC industry to go green - Michael Dell,
chairman of Dell Inc., issued a challenge Tuesday to the entire PC
industry to adopt free recycling programs for customers as he
announced that his company would offer to plant a tree for every PC
sold. (MIT Technology Review / AP; Jan. 9, 2007) (See Dell
Earth)
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Plastic
- Giant
microwave turns plastic back to oil - Global Resource
Corporation can turn plastics back into the oil they were made from,
and gas (and a few leftovers), using a finely tuned microwave that
uses 1200 different frequencies within the microwave range, which act
on specific hydrocarbon materials. (New Scientist; June 26,
2007) (See Slashdot
discussion)
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Styrofoam
- Bacteria
Eat Styrofoam > Scientists at the University of Dublin have
found a way to break down Styrofoam, the bane of recyclers/composters
everywhere. Bacteria have been found that eat Styrofoam and turn it
into useable plastic. (LiveScience; Mar. 7, 2006) (See Slashdot
discussion)
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Tires
- Make
A Water Filter From Old Tires - Crumb rubber, chewed up old
tires, is used on athletic tracks, playgrounds, and increasingly as an
alternative to mulch. Now, Dr. Yuefeng Xie, associate professor of
environmental engineering at Penn
State Harrisburg, has found crumb rubber makes an excellent water
filter. The rubber keeps the large particles out on top, and thus
creates a much higher throughput. (TreeHugger; Nov. 21, 2006)
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Politics
- City
sues man for canceling trash service - A man who claims to
have reduced his waste to nearly nothing out of concern for the
environment now faces a lawsuit from San Carlos for canceling his
garbage-collection service. Eddie House recycles paper, metal and
plastics, regularly hauling them in his pickup truck to a recycling
center and collecting the refund. What little backyard waste he
generates is ground into powder by his wood chipper and food scraps
are either pulverized by his garbage disposal or eaten by his dog.
House’s larger items are either sold or given to people on
Craigslist. (Examiner; Jan. 29, 2008)
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Skeptics
-
Is
Recycling Utter Rubbish? - Consider the energy consumed during
the recycling process: householders driving their empty wine bottles
to the bottle bank, lorries collecting the bottles and taking them to
the recycling plant, the washing in hot water and the removal of
labels, all before the reprocessing can even begin. (Financial
Times / TreeHugger; July 13, 2006)
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See also
Page created by Sterling
D. Allan, Feb. 9, 2006
Last updated February 13, 2008
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