It’s been a while since i’ve last posted - i was away for a trip and just couldn’t keep up with quality postings! Anyway, i’m back and back to blogging about how we can/not shop our way to sustainability!
I’ve discussed Walmart’s sustainability policy before, and I’m excited to see how companies such as Walmart is enforcing some sort of environmental responsibility to their suppliers. Really it’s a win-win situation for Walmart because they really don’t need to do much other than “asking”, while getting all the credits. Personally, I’m just happy that things are moving in the right direction.
Yesterday Walmart announced that they will be creating “green labels” to measure the social and environmental impact of the products it sells in its discount stores. Although only 100 out of 40,000 products will bear the label in the beginning (which are the Energy Star appliances), I’m sure more will come eventually. I’ve always wanted to be making green labels for products! Now there might be some opportunities for me to dig in more!
40 billion bags were eliminated according to the government estimates
but rural area seem to continue giving out free plastic bags
How do they do it?
a fine of $10,000 yuan (around $1,650 CAD)
a large troop of 600,000 inspector and a well funded inspection program
Side effect?
shut down of a plastic bag manufacturing plant in China
I think overall it’s a great thing that the China government is banning plastic bags. I was just in Shanghai for a few days and I must confess that I get free plastic bags everywhere I went. Some of them were quite thick at shops, but I’m not sure how many actually meets the reg! But i guess it’s still a good start!
Fiat has developed and launched “eco:Drive” computer application for some of their cars as a methodology for “monitoring and targeting” our driving style. Essentially it records data during a driving trip on a USB stick and analyzes our driving style - one can see how much GHG emissions has been created on a computer and so on. Altough not instaneous, I believe that this can help us reduce GHG and drive better! By the way, make sure you check out the eco:Drive website, there’re some driving tips!
From Car to PC in a USB
- Fiat
Of course, be cooler if it’s instaneous, like Prius’ energy monitor!
This is a really interesting article about where we send out recycling paper. Like myself, you probably know that there were many stories relating to recycling (toxic) computer parts in China. Therefore, it’s probably not surprising that a lot of paper is shipped all the way to China for recyling! Here are some facts for thought:
Europe recycled 64.5% paper in 2007, where most is recycled in China and then shipped back to Europe
China purchased recycling paper because it’s $100/tonne comparing to $500/tonne virgin pulp as a raw material for making paper
Not all paper is recycable
Recycling paper in China requires a whole load of water to clean - 99 parts of water to 1 part of raw material
Recession has reduced the selling price of recycling paper to China - from peak of $200/tonne to as low as $28 a tonne for mixed paper, $40 for newspaper and $35 a tonne for corrugated boxes; results? No longer worthwhile to ship paper to China!
Recycling paper end up in landfill if not recycled
China doesn’t want landfill moving from Europe - China tightening up regulations about what types of paper they will buy
As a result:
Recycling paper end up in landfill in Euorpe, US, and Canada and not recycled!
Imagine what kind of carbon footprint is associated with this “enviornmental activity”…. hmm… i need more time to figure that out.
Maclean’s has published, for the first time ever, Canada’s 30 greenest employers. I’m excited to see this but honestly quite disappointed on the highlights for these companies. I have included the list of companies and the links go to their respective “green highlights”. It’s great to have policies like: employees can control their light (sask power) and employees gets rebates from the employer for purchasing high efficiency furnaces and hybrid cars (; it’s also great to have written plans to reduce energy consumption or purchase certified wood whenever possible. But I’m just a little disappointed that they didn’t find any company that does anything above and beyond. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I was hoping to see policies that allows the employees to be part of the energy/ carbon footprint reduction activities at work through activities such as evaluating energy efficient heating/cooling systems (a huge carbon foot print for Canadian companies), reviewing building performance and develop energy efficiency measures, and last but not the least - publish and target GHG emissions and emission goals. All these activities at work and then be translated to a smaller scale at home - big companies CAN make a big difference! I also think engaging employees’ families and communities at large is also a worthwhile activity that I didn’t see on the list… But hey, i guess we start somewhere. I hope next year the highlights will be more impressive.
Big Green Big Deal | flo | 
July 16, 2009 7:49 am | 
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