South Australia’s largest cemetery has been named a finalist for a major Australian environment award.

Centennial Park is a finalist in the 2010 Banksia Environmental Awards, in the Leading in Sustainability category for small to medium businesses.

The Banksia Environmental Awards recognise environmental excellence and sustainability. They are an initiative of the Banksia Environmental Foundation.

Centennial Park Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bryan Elliott, said the finalist position was welcome recognition of the cemetery’s environmental responsibility efforts.

“Centennial Park is helping Australians to reduce the environmental impact of their final resting places,” he said.

“A range of improvements have enabled us to reduce carbon emissions by an average of 10.7% per cremation and burial service over the past two years.

“Centennial Park was the first cemetery in Australia – possibly the world – to manage our entire greenhouse gas emissions with a carbon offset scheme.

“We are extremely pleased to be recognised in this prestigious awards program. This firmly cements our position as the environmental leader in Australia’s cemetery industry.”

Other environmental improvements at Centennial Park include reducing operational waste to landfill by 95.7%, vehicle emissions by 10% and reliance on mains water.

Following simple steps that reduced electricity use by 9%, new technology in the cemetery’s chapels and administration buildings have created further reductions of 25% and 14.5% respectively. Crematorium improvements have reduced gas consumption by 5% and electricity consumption by 10%.

Centennial Park is also creating new life for flora and fauna with a revegetation program to attract more native birds and animals to its grounds.

Winners of the 2010 Banksia Environmental Awards will be announced in Sydney on Friday 15 October.

Most households in Australia now have at least one computer and with the lifespan of a personal computer ranging from 2-5 years that is a significant amount of ewaste. After six years it was finally time to upgrade my laptop, the conundrum is what to do with the old one, which still works, albeit slowly. So it seems there are now more options for reuse and recycling of computers, time to find out what they are.

There are many materials in old computers and monitors including gold and platinum that can be recycled and some that can’t. As well as recyclables there are also toxic substances so if there is life left in the old dog, its a good idea to look for opportunities for reuse first.

Reuse

If it still works consider donating it to a charity like ‘Reverse Garbage‘ or put it up on FreeCycle.

Contact GreenPC, ‘computer refurbishers’ who then make donated computers available to low-income communities, individuals and community organisations.

Dell will pick up Dell-branded equipment from any location in Australia and NZ. Visit the DELL website and fill in the forms for the items you would like collected.

The Bower reuse and repair cooperative, accept a wide range of items including computers.

Recycling

The first stop to find out what computer and ewaste recycling facilities there are near you is to check out Recycling Near You.

The government agency Sustainability Victoria in partnership with companies including Apple, Canon, Dell, Epson, HP, IBM etc has been piloting a computer take-back and recycling scheme in Victoria (ByteBack) since 2007 in Victoria. Or try:

• 1800Ewaste will collect electrical devices from any capital city location for a small fee
• Computer recycling.com focuses on businesses and can offer a buyout on some equipment.
• Greenbox are ‘innovative ecyclers’. Specialising in recycling end-of-life IT equipment for businesses.
• Wesley E-Recycling refurbishes computers for individuals, low-income earners and non-for-profit organisations.
• ERNi (Equipment Recycling Network Inc) recycles donated computers for people with disabilities – Maroondah, Victoria.
• Cashforcomputers, purchase old computers and either recycle or provide to their affiliate, computersforall; Melbourne, Victoria.
• PC Graveyard recycle computers and other electronic and electrical items free of charge. Pick up or drop off. covering Geelong, Ballarat and parts of Melbourne, Victoria.
• MRI (Aust), offers computer recycling with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
• RecycleIT as the name suggests, recycle old computers. They accept all computer and personal electronic goods for recycling from the public free of charge – Perth, WA.
• E-Cycle Recovery; recycles electronic goods including computers, Adelaide, South Australia

Now there seem to be plenty of option to breathe new life into my old laptop.

]]> http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/06/11/ewaste-reuse-and-recycling-computers/feed/ 1 http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/04/08/hot-coffee-cool-planet/ http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/04/08/hot-coffee-cool-planet/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:44:47 +0000 admin http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/?p=533 Coffee addiction is becoming more widespread. Key signs of addiction include problems functioning without your morning coffee, being late due to detouring to visit a favourite coffee shop, a bin full of empty coffee cups. The KeepCup might help you feel better about your addiction. This refillable, sustainable, waste avoiding KeepCup, is the first barista standard reusable coffee cup. It is raved about by those we know that have them. Here's why.]]> Coffee addiction is becoming more widespread. Key signs of addiction include problems functioning without your morning coffee, being late due to detouring to visit a favourite coffee shop, a bin full of empty coffee cups. The KeepCup might help you feel better about your addiction. This refillable, sustainable, waste avoiding KeepCup, is the first barista standard reusable coffee cup. It is raved about by those we know that have them. Here’s why.

According to the KeepCup website the disposable paper cup is made from various materials including bleached paper sprayed with a polyethylene coating. The cup is often impregnated with dyes which makes it difficult to recycle.

In the first six months, since the launch in June 2009, KeepCup has sold over 100,000 units. According to Bluebag, the makers of KeepCup, if everybody who owns a KeepCup uses it regularly, there would be 100 million less disposable cups used, saving 17,000 trees and keeping 307 tonnes of plastic lids from landfill.

The KeepCup is recyclable (it has an estimated lifespan of four years) and replicates disposable cup sizes so you get the correct and consistent portioning of coffee and milk. Small and medium cups fit directly under the coffee machine. The plastic used is BPA free and the lid means less likelihood of spillage.

Designed and manufactured in Australia, the key features which make the KeepCup so functional include:

• A band around the body of the cup where coffee preferences are embossed. Highlight this to prevent mix up and to identify your cup at the machine.
• A sealing mechanism to make the cup splash-proof in transit. This is removable so it is easy to clean.
• Stackable, dishwasher safe and microwavable.
• Low embodied energy, reuseable, unbreakable and recyclable (polypropylene)

The KeepCup can be branded which makes it great company merchandise and a great gift for the afflicted addicted coffee cravers.

The fuel pellets can be created from various biomass sources, including compacted sawdust, agricultural waste, in particular sugar cane, but also wood chips, waste paper and other organic materials.  The pelletising process involves breaking up the source material, drying it so the final product has a moisture content below 10%, then applying pressure to force it through a screen. This produces uniform pellets with a much higher density than the original materials. The final pellets have a density four times greater than traditional wood products and due to their small uniform size, can be more efficiently transported in bulk.

According to the Water, Materials, Energy, Strategy magazine (February 2010) there is a rapidly growing customer base. The president of Global NRG, a private company specialising in waste to energy projects, has even considered the use of the Northern Territory’s woody weeds as a fuel source. The government spends millions trying to eradicate and control these, and harvesting them for commercial purposes would reduce the environmental damage and fire risks they pose, and the pellets could be exported or used to fire power plants for remote mine sites.

You can buy pellet heaters for the home. Although these look the same as wood stoves, pellet stoves have a hopper full of extra fuel that sits above the flames.  The pellets are gravity fed into the stove at a constant rate. Most have a feeding mechanism that ensures the right amount of fuels is added to the fire. Pellets burn more efficiently than wood and pellet stoves are credited with providing even heat that spreads from the stove. You can apparently burn pellets in a traditional wood stove by getting a wood stove insert.

So this is another thing to think about when planning the eco renovation.

The idea behind it is quite simple actually, during printing, ‘Ecofont’ literally ‘shoots’ holes into the letters that you have typed, to reduce the ink used by up to 25%.

The Dutch company claims it was the holes in cheese that gave them inspiration for the design of their software that has helped to extend the life of print cartridges and reduce the amount of landfill each year.

Ecofont allows you to work with your customary font such as Arial, but when it comes to printing you hit the Ecofont print button. The resulting documents look great, save money and help you save the environment as well. Ecofont professional is available from January 2010.

For more information and a free download of the Ecofont software, you can visit the Ecofont website.

For more great ideas to green your office check out our article Go Green While You Work.

According to recent research, food and drinks contained in plastic containers or bottles can contain trace amounts of bisphenol A (BPA). Scientists have found that, in animals, BPA mimics the hormone oestrogen and has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, an increased risk of miscarriage and decreased testosterone levels. It is also believed that BPA can cause early puberty in children, cancer, diabetes and obesity.  The amounts leaching into food and drink are small, but it is the cumulative effect of these small doses that are of concern.

What is BPA?

BPA is an industrial chemical used for production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are high performance transparent, rigid plastic used for food containers such as most transparent drinks bottles, infant feeding (baby) bottles, tableware (plates and mugs) and storage containers.

Epoxy resins are used to make protective coatings and linings for food and beverage cans and vats.

How do you know what has BPA in?

On the bottom of plastic containers there is generally a mobius loop symbol with the number 1 to 7 inside. For details of what is in each category check out our waste essentials article.

Current advice is, if you are concerned about BPA then to avoid category 3, 6 and 7 unless it specifically states on a separate label that the product is BPA free. A number of products labelled BPA free are in Category 7. This is a catch all for several different types of plastic including those that contain BPA as well as those that don’t.

Disposable drinks bottles

Like many people I regularly reuse water bottles. These are typically in the category 1 plastics (P.E.T). There is no BPA in PET bottles. These water bottles are designed to be recycled after use. However, reuse of these bottles is safe providing they are washed well.

Baby bottles

BPA has been banned from use in products for babies in Canada and many US states due to the health concerns. Many baby bottles will contain BPA unless it is specifically stated on the packaging that they are BPA free. This includes the major brands. However manufacturers such as Avent, Tommee Tippee and Pigeon have brought out BPA free alternatives. Although this is not always mentioned on the product itself so look for it on the packaging when you buy it.

How to reduce your exposure

• At your desk drink out of glass instead of clear plastic cups and bottles.
• Get hold of a BPA free plastic or metal drink bottle and refill from the tap.
• Buy from your local greengrocer and butcher. This way you can buy fresh and avoid products which have sat around in plastic packaging.
• Packaging with a category 2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a category 4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a category 5 PP (polypropylene), labels contain no BPA.
• Choose fresh or frozen food over tinned foods and food in polycarbonate containers.
• Don’t use polycarbonate plastics for warm food or drinks.
• If using baby formula, avoid liquid formula in cans. Powdered formula is better in terms of BPA exposure.

How can you tell what is recyclable?

You are generally safe to assume that your council kerbside collection will accept and recycle metals, paper and glass, but to determine which plastics are accepted in your council area you need to contact the local council or look on their website.

There are about 50 different groups of plastics, with hundreds of different varieties. All types of plastic are recyclable. To make sorting and thus recycling easier, the American Society of Plastics Industry developed a standard marking code to help consumers identify and sort the main types of plastic. These types and their most common uses are shown by a triangular mobius loop with a number inside. This is generally displayed on the bottom of plastic containers.

Most councils recycle 1-3 and many recycle the full range. The materials that are accepted depends on the waste recycling contractor and facilities that the materials are taken to.

	PET	Polyethylene terephthalate – Water and fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays
	HDPE	High-density polyethylene – Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids.
	PVC	Polyvinyl chloride – Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo.
	LDPE	Low density polyethylene – Carrier bags and bin liners.
	PP	Polypropylene – Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.
	PS	Polystyrene – Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.
	OTHER	Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories. – An example is melamine, which is often used in plastic plates and cups, nylon and acrylic.

What do I need to do to recyclables?

Food contaminated recyclable material such as paper should not be put in the recycling bin. But for recyclable plastics clean off food scraps before throwing in the recycling bin. Make sure you don’t put your recycling in plastic bags. You don’t need to peel off labels as these are taken out during the recycling process.

What is not recyclable?

Broken glass and paper with foodstuffs cannot be recycled. Nor can food scraps, plastic bags, polystyrene, nappies, crockery and ceramics, cookware and syringes.

What about organics?

Organic materials such as vegetable peelings, food waste and garden waste can be composted or decomposed.

Composters are great for garden waste and food waste. Information on how to compost can be found on the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change website. If you don’t have room for a compost heap try a worm farm. Sustainability Victoria has details on how to build and maintain a worm farm, such as ‘can-o-worms’ ($99 excluding worms) and these can be bought from DIY stores or eco superstores such as neco.

What about meat, fish and cheese?

Generally it is not a good idea to add meat, fish or cooked foods to compost bins as they will attract rats and flies. But there are certain systems which will even compost dairy products, meat, bones and fish.

Waste digesters such as the Green Cone comprise a plastic system that is placed in the ground. The natural decomposition process is accelerated by raising temperatures, aerobic conditions and encouraging the growth of microorganisms. It doesn’t make compost but gets rid of waste by breaking it down into its components of water and carbon dioxide.

Providing a compost system is closed, rats and flies can be kept out. Closed system composters such as the Bokashi bucket ($99) can be used indoors. This uses microbes in an anaerobic environment to digest almost all food scraps creating a nutrient rich fertiliser and it can also handle meat. These can be purchased from eco superstores such as Todae.

Printer cartridges, paints and hazardous waste

To find out where to recycle items like this in your area check out recyclingnearyou.