Pollution Engineering - September 2008 - (Page 21)

GREENFILES B y R o y B ig h a m a n d S e th Fisher Being green is here to stay and it can make real sense as well as cents. Herein are stories describing how companies today are taking advantage of the awesome power of green. Recycled Office Supplies ifteen years ago, the market for environmentally responsible office supplies was virtually non-existent. Today, CEOs, marketing executives, and ad agencies are ever-so-eager to position their respective companies as “environmentally friendly.” F As many customers and businesses jump on the green bandwagon with recycling programs, it b becomes increasbd h l ingly more important that those in the office supply business create economic pull-through for the recovered materials collected via recycling programs. According to Tom Kemper, founder and CEO of Dolphin Blue, offering products made of recycled materials creates that economic pull-through, closing the loop. “We need to educate our customers on why it’s important to buy recycled products so that recycling really does work,” said Kemper, whose company retails environmentally responsible office supplies. “The quality of recycled-content products does not come into question as it did in the early and mid-’90s,” said Kemper. “The products then did not compare to the quality of environmentally responsible products available today. Even papers made from 100 percent post consumer recycled waste fibers (old paper) perform like virgin papers, flawlessly producing the image quality and performance required by the most demanding user.” Kemper said he would be in for anyone that wants to call and learn more. Visit www.dolphinblue.com for additional information. of vehicles in the world, spent $1.7 billion on gasoline for its trucks and other vehicles last year. Each time the price increases by one penny, it costs the public $8 million more each year. Meanwhile, the service’s 220,000 vehicles are a major source of tailpipe pollution. Walter O’Tormey, vice president of engineering for W the postal service, told reporters that the USPS was currently ren using 43,000 vehicles to test a variety of technologies, including ethanol, hydrogen, methane and electricity. “We incl y know kno that we would be bankrupting the next generation if we rup were wer to make a decision to buy the wrong vehicle,” he said. For example, the service joined F a test in California that is being te audited by General Motors to aud use hydrogen-powered vehicles. GM is placing 100 vehicles in the market to test and will oversee ma the maintenance of each one. h The USPS noted that their vehicles’ unique driving concles’ ditions – with all the starting and stopping their couriers are required to do – will be a good test of these technologies. So far, the only concern reported is the quietness of the electric and hydrogen vehicles, which do much of their operation in residential neighborhoods where small children may be at play; they fear that it might be difficult for pedestrians to hear them coming. Making the Best of It In the wake of the massive floods that swept through the Midwest in June, the EPA and the Best Buy retail store chain have partnered to collect and recycle thousands of consumer electronic goods, also known as e-goods, that were ruined by recent Iowa floods. An official partner of the agency’s Plug-In to eCycling program since 2006, the retailer has contracted with the Materials Processing Corp., which will recycle all e-goods collected from Iowa’s flooded areas. Through the partnership, according to EPA sources, approximately 5,544 pieces of electronic equipment will be put on 250 pallets for transporting to the company’s facilities in Egan, Minn. Six semi trucks will be used to transport damaged materials collected from several Iowa cities affected by June’s flooding. Postal Service Gets Green Stamps The U.S. Postal Service, which operates the largest fleet SEPTEMBER2008 www.pollutionengineering.com 21 http://www.dolphinblue.com http://www.pollutionengineering.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pollution Engineering - September 2008

Pollution Engineering - September 2008 Contents The Editor’s Desk Reader Comments EnviroNews PE Events Legal Lookout Environmental Management The Green Files Guest Dialog 500-Year Storm Control How Do You Clean Up 100 Years of Pollution? SPCC: Don’t Wait and See The Next Wave in Air Purification An Invitation to the Windy City Flood Control Infrastructure Saves ‘Green’ Puts a New Spin on Pest Control Instrumentation Products Material Safety and Storage Equipment PE Products Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index State Rules

Pollution Engineering - September 2008

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