Tel Aviv starts to phase out single-use plastic in schools
Kindergartners and first to third graders who stay on for lunch to get multi-use crockery, cutlery kits; kindergartens to be equipped with dishwashers…
Source: www.timesofisrael.com
Kindergartners and first to third graders who stay on for lunch to get multi-use crockery, cutlery kits; kindergartens to be equipped with dishwashers…
Source: www.timesofisrael.com
Wegmans, H-E-B, Metro tackle food and plastic waste, carbon emissions…
Information on the environment for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public…
Stéphane Arditi and Chloé Fayole are members of Coolproducts, a campaign led by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and ECOS to ensure that EU product policy works for the environment and citizens. Europe’s ‘take-make-use-throw’ economy is costing consumers money and depleting the world of finite resources. Every day we buy products that don’t last as long as we would like. Cracked smartphone screens, weak laptop batteries, faulty printers. We’d like to fix them, but instead end up replacing them because repair costs are too high and spare parts are not made easily available by manufacturers. The current situation is unsustainable for governments and businesses that are highly dependent on virgin raw materials imported from far-away countries, despite solutions already available in Europe to improve repair, reuse and recycling. The good news is that we have the means to reverse this trend through better product policy. Look no further, Europe already has a solution. With 80% of the environmental impacts of products determined at design stage, product design has the potential to increase repairability, durability and recyclability of products. Part of the EU legislation on product design known as Ecodesign and Energy Labelling has already set out durability requirements for certain products such as vacuum cleaner motors and light bulbs. But it has so far mainly focused on making fridges, TVs and other appliances more energy efficient. Given its success, why not include more requirements to make products that last longer and are easily reparable and recyclable? The Ecodesign Directive gradually removes from the market the least efficient products by setting standards that demand a certain level of performance. Meanwhile, the Energy Labelling regulation pulls consumers towards the best products by giving them an impartial A to G ranking based on their energy efficiency. Through these laws, the EU has already succeeded in cutting carbon emissions and energy bills. The European Commission estimates that by 2020 every home in Europe will see their energy bills reduced by nearly €500 per year. Greenhouse gas emissions will also be cut by 319 megatonnes per year, that’s equal to taking about seven million cars off the road.
Read the full article at: www.euractiv.com
With consumers skeptical about green product marketing, it’s critical that companies adopt rigorous and reputable labeling systems to build consumer awareness, understanding, and trust. As they navigate the marketplace of products, a growing number of consumers want to make purchases that are good for their own health and for the health of the environment.
Systems ecologist Robert Crabtree knows the benefits of caring for backyard watersheds and the health of rivers and streams. And nowhere is this more important for him than in the 22 million acres comprising the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest, nearly intact temperate-zone areas in the world.
Assiniboine Park says it’s removing all single-use plastic straws and bags from its retail operations.