ecoATM Recycling Kiosks for Small Electronics

ecoATM has a kiosk system that can evaluate the quality of old unwanted electronics – like cell phones – and offer cash and safe recycling.

Using screen prompts and a plug in wire to analyze a device the kiosk can determine the value and offer cash or to give the money to charity.  If cash is chosen the kiosk prints a slip that a partnering store can trade for cash.  In any case the devise is then reconditioned or safely (for the environment – no e-waste) recycled.

The kiosk “ … patented, advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate and buy-back used electronics directly from consumers for cash or store credit. …”

Watch this video to see how easy the process is for the user …

Currently (Sept 2011) there is a cluster of ecoATM locations on the west coast stretching from just north of Los Angeles to just south of San Diego and two others – one in Kansas City, Kansas and one in Redmond, Washington.

 

Via:  ecoATM  LINK

Celebrate Earth Hour 2011 – March 26th at 8:30 pm local time - all across the globe !

Via:   Earth Hour LINK

Heat from Commuters in Stockholm’s Central Station Serves Nearby Office Block

Swedish ngineers have found a way to recover the excess heat generated by commuters in Stockholm’s main train station and use that energy to heat a nearby office block.

The technology is not all that different from typical heat exchangers … this application is well suited to climates like Sweden where the winters are quite cold and the cost of petroleum based fuels is quite high.

Check out this video of more details … 

 

Sprint Recycling Program – Reducing e-Waste

Did you know that MASSIVE amounts of cell phones are tossed in the trash EVERY HOUR ?

16,000 cell phones are thrown away each hour !!   Sprint wants to keeps these out of landfills and has programs that make it easy for everyone to recycle (and not contribute to to e-waste) your cell phone and related accessories.

Check out these 2 videos for more information on Sprint’s recycling programs …

Via:  Sprint and You Tube

Naked Juice’s 100% Post Consumer Recycled PET (rPET)

Check out this You Tube video from Naked Juice talking about their reNEWabottle – made from 100% post consumer recycled PET (rPET).

Made with recycled plastic and fully recyclable … helping to reduce energy and reduce landfill waste.

 

   

Via:  Naked Juice LINK

Scott Smart Flush™ Helps Save Water and Money

Follow the simple directions on the bag and you could be on your way to saving 2000 gallons of water a year with Scott Smart Flush^™.  Smart Flush^™ is a bag that sits in the water tank of the toilet and reduces each flush by 1 liter. 

Currently available in 8 and 12 pack rolls of Scott Naturals.

This is a simple and for now free way to save water and money - and be GREEN.


Via:  Scott  LINK

Textile Sustainability with bluesign®

bluesign® is an independent standard for the textile inducstry.  It looks at the entire supply chain and seeks to exclude harmful materials at the start of the process … resulting in a safer product for consumers and the environment.,

Many outdoor clothing manufactures are supporting this standard including North Face and REI. 

Check out this YouTube Video for more info …

 

Via:  bluesign  LINK

Kristianstad Sweden Uses Biofuels Not Fossil Fuels for Heat and Electricity

Kristianstad Sweden uses no fossil fuels for heating.  Instead they uses biomass from farming leftovers.  80,000 homes heated by biomass and not fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas!  And this is an area of the world where it gets VERY COLD !

Since solar and wind would not be effective in Kristianstad they worked with biomass.  " ... remains from farming ... manure, potato peels, pig intestines, and even cookies, .... to create biogas  ... a certain type of  methane, ... heat of the entire city, and to provide electricity for the city as well."

The driving force for the move away from fossil fuels was to protect their environment and they did not want to import fossil fuels from abroad.

   

Via:  Metrolic  LINK

Walmart Partners with Solar City on Solar Installations in Arizona and California

Walmart is planning to add solar systems to an additional 20 - 30 in California and Arizona using new technology lower cost PV cells.

The systems are expected to provide about 25 % of the total energy needs of each location.

The systems:
- can product up to 22.5 kW / yr - equiv to the energy needed for 1750 home / yr
- avoid 11,650 metric tons CO2 - equiv to 3000 cars

The technology planned includes gallium selenide and cadmium terruride films and are exected to use less raw materials then earlier versions of PV cells.

SolarCity will do the design work as well as install, own and maintain the systems.


Via:  Walmart  LINK

Google's Atlantic Wind Connection

Google is looking to build a 350 mile transmission line to link NJ and Virginia and connect to offshore wind energy sources.  The line will provide additional reliability for the Mid-Atlantic grid and create thousands of jobs.

The project is to be called the "Atlantic Wind Connection"


" ... signed an agreement to invest in ... a backbone transmission project off the Mid-Atlantic coast  ...  helping to accelerate offshore wind development ..."

" ... able to connect 6,000MW of offshore wind turbines ..."


Via:  Google blog LINK

Solar Power Comes to the White House !

Solar Panels on White House from the Carter Administration

The White House is going SOLAR !!

Seeking to lead by example ... solar panels for electricity and a solar water heater for the White House residence will go on the roof of the White House. 

" ...  part of a Department of Energy demonstration project showing that American solar technologies are available, reliable, and ready for installation in homes throughout the country ..."
 

" ... reflects President Obama’s strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy ..."

Via:  WhiteHouse.Gov  LINK

Duke Energy and National Gypsum Collaborate on Solar Power Array

Duke Energy and National Gypsum are collaborating on a solar panel array.  the Panels are on a Nationa Gypsum faciltiy and owned by Duke Energy.  The relationship goes beyond PV panels as waste from coal plants is used as a raw material for gypsum board.

Duke Energy has leased part of the roof of a National Gypsum facility in Mt Holly NC to use for a solar array.  The output is 1.17 mW - equivalent to the power needs of 700 homes.

" ... 5096 panels ... Duke Energy will own, operate, and maintain all components of the system. The lease agreement is for 25 years."

" ... National Gypsum has contracts to purchase byproduct gypsum ... from four of the utility’s nearby coal-fired plants."

Via: National Gypsum LINK

CityCar - Fold Up Space Saving Commuter Car

The CityCar is a new look at what a car can be.  It can be "folded" when not used / parked to take up very little space.  It eliminates the traditional car's transmission / drive shaft tunnel by having power directy at the wheels.

The CityCar is an EV designed to take up minimum space while parked.  This is achieved by "folding" the car.  Instead of the engine and drive train of a gas powered car the drive components are in each wheel eliminating the need for a long rigid structure for the exhaust pipe or drive train components.

" ... weighs less than a thousand pounds, get the equivalent of 150 to 200 miles per gallon of gasoline. ... no tailpipe emissions."

" .. powered by four in-wheel electric motors ... enables maneuvers like spinning on its own axis ... moving sideways ... "

" ... park nose-in to the curb in ... possible to park three or four CityCars in the length of a traditional parking bay."


Via:  MIT LINK

Novacem - Carbon Negative Cement Reduces CO2 Emissions

Cement manufacturing is an energy intensive process and typically generates LOTS of CO2.  It is estimated that cement manufacture produces 5% of global CO2 !

Novacem Carbon Negative Cement

The challenge for the developing world (and the developed world) is how to make cement and not make so much CO2.

 "... carbon negative cement ... based on a non-carbonate raw material, magnesium silicate, and uses a relatively low temperature production process. ... more CO₂ is absorbed during production than ... emitted"'

Substituting a ton of Novacem in place of standard cement would avoid 852 kg of CO2 emissions.
Novacem is based in the UK.


Via:  Novacem  LINK

World's Largest WindFarm Open off Kent, UK

Britain is set to open the world's largest wind farm off Kent (UK) on the English Chanel.  This facility will comprise 100 wind turbines each 300 ft tall; enough to power 200,000 homes.

" ... generate more energy from offshore wind than the rest of the planet put together ..."’s biggest ocean wind farm off Kent"

" ...  energy generated from offshore wind in the UK ... to 1,314MW,
compared to 1,100MW in the whole of the rest of the world."

The farm was built by Swedish energy giant Vattenfall.



Via:  Telegraph  LINK 

Bank of America Tower Certified LEED Platinum

Bank of America's One Bryant Park in Manhattan NYC has achieved LEED Platinum certification.  This is a first for a US high rise commercial building - achieving LEED platinum.

" ...  glass curtain wall permits maximum sunlight ... under-floor air delivery system ... power comes from an on-site cogeneration plant, which works in concert with an ice storage system ..."

The building reuses most all rainwater and sink water saving millions of gallons of potable water yearly. 

Via:  Bank of America  LINK

Green Acres Zero Energy Homes - Video Tour

Green Acres Zero Energy Homes in New Paltz, NY are a step beyond low energy homes.  Using geothermal cooling / heating, thermal insulated form construction, super insulation, etc the home is net ZERO energy over the period of a year.

Check out this video for a walking tour and details of all the systems ...





Via: Green Acres, New Paltz LINK

Arizona Public Services & SunPower Create Largest Solar Project on Federal Property

The 15 megawatt PV plant will be located at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona.  Comprised of 52,000 SunPower PV panels it will be the " ... largest solar installation on U.S. government property."

SunPower

"Arizona Public Service Co. will own and operate ... hired SunPower Corp. to design and construct the solar plant ..."

" ... will ... follow the sun ... 25 percent more energy than if the panels were stationary. ..."


Via:  Arizona Public Service LINK

Philadelphia is becoming well known for  its green activities ... including solar powered compacting trash bins (the BIG BELLY) that can signal when they are full and need to be emptied.

They are also upgrading standard traffic signals with ones that contain LED light "bulbs".

LEDs are even more energy efficient and longer lasting than CFBs - and do not contain any mercury.

" ... funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG).  ... reducing energy use and costs, ... and furthering the City’s sustainability priorities."

"Replacing 85,000 traffic lights with new, low energy LED lights."


Via:  Phila.gov LINK

UPS ' sustainability efforts are well known; including their hybrid delivery trucks.  I have seen them on the streets of Philadelphia.

 

UPS is also a leader in recycling.  In addition to paper they recycle batteries and e-waste; which is fast becoming a problem due to the rapid rate of obsolescence of computers and cell phones. e-waste contains significant toxins including lead.

" ... "e-waste" ... a significant global problem. ...  UPS recycled 27,753 pounds of batteries in 2008.  This included nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium iron,  ... implemented its own e-waste recycling program ...  has recycled more than 24.5 million pounds of electronic equipment."

VIA: UPS  LINK