Category: News

Two tips for more profitable shredding of waste

Source: Environmental Expert

There’s a lot that can be done to optimise your waste shredding operations, but we feel that these two points sum them all up nicely:

1. Maximise your business opportunities

This can be done by choosing the right machinery. For example, if your shredder is suitable for a variety of materials, you multiply your chances of earning, and if you can adjust and fine-tune the process with minimum interference to your waste shredding process, even better!

Mobility is also an issue to take into consideration. What if the shredder is stationary, on a semi-trailer or on tracks? What kind of an impact does it have on your business?

2. Minimise your operation costs

Let’s take a look at an imaginary example:

Assuming that a shredder unit costs 330 000 euros and has a life cycle of 10 000 operating hours, purchase price accounts for 35% of the total operating costs. General maintenance and the operator’s wages make up around 23%, which leaves a massive 42% for fuel. It’s easy to see where the biggest savings can be made and, on the other hand, where the biggest gains in profit can be made.

To save fuel, you need to be able to fully understand all the parameters that affect the production rate, the quality of the end product and fuel consumption. When choosing new machinery, make sure that it has the functionality for tracking your vital process parameters. Otherwise you won’t know where to start optimising! In addition to fuel consumption, the trackable parameters may be production rate and goals, service intervals, alarms or a comparison between different operators.

If you don’t have enough information on what’s happening in your process, you are like a pilot who is trying to land his plane without instruments in zero visibility. You need a clear cockpit view in order to succeed.

Going Beyond Compliance: Best-in-Class Environmental Performance

Join Environmental Leader on Wednesday, May 23rd, 8am Pacific/11am Eastern for a webinar discussing how to reach beyond environment, health and safety regulations to enhance efficiency, improve competitiveness and reduce risks.

An increasing number of companies are re-evaluating their EH&S programs. This re-assessment is leading to an expanded role for EH&S as companies look to not only ensure compliance, but also to better understand their risks and opportunities and deliver on business and sustainability objectives.

Traditionally, compliance has been considered a “burden” and a drain on an organizations resources, time and budget. In addition, ineffective environmental management can expose organizations to significant risk and increase operational complexities.

In this live webcast, you will hear how best-in class companies are addressing the expanded role of EH&S and applying vital technology to transform the burden of compliance into an opportunity to drive operational efficiencies, enhance sustainability performance, and reduce overall risks.

Register here to join The Dow Chemical Company along with experts from Aberdeen and IHS as they discuss best practices in EHS and sustainability management and provide critical insight from companies who have put these best practices into action.

Topics of discussion will include:

  • The profile and unique qualities of leaders in EH&S
  • Strategies for streamlining compliance work processes to reduce risks and improve competitiveness
  • Key success factors in evolving an EH&S program, including cross-functional collaboration and training
  • How data can help create a roadmap for continuous improvement, provide a foundation for better decisions and drive action.

Register now and don’t miss this chance to hear firsthand how leading companies are going beyond compliance to optimize processes and deliver best-in-class environmental performance.

Click here and scroll down for speaker bios and registration information.

PCBs Hazards Exposed in Online Video

Source:  Cochrane & Associates, LLC

PCBs belong to a broad family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. They were domestically manufactured from 1929 until their ban in 1979 and were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications.

Although no longer commercially produced in the United States, PCBs may still be present in products and materials produced before the 1979 PCB ban. In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new guidance regarding PCBs in caulk from buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978.  The EPA recommends testing for PCBs in peeling, brittle, cracking or deteriorating caulk in buildings, especially around school environments.

“To help people understand the hazards associated with PCBs the IAQ Video Network released a public outreach video on the toxic chemicals,” reported Paul Cochrane, President of Cochrane and Associates, the company behind the IAQ Video Network.  “We hope this video opens people’s eyes to the potential hazard of being exposed to this material.”

To view the video please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di0MKIDUya8

EPA REPORT IDENTIFIES AND ENCOURAGES THE USE OF SAFER ALTERNATIVES TO WIDELY-USED TOXIC SURFACTANTS

On May 9, EPA Design for Environment (DfE) Alternatives Assessment Program released a report identifying safer alternatives to Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). NPEs are substances widely used in laundry detergents and other consumer products and proven toxic to aquatic organisms. The program is voluntary and awards partner companies that pledge to use these safer alternatives.

For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/npe/index.htm.

New Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Clothes Washers and Dishwashers to Save Consumers Billions on Energy Bills

Source: Department of Energy

As part of the Obama Administration’s focus on taking sensible steps to save families money while also reducing energy consumption, the Department of Energy today announced common-sense energy efficiency standards for residential clothes washers and dishwashers that will save consumers $20 billion in energy and water costs. The new standards for both clothes washers and dishwashers were informed by important feedback from manufacturers, consumer groups, and environmental advocates, producing significant savings while retaining consumer choice. The clothes washers standard announced today will save households approximately $350 over the lifetime of the appliance, while offering consumers a variety of more efficient machine choices, and as a result of the standards for dishwashers, home dishwashers will use approximately 15% less energy and more than 20% less water, directly providing consumers with savings on monthly bills.

Full story

Effluent Limitations Guidelines and New Source Performance Standards for the Airport Deicing Category

SUMMARY

EPA is promulgating technology-based effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and new source performance standards (NSPS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges from airport deicing operations. The requirements generally apply to wastewater associated with the deicing of airfield pavement at primary airports. The rule requires all such airports to comply with requirements based on substitution of less toxic pavement deicers that do not contain urea. The rule also establishes NSPS for wastewater discharges associated with aircraft deicing for a subset of new airports. These airports must also meet requirements based on collection of deicing fluid and treatment of the collected fluid. The ELGs and NSPS will be incorporated into National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the permitting authority. EPA expects compliance with this regulation to reduce the discharge of deicing-related pollutants by 16 million pounds per year. EPA estimates the annual cost of the rule at $3.5 million.

Federal Register Notice

Greening the OR® Video Contest Winner

Practice Greenhealth Names Inova Health System Greening the OR® Video Contest Winner

“The Recycle Mash” promotes sustainability in the operating room

(Reston, Virginia) The winning submission in the Practice Greenhealth Greening the OR® Video Contest was announced at CleanMed, the leading conference for health care sustainability professionals. Inova Health System won the contest with “The Recycle Mash,” which received more than 1,800 views during the contest period.

“Inova Health System recognizes the efforts of our staff to safeguard public health and the environment,” said Knox Singleton, Chief Executive Officer. “We are honored to be recognized for our hard work and leadership—and we had a lot of fun making the video.”

To view the video visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrcKZjNI2_Y&feature=colike.

Operating rooms are some of the most resource-intensive and largest waste-generating areas of a hospital. A recent study estimated supply costs of operating rooms could eat up as much as 56 percent of total operating room budgets, and produce between 20 to 30 percent of a hospital’s total waste volume. In addition, most operating room supplies are thrown out after just one use (or no use at all if they are part of a surgical kit), even though re-use may be an option.

Greening the OR® endorsers and sponsors were challenged to plan and produce their own Greening the OR® videos, showcasing their creativity and talent, while illustrating how to reduce costs and also reduce waste, energy use, and worker and patient exposure to hazardous chemicals. The videos captured successes in all areas of green ORs and were geared to:

  • Promote sustainability in health care and hospital facilities
  • Entertain and interest viewers –industry peers and customers
  • Highlight the Greening the OR® program

“We were excited by the enthusiasm we saw in all of the entries,” said Laura Wenger, RN, Executive Director. “It was a hard decision, as each hospital brings a great deal of experience and expertise in reducing operating room impacts and costs to the table.  Inova’s video stood out because of the level of creativity, community involvement and number of strategies highlighted, as well as the number of views it received.”

“The Recycle Mash” was showcased May 1, 2012 in Denver, CO, at CleanMed, the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.  At the event, Inova Health System also achieved System for Change; Inova Alexandria Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Inova Loudoun Hospital and Inova Mount Vernon Hospital achieved Partner for Change with Distinction, and Inova Fairfax Hospital achieved Partner for Change.

Walmart Cuts Outdoor Water Use with WeatherTrak Devices; Three Products Launched

As reported on Environmental Leader

Walmart stores equipped with WeatherTRAK smart irrigation controllers have reduced outdoor water use an average of 39 percent since they were installed in 2008, the companies have announced.

HydroPoint Data Systems supplied 631 of its WeatherTRAK controllers at select Walmart stores. The systems, which are designed to eliminate landscape water waste, harmful run-off and costly hardscape damage, were added during new store construction and as retrofit projects.

The controllers use an online tool that gives Walmart remote access to the system, and provides water use data for property managers, landscape contractors and company executives.

Walmart has launched several efforts to cut water consumption at its stores in recent years. Walmart China, for instance, has reduced water use by 54.2 percent since 2005 through sensor faucets, pressure-reducing valves and wastewater reclaim systems, according to the company’s 2011 sustainability report.

Petaluma, Calif.,-based HydroPoint Data Systems has also just announced the release of three WeatherTRAK smart irrigation and central control products, including a mobile app that will be available in June 2012. WeatherTRAK Mobile gives users real-time alerts and the ability to control the irrigation system remotely, technology that aims to reduce the need for on-site troubleshooting and diagnostics.

The company also announced WeatherTRAK LC Central, a plug-and-play system equipped with two-way wireless communication. The system is designed for light commercial and high-end residential installations, including business parks, city medians and small retail centers.

HydroPoint also released WeatherTRAK WirelessFlow, a wireless sensing product that monitors and alerts property managers to leaks, station-based flow management and catastrophic mainline breaks without the high cost of hardscape trenching.