In this report we analyze drivers, barriers, and enablers to a circular economy for PV system materials in the United States. We also analyze federal, state, and local requirements that apply to the reuse, recycling, and disposal of PV modules and BOS equipment, as well as the legal liability associated with non-compliance. We then discuss state policies and initiatives in the United States that expressly address reuse, recycling, and disposal of PV system equipment. We conclude by providing case studies of U.S. business models for the repair, reuse, recycling of PV modules and BOS equipment.
Day: March 24, 2021
A group of climate journalists are launching The Uproot Project to support environmental journalists of color
Read the full story from NiemanLab.
“Those of us who cover the environment know that there are very many of us who are Black or Indigenous, or people of color, but the folks who get the byline at the big magazines, who get the cover stories on climate change are often white older dudes.”
‘Climate facts are back’: EPA brings science back to website after Trump purge
Read the full story in The Guardian.
Canceled four years ago by a president who considered global warming a hoax, climate crisis information has returned to the website of the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of Joe Biden’s promise to “bring science back”.
The revival of a page dedicated to the climate emergency reverses Donald Trump’s order in 2017 to drop all references to it from government websites, and prioritises the Biden administration’s pledge to “organize and deploy the full capacity of its agencies to combat the climate crisis”.
Virginia governor signs foam food container ban into law
Read the full story at Restaurant Dive.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has approved HB1902, the bill banning foam foodservice containers. The ban will go into effect July 1, 2023, for certain chain restaurants and July 1, 2025, for all other covered food vendors.
Proponents of the bill say this reclassification is an important step in recognizing the plastic processing technology as economically feasible and important to the local economy, but environmental groups say it would allow companies to sidestep important solid waste regulations.
A separate bill banning expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers as early as 2023 (HB1902) is also expected to head to the governor’s desk soon. Lawmakers must first iron out the details of an amendment that could exempt some sectors, such as nonprofits, schools and local governments, from the plastic foam ban.
LG targets more than 110GWh of total battery production capacity in US
Read the full story at Energy Storage News.
LG Energy Solution has announced plans to invest in significantly increased production capacity within the US for batteries to be used in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS).
The South Korea-headquartered company, recently spun out of parent company LG Chem’s brand towards the end of last year, said it will invest more than US$4.5 billion between now and 2025 into its US business to push forward with the expansion. LG Energy Solution said new plans could add as much as 70GWh of annual production capacity, which along with existing and already-announced new facilities under development would bring the company’s annual production capacity in the US to more than 110GWh.
Is the ‘Legacy’ Carbon Credit Market a Climate Plus or Just Hype?
Read the full story at e360.
As major corporations look to buy carbon credits to offset emissions, critics are questioning the value of “legacy” credits from green projects that are a decade or more old. What’s needed, experts say, is to reform the credit system so it delivers actual carbon reductions.
Converting Plastic into Ultra-Clean Jet Fuel to Reduce CO2 Emissions
Read the full story at AzoCleanTech.
In February 2021, green-energy organization, Clean Planet Energy, revealed its revolutionary technology that will convert non-recyclable plastics into ultra-clean jet fuel. The innovation provides a solution to two significant environmental issues: rapidly rising plastic waste and increasing CO2 emissions in the aviation sector.
Industrial Designers Society of America Focuses on Circular Business
Read the full story at Waste360.
The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) hosted the second webinar in its “Close That Loop!” series. This event focused on “Circular Business Opportunities and Navigating the Risks of Zero Carbon,” which explored how designers and companies can rethink products and services in productive ways, as well as the challenges and opportunities of carbon offsets. The panelists were Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor of GreenBiz Group, Inc., and Peter Minor, Innovation Lead at Carbon180, in conversation with Shruti Parikh, Associate Director at Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Mastercard issues $600m sustainability bond to help finance net-zero transition
Read the full post at edie.
Mastercard has issued a $600m sustainability bond and is planning to use proceeds to further its alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and deliver its 2050 net-zero pledge.
Minnesota’s PFAS Blueprint
This document provides an overview of PFAS, followed by an in depth discussion of PFAS in 10 key issue areas. Each issue paper describes the many PFAS initiatives taken and underway in Minnesota and identifies key areas of opportunity moving forward on managing and addressing PFAS. The papers also highlight the significant interconnections between different areas, illustrating the complexity and difficulty of managing PFAS. The issue papers cover a broad range of topics. Across all those topics, themes emerge among the needed actions.
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