If you use synthetic fertilizers made from recycled chemical waste, are you still a TreeHugger? According to the judges for The Green Apple Environment Awards based in Northampton, UK the answer is a definite "yes." Itronics Inc., a firm that recycles used photochemicals into fertilizer products, is this year's recipient of The Green Apple's USA Gold Award. In recognizing Itronics the judges said, “More than 100 million gallons of potentially toxic photographic waste are generated by America’s laboratories, printers, copiers and X-ray machines each year. Dr. John Whitney set up Itronics not only to solve the problem but also to turn an environmental negative into a plus." Perhaps the days for non-digital image processing are numbered, but the creativity and ingenuity of projects like this will be forever valued. (The Green Apple Environment Awards is an annual, international campaign to recognize, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.) Lime Network via ENS.

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