Posts Tagged ‘renewable products’
Friday, October 16, 2009
E-Waste Recycling Event Saturday! Tomorrow help divert waste and encourage ethical consumerism
The Kansas City Downtown Council is holding an electronic waste collection event Saturday at 3rd and Walnut in the River Market. Sorry I didn’t get this out sooner, since many of your probably have pkans already for tomorrow. But if your happen to be cleaning out your house and don’t know what to do with those old electronics that have been collecting dust and space in your basement/garage/attic/etc, it would be a good idea to head downtown to get rid of your toxic waste correctly and safely.
Some of the bigger items will cost you some money, but that’s what being an ethical consumer is about, right? Actually, California makes purchasers pay for e-waste recycling. Under its law, customers are charged between $8 and $25 above the price of TVs, computer monitors, laptop computers and portable DVD player that will pay for safe recycling.
Just like Kermit, It’s not easy being green…or cheap. But we will pay for it eventually if we don’t start taking ethical consumerism seriously.
Here is a map to get you there.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Grenk and LaserCycle answer KCP&L’s challenge to ‘green’ their printing operations to reduce the major energy supplier’s carbon footprint
Grenk and LaserCycle answer KCP&L’s sustainability challenge to ‘green’ their printers and print supplies
Using Grenk products to green their operations and increase efficiency, Kansas City Power & Light lauded the financial and environmental benefits of using Grenk and LaserCycle products.
“LaserCycle [and Grenk] helped KCP&L’s printers go ‘green,’ said Lora Cheatum, VP Procurement, who presented the green printer challenge. “Their remanufactured printer cartridges actually cost less than what we had been paying, and their zero-landfill recycling program supports the Company’s commitment to be more energy efficient and to improve the total living environment of the customers and communities we serve.”
Working through the Grenk affiliated LaserCycle, the 127 year-old energy supplier continues to implement environmental programs to lessen their impact on the environment, while saving money and keeping rates low for their customers. Visit their “Preserving the Environment” page of their website to learn more about their efforts.
The major Midwest energy supplier, servicing more than 800,000 customers in 47 counties, believes that dedication and leadership in fuel procurement, plant technology, and efficient power production and distribution is key in sustainable energy management.
Grenk would like to return the favor of investing in our green products by thanking the KCP&L for everything they do and continue to do to lessen their carbon footprint.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
E-Stewards video uncovers the infamous face of e-waste
from guest blogger michael timberlake
Check out this video from the Basel Action Network (BAN) that I found on the front of the Surplus Exchange’s website, a KC non-profit electronic donation and recycling organization and an BAN E-Steward Founder. It is far and away the best and most comprehensive video I have seen about e-waste. Covering issues such as corrupt ‘e-waste recyclers’ who make profits from donated electronics, pollution and contamination in developing nations due to primitive metal extraction practices, confidential data security risks in improperly recycled electronics, and poor legislation and enforcement by the U.S. and Canada in curbing this problem.
About BAN and the Surplus Exchange, a local Kansas City non-profit organization:
The Basel Action Network (BAN) is the only organization focused on confronting the global environmental injustice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts. Their E-Waste Stewardship Project is to designate and certify a group of recyclers and refurbishers that have proven a commitment to reaching the highest standards for responsible reuse and recycle of electronics, and to ensure every pound of e-waste is properly recycled and refurbished. Too often, corrupt e-waste recycling centers deceive responsible like you by claiming to operate environmentally-friendly while making profits through illegally shipping your e-waste to other countries or recycle their electronics below standards. The certification is to designate which non-profits and businesses adhere to this standard.
The Surplus Exchange is a non-profit organization that has been operating in Kansas City since 1984, and is an E-Steward Founder. Operating out of the West Bottoms, they take in donated surplus business goods and redistribute them charitably to the non-profit community, students in need, new businesses and are also sold to the general public to help divert the cost of their recycling programs and other efforts. Between 2005-2006 they diverted nearly 1500 tons of just electronics from landfills. However, much of the electronics dropped off or donated cannot be reused and are sent to a reclaiming facility with Surplus Exchange incurring the cost. You can help their efforts by donating or purchasing reusable electronics and business supplies, donating to their cause and efforts, or becoming an E-Champion by helping Surplus Exchange spread through forwarding information via your email. All donations are tax-deductible, go to SurplusExchange.com to learn more.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Recycling program distorts climate change goals in diverting e-waste for commercial benefits
Not all recycling programs can be trusted. This article from the Sacramento Bee unveils how a California recycling program touted to aid climate change goals actually became a way for Hewlett-Packard to benefit their own business at the risk of increasing pollution and costs to the state. Click the screenshot to read the entirety of this important and interesting article!