Category: Webinars

The Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN) Pollution Prevention (P2) Conference is expanding.  We are joining forces with CalRecycle’s Used Oil/HHW Conference scheduled for May 15-17, 2012 at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento.  WSPPN is very excited about this collaboration and would like you to comment on the following theme concepts.  New ideas are welcomed too.

Themes:

Come Together: Building towards a Healthier Environment

Coming Together for a Green and Clean Environment

Coming Together – Integrating for Sustainable Environment

Submit comment

Joint Conference Audience Profile:

• State and local governments, agencies, businesses and non-profits
• Interest in P2 and source reduction, toxics reduction, emerging chemicals, chemical and toxics regulation; household hazardous waste, used oil, and successful approaches for changing behavior by consumers and businesses.

More information:

• HHW/Used Oil Conference: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/HomeHazWaste/Events/AnnualConf/.

Thanks to the University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center

High Volume – Low Pressure (HVLP) spray guns are often viewed as the holy grail of spray painting transfer efficiency (TE).   Quite often, HVLP is automatically assigned a generous TE rating of 65% without much (if any) consideration of coating characteristics, spray gun setup parameters, finish quality requirements, and the geometry of the work pieces being coated.  In general, any type of spray equipment (including HVLP) is capable of being used inefficiently if set up improperly.  This is largely how conventional air spray equipment has developed such a bad reputation for transfer efficiency (generally considered to be 50% at best).

Don’t get me wrong, HVLP spray equipment definitely offers some impressive benefits in certain applications and if used properly.  It does, however, have its share of limitations.  Most notably, it lacks the energy needed to sufficiently atomize high viscosity (i.e., high solids – low VOC) coatings.  In an effort to remedy this, particularly in situations where HVLP use is required, a spray operator may reduce the coating’s viscosity by adding solvent.  This quickly negates the environmental benefit of high solids – high performance coatings.

The following are two fundamental points I’ve learned from over a decade of experience in working with companies that apply coatings:

• · Spray equipment needs to be compatible with coating characteristics, finish quality requirements, production demands, and product characteristics; and
• · Optimal efficiency (in any type of coating application) is most effectively and readily achieved by the proper selection, set up, and operation of spray equipment.  This, of course, is complemented by the ability to recognize and diagnose application problems.

If this article has sparked any interest on how proper spray gun selection and setup might benefit your coating operation, you might be interested in reading a case study made available through the following link.  It compares the application efficiency and finish quality of pressure-fed HVLP and conventional air spray equipment, using spray gun operating conditions deliberately set up for performance.   The findings may surprise you.

Case Study Link

Welcome to the May Hospitality Newsletter from EPA Region 9

I am the EPA Region 9 Green Hospitality Coordinator.  I provide these periodic newsletters in order to share information that may be of interest to lodging and other hospitality facilities.  The newsletter is targeted primarily to Green Lodging Programs, to provide information you can share with your member facilities.  Please forward this newsletter to any who may be interested including hotels, restaurants, casinos or others in the hospitality industry.  I am available to help you address any challenges faced by hospitality businesses as they work to reduce their environmental impacts and move toward sustainability.

Please feel free to reply and let me know how this e-mail newsletter can be more helpful for you, or if you have any questions or concerns.  I welcome items to include in the next newsletter and I encourage you to share your successes with others.  Also let me know if you would prefer not to receive these messages.

Disclaimer: Some of the events, articles and websites listed in this email are not sponsored by EPA.  EPA is listing them for your information only.  EPA is not responsible for their content and does not endorse any commercial product, service, enterprise, or policy that may be included.

1. 2,500 Products Now Approved under EPA Safer Product Labeling Program
2. EPA Announces New Addition to Energy Star Commercial Fryers Category
3. MasterCard helps track the carbon-cost of business travel
4. National Environmental Sustainability Summit, June 8, 2011 (Michigan)
5. New “Toolkit” for Planning, Tracking and Benchmarking Your Healthy Food Progress

Read the complete EPA Region 9 Hospitality Newsletter here

 

I am the EPA Region 9 Green Hospitality Coordinator. I provide these periodic newsletters in order to share information that may be of interest to lodging and other hospitality facilities. The newsletter is targeted primarily to Green Lodging Programs, to provide information you can share with your member facilities. Please forward this newsletter to any who may be interested including hotels, restaurants, casinos or others in the hospitality industry. I am available to help you address any challenges faced by hospitality businesses as they work to reduce their environmental impacts and move toward sustainability.

Please feel free to reply and let me know how this e-mail newsletter can be more helpful for you, or if you have any questions or concerns. I welcome items to include in the next newsletter and I encourage you to share your successes with others. Also let me know if you would prefer not to receive these messages.

Disclaimer: Some of the events, articles and websites listed in this email are not sponsored by EPA.  EPA is listing them for your
information only.  EPA is not responsible for their content and does not endorse any commercial product, service, enterprise, or policy that may be included.

1. FREE: Sustainable Hospitality Webinar Discussion: Bedbugs, Part II
2. Carbon Calculator Resources
3. Free Energy Star Training – for non-techies
4. Just for Fun – rewards of recycling – a quick video

The next two are Invitations to join an online Network and a separate workgroup – see below for explanation of the difference

5. National Sustainable Lodging Network
6. New NPPR Workgroup – Sustainable Hospitality

Read the complete EPA Region 9 Hospitality Newsletter here

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Program is offering a Webinar on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Eastern titled “National Residential Efficiency Measures Database Unveiled.” Register now to attend this free Webinar.

The National Residential Efficiency Measures Database project aims to provide a national unified database of residential building retrofit measures and associated costs. This Webinar will provide an overview of the measures database project, progress to date, and planned enhancements for the future.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the database. Target audiences include residential efficiency program managers, Home Energy Rating System (HERS)/audit software developers, home performance contractors, efficiency product representatives, and building science researchers.

Learn more about the Webinar.

WSPPN WEBINAR SCHEDULE for First Quarter, 2011

Date:  Thursday, January 20, 2011

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM PST

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/977868962

Purchasers and consumers are demanding goods and services with a lower environmental footprint, but the market is getting flooded with claims about constitutes a “green” product. This session will help participants sort through confusing claims about sustainable products. It will include a review of types of labels and what they mean, what to look for in labels and certifications, and new programs coming on line that will help all purchasers.

Representatives of the West Coast States Environmental Preferable Purchasing Collaborative will talk about how states are encouraging green products in state procurement solicitations.

Presenters: Alicia Culver, Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN); Joshua Saunders, GoodGuide, Karin Kraft, Washington Department of Ecology

WSPPN WEBINAR SCHEDULE For First Quarter 2011

Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2011                      

Time:  10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PST

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/623606050

The hospitality industry utilizes vast amounts of resources including materials, energy, and water. This webinar is a case study on how some enterprising individuals were able to move their hotel chains to go green; not only reducing the environmental footprint but also impacting the hotel’s bottom line. 

David Hansen is Director of Engineering for Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe that is part of the Hilton Hotel Chain.  Getting his management to invest in greening operations during a downed economy was just the first step in this inspirational story.  Now David is leading the way towards resource reduction and energy efficiency in the entire Hilton Hotel Chain. 

How do you get the world’s largest hotel chain to go green?  Tim Burns, Hospitality Management Trainer will explain programs and best practices Best Western International is implementing to encourage their hotels to go green. 

Andy Bray, Project Manager for Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA) will talk about P2Rx’s National Sustainable Lodging Network, an online community of sustainable hospitality practitioners and a clearinghouse to support the work of this community.

Moderated by Donna Walden, Regional Coordinator for Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN).