Waste-Based Energy: One Piece Of The Sustainable Energy Puzzle

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:12:43 GMT

Spittelau waste to energy plant provides district heating in Vienna. Image credit:Wikipedia In the past few years, there's been much talk about the variety of available and developing technologies that could help secure a more sustainable energy future. Since October is Energy Awareness Month, the discussion of these energy alternatives is even more pertinent. You've probably heard about these developments, such as wind and solar power, as they have dominated headlines in the news and broad-scale discussions about renewable energy. But one technology that is both sustainable and consistently available yet rarely mentioned as an alternative to fossil fuels is waste-based energy. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recycling E-Waste In Confidence: A Reachable Goal

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:05:29 GMT

Watch CBS Videos Online "The Wasteland" Video credit:CBS News, 60 Minutes With the constant availability of new gadgets and gizmos for consumers to use, it is not surprising that the cycle of "out with the old, in with the new" has made electronic materials that fastest growing commodity in the waste stream. To accommodate this process, electronics recycling programs have been created across the country, allowing for simpler and safer disposal of these items, such as cell phones, computers and PDAs. Such items usually contain substances - lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame-retardants - that are necessary for the electronics to operate, but require special handling when consumers dispose of them. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Drive a Clean, Green... Garbage Truck

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:07:01 GMT

Peterbilt Hydraulic Hybrid Gargage Truck. Image credit:AutoBlogGreen Can you figure out the common denominator between a Prius and a Waste Management garbage truck? The answer may surprise you: both can benefit from hybrid power. Yes, the same garbage truck that stops in your neighborhood each week, with new advancements in engine technology, could eventually run on the clean technology that powers other better-known hybrid vehicles. This is especially important to the waste industry due to the many cycles of braking and acceleration a collection truck encounters along a given route. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Footprints in Waste Management: Taking Steps toward Zero Waste

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:14:10 GMT

Zero Waste New Zealand Trust Logo. Image credit:ZNZT

"To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed." -Theodore Roosevelt, Seventh Annual Message, December 3, 1907

The prospect of living in a society of resourcefulness rather than wastefulness has long intrigued everyone, from leaders like Teddy Roosevelt to people like you and me. Waste reduction and recycling programs aid in these efforts, but these are only the tip of the iceberg. Zero waste is a philosophy of waste management that aims to reduce total amount of waste to zero by redesigning resource-use systems. Rather than maintaining a linear waste system - you throw something away, it ends up in a landfill - zero waste initiatives work toward extending current practices of recycling and reuse into a circular waste system. This strategy "maximizes recycling, minimizes waste, reduces consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recycle Your Small Universal Waste Items By Mail

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:59:41 GMT

Mail-in recycling kits. Image credit:Waste Management In today's consumer-friendly world, electronic products shape the way we live our lives. From compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and batteries to computers and cell phones, these products are everywhere. What's more, these products are the fastest growing commodities in the waste stream and are only going to grow even more in years to come. It's vital now, more than ever, to properly recycle these household items and recover whatever resources we can. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Discovering The True Power Of Your Trash

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:43:44 GMT

Waste-to-energy facility in Broward County, Florida, situated at the Central landfill that also has a landfill gas to energy facility. Image credit:Waste Management Last week mayors from across the United States gathered in Providence, Rhode Island for the annual meeting (pdf) of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. From the many resolutions heard proposed at this year's Conference, it's clear that waste and energy issues are generating increased interest. Though probably not front and center on their agenda, implementing progressive solutions to managing municipal waste directly addresses several of the local and national energy and environmental resolutions proposed by mayors across the country. When towns and cities take a smart approach to managing waste, an inherently regional issue, they also help solve national challenges the mayors will be addressing this weekend. Take the need for locally generated renewable energy. Mayors across the country are demanding new sources of clean energy that are insulated from price volatility. Wind and solar receive the most attention, but waste-based energy uses a local resource to generate clean energy. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Expanding Waste-Based Renewable Energy

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:10:24 GMT

InEnTec called a Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM). Image credit: InventorSpot, Christopher Nagy The saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is ringing true in the world of waste management. When most Americans think of alternative energy, a few words probably come to mind: "wind," "solar" or even "hydrogen." Few would consider their trash a viable source of power - but they would be mistaken. In recent years, a resurgence of interest in waste-based energy has prompted the expansion of landfill-gas-to-energy and waste-to-energy facilities and projects across the nation. A new and emerging waste based technology that is attracting some interest is gasification. There are a number of forms of gasification technology being actively marketed for processing waste including plasma arc gasification; plasma torch gasification; pyrolysis; and combined pyrolysis-gasification systems. For most people it looks like another "black box" or "silver bullet" solution to addressing our waste management challenges. While there are a lot of hurdles to its development, it does hold the potential to process a wide range of waste streams to generate clean renewable fuels and electricity. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

What's Happening With Recyclables Markets?

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:54:28 GMT

Warehoused bales of reclaimed cardboard awaiting recycling. Image credit:Pulp and Paper Canada, Over the past few months, the abrupt drop in prices for recyclable materials has taken many by surprise. Now questions are arising about the causes of the price drop and also how these lower prices are impacting residential and commercial recycling programs. A recent New York Times article touches on these points. So why the new rock-bottom prices? One major reason is that the worldwide economic downturn has seriously slowed down the production of consumer goods and, as a consequence, the demand for recyclable materials such as fiber, plastics and metals has slowed as well. For example, fiber is the largest recyclable material in the waste stream, yet a large number of paper mills in the U.S. are temporarily closing and reducing the amount of fiber they purchase. Other mills overseas also dramatically cut back on their fiber purchases. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

TreeHugger Welcomes Wes Muir!

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:58:45 GMT

Wes Muir is Director of Communications for Waste Management and responsible for external communications across North America. During his career he has provided communications counsel and support to a wide range of industry sectors including environment, natural resources and energy.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Wes Muir, Waste Management, Inc.