Posts Tagged ‘environment’

Life and times at landfills

March 29th, 2010

Ok, obviously not what your were expecting me to lead with today, but it’s true. Last week I go to spend the day at South Florida’s largest landfill owned and operated by Waste Management. I wanted to see first hand how landfills actually operate and if my preconceived (misconceived) assumptions about landfills were actually remotely accurate. I’ll start by saying this- it didn’t smell! Unbelievable, I know, but true. Maybe it would have been worse on a hot day, but if you couldn’t see the rectangular grassy hills, you wouldn’t know where you were.

Landfills today are very high tech, sophisticated, efficient operations. They line the landfills so that nothing seeps into our water supply, only have one cell open at a time, harvest the methane, incinerate whatever possible, and clean the fumes so they never enter our atmosphere. Moreover, the people who work there are very serious about protecting the environment and the safety of their fellow co-workers.

All that being said, these landfills are huge and that’s our fault. We as a country produce such an obscene amount of garbage it’s truly baffling where it’s all going to go. The landfills are brilliant, but things end up there because we haven’t found a better solution. I’m glad our bags are going to help chip away at the problem.

I could go on and on, but her are a few shots from my excellent field trip…

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Posted in Landfills, Living, Sustainability, Waste, energy

Tags: Business environment Landfill Methane Solid Waste Waste Management

USA needs to catch-up with Mexico in Biodegradable

February 26th, 2010

In August 2009, non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags were banned in Mexico City. Any yet we in the US are so behind the times, most people have to idea what what is going on with using biodegradable plastic products. San Francisco is ahead of the curve, but not too many other places. On company trying to make a difference is Wal-Mart. They set targets of reducing plastic bags in Mexican stores by 50 percent by 2013. Wal-Mart translates this into 237 million less bags per year. This would be 33 percent less bags by 2013. Some other notable advancements outside the US include Montenegro imposing a tax on 1st January 2010 of 100 Euros per tonne on products made from ordinary plastic, but only 1 Euro per tonne on products made from biodegradable plastic tested according to ASTM D6954-04 or ASTM D6400-04 or EN 13432. Other countries having similar changes in their environmental laws include Argentina, Brazil, Mauritius, Slovenia, Romania, Hungary, Barbados and the United Arab Emirates.

So what is the real cost of using a biodegradable shopping bag? It may be more expensive that a normal plastic bag. But is the cost for an environmentally friendly bag not work a few extra cents? That’s all we are really talking, pennies.

There are some obvious facts that should help make the decision
* Biodegradable plastic bags are better for the environment
* Plastic will be in a landfill 300 years from now
* Plastics are clogging up our sewers and drains

What are the top reasons for using biodegradable bags?
1. Biodegradable bags return to the environment
As the bag breakdown, they turn into a mulch that can be asorbed back into a landfill. This is obviously better than sitting around for a couple hundred years. By breaking down, the bags will not enter the oceans and affect fish.

2. Biodegradable bags Break Down Faster
It will take only 1-3 years approximately for the bags to breakdown. If a plastic bags is not recycled, it will be here when your great great great great great great great grandchildren are build condos on top of landfills.

3. Biodegradable bags Are More Environmentally Friendly
The will be methane and mulch release back into the environment that can be used if properly handled in landfills.

4. Biodegradable bags are also Recyclable
This means that they can be reused if not turned over to a landfill.

5. Biodegradable bags will help third world countries clean up
many third world countries do not have the landfill and compost capabilities of developed countries. If the plastic bags are degradable, they not cause as much damage to the environment outside of landfills.