Big Chem never misses a chance to try and keep plastics in green building. Continue reading
Share on FacebookMay 15, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Tag Archives: Plastics
March 12, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Fungi may be able to replace plastics one day
Fungi, with the exception of shitake and certain other mushrooms, tend to be something we associate with moldy bread or dank-smelling mildew. But they really deserve more respect, say researchers. Fungi have fantastic capabilities and can be grown, under certain circumstances, in almost any shape and be totally biodegradable. And, if this weren’t enough, they might have the potential to replace plastics one day. The secret is in the mycelia. Continue reading
March 1, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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BPA raises risk for childhood asthma, study finds
Researchers are the first to report an association between early childhood exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and an elevated risk for asthma in young children. BPA is a component of some plastics and is found in food can liners and store recei… Continue reading
Share on FacebookFebruary 27, 2013
by Sarah Janssen
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What’s for lunch? Likely a few hormone-disrupting chemicals – phthalates and BPA
Sarah Janssen, Senior Scientist, Health
You can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It isn’t on the label or ingredient list – but a new study out today confirms that food is a major source of exposure to chemicals found i… Continue reading
February 25, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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BPA may affect the developing brain by disrupting gene regulation
Environmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread chemical found in plastics and resins, may suppress a gene vital to nerve cell function and to the development of the central nervous system, according to a new study. Continue reading
Share on FacebookFebruary 19, 2013
by Reduce
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Why You Should Care Whether Your E-Cycler is Certified
For some products, recycling is more involved than finding your closest blue bin. This is especially true with electronics recycling, where a little research is required to make sure that you are recycling products responsibly.
Increased government regulation and official certification of recyclers both help make this possible. Continue reading
Share on FacebookJanuary 31, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Giant carbon molecules for sustainable technologies
Scientists in the joint research project “FUNgraphen” are pinning their hopes for new technologies on a particular form of carbon: They have developed new carbon macromolecules and molecular carbon composite materials with special properties. The molec… Continue reading
Share on FacebookJanuary 24, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Jet fuel, plastics exposures cause disease in later generations; Reproductive diseases, obesity
Researchers have lengthened their list of environmental toxicants that can negatively affect as many as three generations of an exposed animal’s offspring. Among them: BPA and jet fuel. And they see a new outcome: Obesity. Continue reading
Share on FacebookJanuary 24, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Fetal exposure to tributyltin linked to obesity
Exposing pregnant mice to low doses of the chemical tributyltin — which was used in marine antifouling paints and is used as an antifungal agent in some paints, certain plastics and a variety of consumer products — can lead to obesity for multiple ge… Continue reading
Share on FacebookJanuary 23, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Health and environment: A closer look at plastics
Scientists have been following the chemical trail of plastics, quantifying their impact on human health and the environment. In a new overview, researchers detail the risks and societal rewards of plastics and describe strategies to mitigate their nega… Continue reading
Share on FacebookJanuary 8, 2013
by Reduce
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Starbucks Hopes $1 Reusable Tumbler Will Cut Cup Waste
Customers that use the cup get a 10 cent discount on each drink. Continue reading
Share on FacebookJanuary 7, 2013
by MoreRecycling
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Engineered bacteria make fuel from sunlight
Chemists have engineered blue-green algae to grow chemical precursors for fuels and plastics — the first step in replacing fossil fuels as raw materials for the chemical industry. Continue reading
Share on FacebookNovember 6, 2012
by Reduce
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GlaxoSmithKline Rolls Out Inhaler Recycling Program
The U.S. arm of the British medical giant recently launched an inhaler recycling program to combat the ever-increasing problem of inhalers winding up in landfills. Continue reading
Share on FacebookOctober 24, 2012
by MoreRecycling
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Reclaiming rare earths: Improving process to recycle rare-earth materials
Recycling keeps paper, plastics, and even jeans out of landfills. Could recycling rare-earth magnets do the same? Perhaps, if the recycling process can be improved. Scientists are working to more effectively remove the neodymium, a rare earth element, … Continue reading
Share on FacebookAugust 20, 2012
by Reduce
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New biorefinery finds treasure in Starbucks’ spent coffee grounds and stale bakery goods
With 1.3 billion tons of food trashed, dumped in landfills and otherwise wasted around the world every year, scientists have described development and successful laboratory testing of a new “biorefinery” intended to change food waste into a key ingredi… Continue reading
Share on FacebookJune 26, 2012
by Reduce
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Simpler lifestyle found to reduce exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals
A lifestyle that features fresh foods and limited use of products likely to contain environmental chemicals has been shown to reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as BPA and phthalates, in a small population study. EDCs are li… Continue reading
Share on FacebookMay 31, 2012
by Reduce
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Movement Stamps Out Straws in London Neighborhood
Straws are a modern convenience that act as the middle man between drink and mouth, but one London community is looking to cut out the middle man entirely. The Straw Wars initiative in London’s SOHO neighborhood encourages area bars, restaurants and clubs to stop providing straws, unless customers specifically request one. So far, 34 restaurants [...] Continue reading
Share on FacebookApril 10, 2012
by Kaid Benfield
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Cartoon gives new meaning to ‘complete streets’!
Kaid Benfield, Director, Sustainable Communities, Washington, DC
When bike lanes aren’t enough, compliments of my friend Dhiru Thadani:
For more of Dhiru’s great work, check these out:
Sketches of urbanism and sustainability (S… Continue reading
Share on FacebookOctober 26, 2011
by Allen Hershkowitz
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Municipal Waste is Not Renewable Fuel
Allen Hershkowitz, Senior Scientist, NYC and throughout the world
Should municipal solid waste (MSW) be converted into energy? Is it a renewable fuel?
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) require electric utilities to generate a certain … Continue reading
March 22, 2011
by Kaid Benfield
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Forget plastics – think water
Kaid Benfield, Director, Sustainable Communities & Smart Growth, Washington, DC By and courtesy of my friend Dhiru Thadani:
Move your cursor over the image for credit information.
Kaid Benfield writes (almost) daily about community, develo… Continue reading