Read the full story at Treehugger.
This Chilean company, recently arrived in NYC, refills cleaning products from vending machines.
Day: March 9, 2021
Solar-plus-storage already a compelling economic proposition for coal-retiring Midwestern US states
Read the full story at Energy Storage News.
There has been growing uptake in battery energy storage in Midwestern US states that have traditionally depended on burning coal for electricity, with some “very big projects planned,” an analyst has said.
Research and analysis firm IHS Markit recently shared with Energy-Storage.news some of the key details of a recent report that includes a 10GW forecast for global energy storage deployment during 2021, more than doubling the 4.5GW that the company believes was installed in 2020.
N.C. State turfgrass researchers collaborate with NCDOT for roadside grasses
Read the full story at the Richmond Observer.
North Carolina State University’s Turfgrass Program has been working on the selection, installation and evaluation of zoysiagrasses along roadsides throughout the state in collaboration with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
One-Third of Farmland in the U.S. Corn Belt Has Lost Its Topsoil
Read the full story at e360 Digest.
More than a third of farmland in the U.S. Corn Belt — nearly 100 million acres — has completely lost its carbon-rich topsoil due to erosion, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The loss of topsoil has reduced corn and soybean yields in the Midwest by 6 percent, resulting in a loss of nearly $3 billion a year for farmers, and increased runoff of sediment and nutrients into nearby waterways, worsening water quality.
Current trends and analytical methods for evaluation of microplastics in stormwater
V.C. Shruti, Fermín Pérez-Guevara, I. ElizaldeMartínez, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy (2021). “Current trends and analytical methods for evaluation of microplastics in stormwater.” Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry e00123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teac.2021.e00123
Abstract: Stormwater runoff is an important source of microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm) into the aquatic environment and studies documenting the microplastics abundance and their characteristics are constantly expanding. The lack of standardized methods as well as the development of many analytical techniques to evaluate microplastics greatly influence reported results and calls for a better understanding of approaches adopted by microplastic studies in stormwater. Hence, this paper aims to systematically review currently employed methods for sampling, isolating and identifying microplastics and to summarize the data on the abundance of microplastics in the samples of water, sediment and biota collected from stormwater, stormwater catchment areas and stormwater discharging sites. There were significant methodological variations between the studies throughout the experimental procedures and different techniques including, sieving, digestion (chemical and enzyme), density separation and filtration were reported for microplastics extraction from sample matrix. A combination of visual sorting and spectroscopic approaches such as infrared and Raman was adopted to identify and study microplastic characteristics such as shape, size, color and polymer. The microplastic abundance in each sample matrix was different with relatively high concentrations of smaller size particles (10-500 µm), majorly fibrous shaped (51%) and polymers of polypropylene (27%) and polyethylene (26%). Finally, we conclude by identifying analytical challenges and suggesting appropriate methods that can be implemented to enable effective monitoring and comparison of microplastic contamination in stormwater.
Florida man uses COVID stimulus to build garden, spread message of food independence
Read the full story at WMNF.
An East Tampa man is gaining notoriety after he used his COVID-19 stimulus check to start a garden at his home. He’s trying to share his produce with the neighborhood and teach others about food independence.
The stuff you buy isn’t nearly as recyclable as you think. Blame corporate America
Read the full story at Fast Company.
There’s a huge discrepancy between how consumers believe recycling works and the system that actually exists. Companies can do better.
Predator Fish That Can Walk and Breathe Air Is Making Headway in the US
Read the full story at Treehugger.
It doesn’t get much spookier than the toothy northern snakehead, a carnivorous fish that grows to at least three feet in length, can breathe air and can survive for several days out of water. It can survive for even longer periods in mud and moist environments. Oh, and it travels over land by wriggling its body along the ground.
The fish inspired exclamatory headlines when it made an appearance in New York City’s Central Park, but the more concerning news is that it keeps on showing up in places it shouldn’t be. Snakeheads have been found in at least 14 states.
Lawyers Are Working to Put ‘Ecocide’ on Par with War Crimes. Could an International Law Hold Major Polluters to Account?
Read the full story in Time.
In December 2020, lawyers from around the world gathered to begin drafting a legal definition of ecocide. If they succeed, it would potentially situate environmental destruction in the same legal category as war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. But even within the movement, questions remain on how far the law should go — and who might fall under its jurisdiction.
5 environmental stories to look out for in 2021
Read the full story at Earthday.org.
From policy, to plastic, this year holds a lot in store for Restoring our Earth. Here are five topics to keep a lookout for this year.
ISTC Technical Assistance Program collaborates to connect surplus food with hunger relief agencies
The University of Illinois, Feeding Illinois, the Illinois Specialty Growers Association, and the Illinois Farm Bureau are collaborating to collect and collate information on the locations, types, and quantities of “surplus” specialty crops in Illinois, including potential acquisition costs.
Through a producer survey, a series of focus groups, and implementation of pilots across the state, the team looks to uncover the optimal mix of incentives and program interventions to overcome the current barriers to efficient flows getting of fresh food produced in Illinois to Illinois residents with as little waste as possible.
Illinois producers can support these efforts by completing the survey. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Request to have a a hard copy of the survey mailed to you by contacting ISTC’s Technical Assistance Program (TAP).
For additional information, assistance with survey completion, or to participate in the upcoming focus groups, please contact TAP.
Read more about the project on the ISTC Blog and the project factsheet.
The Texas Blackout and Preparing for the Past
Read the full story at the Honest Broker Newsletter.
One lesson of the Texas energy crisis is surely a need to make infrastructure robust to the past in order to better prepare for the future
PFAS is in fish and wildlife. Researchers prowl Michigan for clues
Read the full story at Michigan Radio.
High levels of the “forever chemicals” in Oscoda Township, the result of firefighting foam used on the now-shuttered Wurtsmith Air Force Base, make the Lake Huron community one of Michigan’s most contaminated sites. Along with deer, state officials warn against eating fish and any other aquatic or semi-aquatic animal that lives in the marsh.
Novolex Adding Labeling to Plastic Products to Boost ‘Store Drop-off’ Recycling
Novolex announced today that it is adding easy-to-understand recycling instructions to more of its plastic bags and packaging. The announcement comes just weeks after Novolex revealed plans to increase its capacity to recycle plastic bags.
Novolex, an industry leader in packaging and foodservice products, will add the How2Recycle® Store Drop-off label to products across its business units. These include products from Shields® such as poly mailers for shipping applications and security bags frequently used in the banking industry; and products from Hilex®, including the iconic “Thank You” plastic T-shirt bags, produce bags for conventional and organic items, and the Load & Seal™ Tamper Evident Deliver Bags, which are growing in demand as to-go orders increase at restaurants.
Novolex is a member of How2Recycle, a program created by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition to clearly communicate recycling instructions to the public. The program offers standardized labels that provide clear, concise and consistent instructions for how to recycle each product.
“Increased consumer knowledge is key for the success of recycling, and we are proud to partner with the How2Recycle program to help accomplish that,” said Erik Gonring, Director of Sustainability of Novolex. “People want to do their part for the environment, and labeling our products is one more way to help everyone recycle successfully. Better consumer messaging is one more step towards achieving a circular model for film products.”
In October, Novolex announced that it is investing in a new water treatment system that will increase its capacity to recycle plastic retail bags and other films collected through store drop-off programs. Novolex expects this investment to increase recycling capacity by more than 500,000 pounds per year.
The Novolex recycling center in North Vernon, Ind. processes plastics collected through a North American network of store drop-off collection points, commonly found at grocery stores and other retailers. Consumers can bring back plastic retail bags as well as other select bags and film, including produce bags, bread bags and newspaper bags. Novolex manufactures plastic bags from recycled films collected through store drop-off recycling programs.
To learn more about Novolex and its many products, visit www.Novolex.com.
About Novolex
Novolex develops and manufactures diverse packaging and food service products that touch nearly every aspect of daily life for multiple industries ranging from grocery, food packaging, restaurant and retail to medical applications and building supplies. The Novolex family of brands provides customers innovative paper and plastic solutions for their business needs today while investing in research and development to engineer more sustainable choices for the future. With more than 10,000 employee families, Novolex operates 56 manufacturing centers and administrative offices in North America and Europe, including two world-class plastic film recycling facilities. To learn more about Novolex, visit www.Novolex.com.
CLEAN Future Act leads possible string of bills linking recycling issues to climate efforts
Read the full story at Waste Dive.
A new bill in Congress, meant to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, names numerous waste and recycling efforts to help reach that goal, including some strategies outlined in other bills expected to make a comeback this year.
The Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act, introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), includes measures such as establishing post-consumer recycled content standards for certain products, standardizing recycling labels and creating multiple grant programs.
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