Waste News articles from February 2008

Waste News archives from February 2008

Megastorage starts to take green byte; Data management firms use offsets, energy-efficient equipment to counter environmental impact.(Special Report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini As companies store more data, the systems to hold all that information, as well as the computers employees use, are becoming a larger environmental concern. "IT hardware and data centers are a surprising leading...

Paper recycler sold for $350M.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson One of the nation's largest paper recycling companies is being sold in a $350 million deal that also includes two recycled-based newsprint mills. SP Recycling Corp. collects and purchases more than 1 million tons...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
February 4, 2008... Articles question government's power The articles "GHG to play role in siting power plants'' and its accompanying story, [Waste News, Jan. 7] both discuss the implications of carbon dioxide capture and sequestration on the feasibility of...

Utilities urge customers to use less.(Special Report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Going against conventional marketing wisdom, utilities are offering programs to businesses and individuals to help them use less electricity. "We're the only industry that's trying to put ourselves out of business...

Plant proposes doubling hydroelectric generation.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini PPL Corp. is proposing to double the output from its Holtwood, Pa., hydroelectric plant. The utility has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to add 125 megawatts of generating capacity to the plant, enough...

Getting better; Hospitals move 'green' to forefront.(Special Report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Increasing public demand has hospitals examining ways to "green'' their operations. In the process, hospital officials are realizing that being green can save them money, said Laura Brannen, executive director...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
February 4, 2008... 10 years ago: USA Waste Services Inc. merges with TransAmerican Waste Industries Inc. in a $113 million deal. 5 years ago: President George W. Bush calls on the federal government to spend $1.2 billion on research to develop hydrogen fuel...

At Deadline.(Late News)
February 4, 2008... Prometheus Energy finance chief leaves Prometheus Energy Co., a landfill gas-to-energy company, says its chief financial officer is leaving and it is reducing its workforce by 25 percent as part of a reorganization effort. The...

Constructing a sustainable foundation.(Special Report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Thinking green can mean more green for home builders, even in these challenging times for their industry. It's no secret that new housing starts are down. But many contractors are offering greener, more...

Winemakers wield new weapon; Despite low emission levels, tool will let vineyards measure and mitigate impact.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Winemakers worldwide will wield a new industry-specific tool to calculate their carbon footprints. The International Wine Industry Greenhouse Gas Accounting Protocol will measure the greenhouse gas emissions from...

Chemical firms go natural to avert pollution.(Special Report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Clorox Co. recently introduced its line of Green Works cleaners, which contain natural plant-based ingredients in place of the usual harsh chemicals. The products - made from ingredients derived from...

Plaster packaging gets muslin makeover.(At Your Disposal)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson When Carol Sorensen-Baumgartel started talking about why recycling is so important at American Clay Enterprises she had to pause. Standing near the company's booth at a recent green building trade show in Chicago,...

Vehicle owners have tons of options.(Special Report)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Be it hybrid, electric, ethanol, biodiesel or natural gas, there's no one single answer to what vehicle owners are doing these days to become greener. Hundreds of fleets around the country, for example, now use...

Ashes to ashes; Natural burials gain ground as requests rise.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck After being buried in her Ecopod, Cynthia Beal plans to "be a tree'' when she grows up. The natural-burial advocate is not speaking in science fiction terms. Her earthly high hopes are grounded in this life and...

ReCyclone offers a new take on an old idea.(Products)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst The people at PowerMaster Corp. take a keep-it-simple, less-is-more approach to solving waste issues. The San Antonio-based company has taken a gyroscopic mill, an 80-year-old invention originally designed for...

Firm cleans up after Marcal bankruptcy.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A well-known recycled paper brand is being sold to a Texas-based investment firm following approval of a federal bankruptcy court judge. Marcal Paper Mills Inc. makes a variety of 100 percent recycled products,...

Yucca debate goes on.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Desperate and dangerous is how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid describes a Republican bill designed to accelerate the licensing process for Yucca Mountain and increase its storage capacity from 77,000 to 130,000...

EPA chief stands firm; California continues push for emission waiver.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Californians have thus far employed Senate hearings, EPA staff transcripts, a lawsuit and federal legislation to gain permission to set their own standards for regulating emissions of greenhouse gases from...

Change oil less often, Calif. urges.(News)(California, United States)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Go check the owner's manual in the glove box. Changing oil every 3,000 miles just might be an unnecessary waste and actually bad for the environment, one California agency says. There certainly are car...

ReMixing up NYC recycling; New program aims to boost magazine, catalog recycling.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson New York City is adopting a multimillion-dollar public awareness campaign aimed at boosting the city's magazine and catalog recycling efforts. ReMix - or Recycling Magazines is Excellent - is a program sponsored by...

WN is award finalist.(News)(Waste News)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... For the third year in a row, Waste News is a finalist in the prestigious Neal Awards, which recognize editorial excellence in business publications. Waste News is one of two finalists in its revenue category for Best Single Issue of a...

EPA official to speak at Waste News summit.(News)
February 4, 2008... One of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's top officials will deliver the keynote address at the Waste News Capitol Hill Summit Feb. 12-13. James B. Gulliford, assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides...

Republic to take its act online.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson One of the nation's largest solid waste management companies expects to avoid using more than 3 million pieces of paper and cut carbon dioxide emissions by moving annual meeting and report information online. ...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(plastic bags recycling bill)(Editorial)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach It's In The Bag: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed the city's plastic bag recycling bill into law yesterday. The law requires stores that occupy at least 5,000 square feet to implement bag recycling programs...

Gear switch may be best.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... The Energy Department's decision to switch gears on the proposed FutureGen clean-coal power plant has angered politicians in Illinois, but it makes more sense for the concept overall. Department officials decided that rather than focusing...

From drink to ink; HP makes old soda bottles into ink cartridges.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Five years of development, hundreds of hours and dozens of trials have yielded Hewlett-Packard Co. an industry first - a process that recycles plastic soda bottles into new printer cartridges. The Palo Alto,...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)(Viridis Waste Control LLC.)
February 4, 2008... Solid Waste Arizona cleans up migrant trail Crews expected to clean up an estimated 10,000 pounds of trash from along trails in Santa Cruz County, Ariz., used by undocumented migrants, according to the state. The Arizona...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
February 4, 2008... Ethanol Energy Dept. invests in ethanol plants The Department of Energy is investing more than $84 million in three small-scale cellulosic ethanol plants that will help determine whether the processes would work for commercial...

Power plan shelved; Feds pull U-turn on clean coal plant.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Energy Department officials say they remain committed to developing carbon capture and sequestration technology despite pulling the plug on the proposed FutureGen clean-coal power plant in Illinois. Instead of...

Senator asks for GHG act deadline.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Tick-tock. Growing impatience with EPA's silence on limiting greenhouse gas emissions has prompted Sen. Dianne Feinstein to demand a specific timeline. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen...

CAPITAL BRIEFS; A summary of recent developments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.(Briefs)
February 4, 2008... LEGISLATION SOLID WASTE California: Assembly Bill 822 requires owners of multifamily dwellings to arrange for recycling services. Passed by the Assembly Jan. 22. Tennessee: House Bill 1220 concerns rules and regulations related...

Climate Registry gets new members.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Fifty-four corporations, state and local governments, and other organizations have joined the Climate Registry as founding members, or founding reporters, as the registry calls them. The Climate Registry is a...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
February 4, 2008... Feb. 9-12 - U.S. Composting Council 16th Annual Conference and Trade Show, Oakland, Calif. Call (631) 737-4931 or visit www.compostingcouncil.org. Feb. 12-13 - Waste News Capitol Hill Summit, Washington, D.C. Contact Ted Mathews (330)...

Alcoa sets goal to increase can recycling.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Alcoa on Jan. 22 unveiled a goal of raising the industry's used beverage can recycling rate in North America from its current 52 percent rate to 75 percent by 2015. "The aluminum industry must work together for...

Global issues glazed over during address; President Bush's last State of Union address offered little about the environment, no new proposals.(News)(George W. Bush)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Ho-hum. Anyone expecting to be dazzled by plucky, courageous green initiatives during President Bush's final State of the Union address probably needs to stop singing all those verses of "Kumbaya.'' Yes, he...

HP goes green, but does it quietly.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... Lot of companies seem to be stepping up to the plate on the field of green these days. Certainly it is "the thing to do,'' to go green, but sometimes the bandwagon looks so full one might wonder who among the many are doing it for show and who...

New products & technology.(Products)
February 4, 2008... IMPACT PLASTICS CORP. has introduced the Double Impact Hinge Ear to be used with either plastic or steel container lids. Featuring a 1/4-inch-thick steel plate and two 9-foot-by-16-inch diameter rod holes, the flat surface of the hinge ear can...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
February 4, 2008... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

Grocery choices starting to go green.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: David Sterrett Crain's Chicago Business Kraft Foods Inc. uses a cream cheese byproduct to help power a New York plant. Sara Lee Corp. plans to run a New Mexico bakery using solar energy. Al Gore's campaign against global...

Apparel firm focuses on life's journeys.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini It is often said that it's not the destination, but rather the journey that matters most. For two women who have endured more than their fair share of life's hardships, their experiences have brought them together to...

Personnel.(People)
February 18, 2008... ALERIS INTERNATIONAL INC. - Terrance Hogan promoted to senior vice president and general manager of a new business unit, Recycling and Specification Alloys - Americas; William Edwin Hoag named vice president, Global Metals Procurement; Michael...

Ontario upgrades e-waste processing.(Opinion)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Diane Saxe Each year, Canadians spend millions of dollars on the latest electronic devices. From digital cameras and laptops to video game systems and televisions, Statistics Canada estimates that in 2004, the amount Canadians...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
February 18, 2008... 10 years ago: Philip Services Corp. faces four federal lawsuits alleging securities fraud due to false statements that led to company stock price inflations. 5 years ago: The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office charges Waste Management...

Reps urge GAO to weigh clean water trust fund.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and two other Democrats are urging the investigative arm of Congress to study potential revenue sources for a clean water trust fund. That...

TD Bank promises GHG emissions cut.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A Canadian banking firm plans to become carbon neutral within three years and wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the United States once a merger deal goes through. TD Bank Financial Group plans to cut actual...

The yuck factor; Despite water shortages, reservations about recycling wastewater run deep.
February 18, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Many areas have experienced recent water shortages, with places like Atlanta nearly running out. So why not just recycle wastewater into drinking water? What's the big hang-up? "Public perception is definitely the...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
February 18, 2008... INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS has introduced its Maximus Series of portable automated wheel wash systems engineered for the construction industry. The Maximus is an above-ground system which features a fully automated closed-loop water...

Supplier News.(Briefs)
February 18, 2008... Energy Dept. vows GHG reduction The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2009. The new goal is part of the NREL's participation in the...

EPA faces $400 million funding cut in 2009.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would operate with about $400 million less in funding in fiscal year 2009 if a budget submitted by President Bush is approved by Congress. The EPA would receive about...

Shredder, recycler team up.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Balcones Resources knew it had to get deeper into the document destruction business. And Austin Shred was moving toward paper recycling. So instead of fighting it out on each other's turf, the two companies decided...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 18, 2008... An item in New Products & Technology on Page 18 of the Feb. 4 issue should have stated that Impact Plastics Corp.'s Double Impact Hinge Ear has two 9/16-inch-diameter rod holes.

FutureGen pullout spurs carbon cap debate.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan In Sen. Robert Menendez's opinion, FutureGen always was a misnomer. NeverGen is a more appropriate moniker. The New Jersey Democrat is curious why the long-established coal industry is waiting for the federal...

Tandem Senate bills aimed at carbon capture, coal power.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Sens. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and John Kerry, D-Mass., have introduced tandem bills aimed at providing safe passage and burial for waste carbon dioxide captured from coal-fired power plants. Kerry's proposed...

Banks toughen coal guidelines.(Opinion)
February 18, 2008... When environmental and business interests collide, money talks loudest. So when three of the country's biggest banks said last week they plan to more closely scrutinize power companies' requests for financing, they had a lot of of...

At Deadline.(Late News)
February 18, 2008... Colo. officials warn of mine blowout Lake County, Colo., officials are warning residents living below an old mine drainage tunnel there is an imminent potential for catastrophic failure, which could send a billion gallons of toxic acid and...

RecycleBank krafts backer.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini RecycleBank LLC has chosen a food-industry sponsor it believes best embraces the concept of improving the nation's recycling. Kraft Foods Inc. has signed on as the official food sponsor of RecycleBank, which has...

Bigger and better, make way for smaller and smarter.(At Your Disposal)
February 18, 2008... Most Americans shop for vehicles like they select cook stoves. Bigger is assumed to be better - even if they commute solo and prepare a lavish holiday spread only once per year. But lust for large is waning with gasoline prices hovering...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
February 18, 2008... Recycling Rose Bowl scores six tons of recycling Nearly six tons of material - including an estimated 51,000 plastic bottles - was recycled at this year's Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, Calif. The city, the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
February 18, 2008... Entertainment Grammy Awards go green The Grammy Awards went green this year for the first time, and the event's organizers promise to do even more in the future. The Recording Academy joined with Natural Resources Defense Council,...

Is concern for the earth a passing fad?(Opinion)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Allan Gerlat A study came out last week concluding that, unlike in the 1970s, our current concerns with energy won't fade when oil prices go down. The report by Cambridge Energy Research Associates theorizes that our concern over...

Employees credited for Republic's profit increase.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Republic Services Inc.'s profit increased last year as the company's leader credited employees for staying focused during 2007. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company earned $290.2 million, or $1.51 per diluted...

Snowflake paper mill sold.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A recycled newspaper mill with the reputation of having one of the lowest costs to operate in North America is being sold. AbitibiBowater Inc. agreed to divest its Snowflake, Ariz., mill to satisfy Justice...

A new Republic; Waste management firm moves to greener corporate headquarters.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Republic Services Inc. is planning a move into new corporate headquarters that will include a variety of green building features. The nation's third-largest solid waste management company expects to relocate later...

Bill Gregory, co-owner, anitary Services Co.(Obituary)(Obituary)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Bill Gregory knew he was in a battle he would not win. But he was determined to make the best of whatever time he had left. The co-owner of Sanitary Services Co. of Meridian, Idaho, died of lung cancer on Feb. 2,...

Held to account; Banks establish rules for lending to power plants.
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Coal-burning power plants are squarely in the crosshairs of a trio of large banking companies that are vowing to scrutinize any financing they provide for such facilities in the future. Three major banks, Citigroup...

Stimulus bill stiffs green incentives.(News)
February 18, 2008... Not even a penny of the $168 billion boost-to-the-economy bill that President Bush signed into law Feb. 13 is earmarked for renewable energy and energy-efficiency tax incentives. A single vote was all that prevented Senate Democrats from...

Steel maker to buy scrap metal company.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Steel manufacturer Nucor Corp. is buying the parent of the David J. Joseph Co. for $1.44 billion. Nucor is buying the stock of SHV North America Corp., which owns 100 percent of the David J. Joseph Co. DJJ,...

Coke sets the bar high.(Opinion)
February 18, 2008... Coca-Cola Co. has taken an important step with its plan to recycle 100 percent of the cans it sells in the United States. It's a strong statement for the environment, as much because of who Coke is as well as what they're doing. What the...

Court rejects EPA mercury rule; Agency could be forced to create new regulations to control mercury emissions.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal appeals court has struck down the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's mercury rule, which was designed to reduce mercury emissions from coal- and oil-burning power plants. It could force the agency...

Calif. senator seeks waiver investigation.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Sen. Barbara Boxer is leading an effort by eight Democrats and independents asking the investigative arm of Congress to examine the EPA's December decision to deny California permission to regulate tailpipe...

Biofuels are no panacea, senators warn.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Barely seven weeks after a bold energy bill became law, two Senate leaders fear the biofuel doses prescribed are no environmental cure-all. New Mexico Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici voiced their worries...

It's in the bag; Whole Foods to phase out disposable bags.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck BYOB next time you head to Whole Foods Market. Bring your own bag, that is, because the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket is no longer doling out disposable plastic grocery bags at checkout....

CAPITAL BRIEFS; A summary of recent developments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.(Briefs)
February 18, 2008... LEGISLATION SOLID WASTE South Dakota: House Bill 1210 prohibits recyclers, scrap metal dealers and scrap yard operators from purchasing certain beer kegs. Passed by the House Feb. 7. HAZARDOUS WASTE Colorado: Senate Bill 37...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
February 18, 2008... Feb. 24-27 - 21st Annual Southeast Recycling Conference and Trade Show, Orange Beach, Ala. Contact Gene Jones at (800) 441-7949 or visit www.southeastrecycling.com. Feb. 24-28 - 34th Annual WM Conference, Phoenix, Ariz. Contact James Voss...

Smurfit-Stone sets recycling record.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. topped 7 million tons of recyclables last year, a record for the company that's moving to broaden its recycling services. Smufit-Stone, which has long been a major player in paper...

Waste companies predict strong 2008.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A couple of solid waste management companies last week said they are they looking forward to a strong year in 2008. Waste Management Inc. and Waste Connections Inc. reported fourth-quarter and year-end earnings last...

Flow control ruling debated at summit.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan If you think the controversy over flow control terminated with the April Supreme Court ruling in favor of two Upstate New York counties, you probably haven't been huddling with enough trash-savvy insiders. ...

Coke's goal: Recycle 'em all.
February 18, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Coca-Cola Co. has set a long-term goal to recycle or reuse 100 percent of the aluminum cans it sells in the United States. The Atlanta-based soft drink producer uses approximately 60 percent recycled aluminum in its...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Thin, Humdrum Thursday: There's less to talk about in the wake of Super Fat Tuesday than I'd thought there would be. The glut of primaries produced no revelations. The analysts' projections were spot-on. (The...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
February 18, 2008... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.