Here are clips from Mr. Edwards’ letter (emphasis place by me):

“…we manufacture and distribute water products, mainly through Natural Foods Retailers across the Nation. We have been in business for over 15 years and our products offer consumers a way to live litter free and chemical free lives by filtering the water they drink,  they shower and bathe in, and a way to ease the problem with our nation’s landfills.
“There are many environmental issues facing the world today. One of which is the bottled water epidemic that is systematically helping to destroy the environment we live in. It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil — enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year — to make the plastic bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water, according to the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., environmental think tank. Furthermore, The kind of plastic most commonly used for water bottles — polyethylene terephthalate, or PET — is recyclable. But consumers recycle just one of every five bottles they drink, with the rest ending up in landfills, said Pat Franklin, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute….we here at New Wave are trying to combat this by promoting re-usable bottles and home water filtration.

“We offer a full line of BPA free plastic bottles made out of Eastar™ resin, we were the first company to change from poly-carbonate when the BPA studies first came out….We are also proud to carry a corn resin bottle with a built in filter, the first of its kind, which is completely bio-degradable in 180 days in a commercial compost. With these products we hope to alleviate some of the problems facing us today.

“I would like to send you some samples to review, and possibly post on your site.
New Wave Enviro is based in Colorado and being in business over 15 years means we were green when green was still just a color.”

Thanks for your note and your innovation. Send a sample so we can share our analysis and shout loudly. And I look forward to that particular time when I can use your last quote!

Glenn,

I hope all has been well.  We are performing some research on how and what consumers think about biodegradable plastics.  The more response from the general public we receive the better the data.

Below is the link to the survey.  If you are interested in posting a link to the survey I can create a collector created just for Green Streets which would redirect the survey takers to a URL of your choosing at the conclusion of the survey as well as customize the Thank You page.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fktlqEFDW1aNgZgWodfrRA_3d_3d
I would also provide you the survey results data.

Thank you,
Danny Clark
ENSO Bottles, LLC

Meet Planet Blue! source: SavePlanetBlue.com

An interactive online game site, SavePlanetBlue.com has been launched. After one year of development, children around the world are invited to come register and become Planet Blue Savers. Registration is free.

According to the launch announcement, children today are more aware of  environmental issues than at any other time before. Site visitors will encounter an animated 3-D website that provides customizing options.

According to the announcement, kids begin in The Planetarium filled with vibrant colors and a view of the Universe. The Planetarium is where they create their own personal Planet Blue Saver, a bouncing weeble-type character who moves through the website. choosing everything from hairstyle and skin color to the color of the Planet Blue Saver vest.  Navigation will provide communication options for site visitors who participate in games.

Developers of the site claim to be in the midst of developing a television series. A trailer can be seen at http://saveplanetblue.com/trailer/

For many of us, spring is a time when we clean out our basements and garages. The act of spring cleaning is a great way to start anew; however it can also leave us perplexed as to what to do with the leftover fertilizers, pesticides, stains, varnishes and CFLs that we no longer need but know are not safe to throw in the trash.  Through its Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, the City & County of Denver can help you safely dispose of chemicals and other household hazardous waste that you come across during your spring cleaning.

Residents of the City and County of Denver are eligible once per year for a free collection of household hazardous waste.  Residents may schedule a door-to-door collection at their home or in some unique cases, an appointment to drop off materials at the facility. Materials accepted through the program are: aerosols, automotive fluids (degreasers, oils, etc.), batteries, caulk, grout, cleaners and polishes (drain, oven, carpet, etc.), CFLs and fluorescent tubes, expired medications, fertilizer, garden chemicals, gasoline, fuel, kerosene, glue, hobby supplies, insecticides and poisons (bug spray, weed killers, etc.), lubricants, metal polishes, moth balls, paint, photography chemicals, sealants, stains and varnishes, solvents and thinners (turpentine, etc.), pool chemicals and thermometers.

To schedule a collection appointment, please call 1-800-HHW-PKUP (1-800-449-7587).  Please note that you must have at least three different types of items or 25 pounds of materials to schedule an appointment.  Home collections are limited to the contents of the supplied collection kit bag (approximately 12-gallons of materials based on container size) and drop-off collections are limited to 125 pounds.  Additionally, up to 5 auto batteries and a total of 5 fluorescent bulbs (tubes and CFLs) can be included with a collection.  If you have household hazardous waste in excess of 12 gallons or 125 pounds and are willing to pay for its collection, you should speak to the hotline operator about that when you call to make your appointment.

For more information on the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program call 3-1-1 or visit  DenverGov.org/DenverRecycle

View of Denver City & County Building from State Capitol. Pictures courtesy of www.aviewoncities.com

The City & County of Denver has partnered with Best Buy and Guaranteed Recycling Xperts (GRX) offering Denver residents an easy way to recycle their electronic items such as old televisions, monitors and computer components.

According to Denver Recycles, “Disassembling electronics for recycling is an intensive and costly process. The E-cycle Coupon helps to offset the cost of this process and enables resident to drop-off electronic items for recycling at a significantly discounted rate.  To apply for an E-cycle Coupon visit Denver Recycles online at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.”

Today’s email from Denver Recycles continues:

Recycling fees with the E-cycle coupon are as follows:

First Item with coupon  Additional items with coupon    Regular Price (without coupon)
Monitors        $5                      $8                                                      $12
TV’s                 $10                   $15                                                     $15 to $40
Others            $2                      $2                                                      $5
(electronics & small appliances)

Old televisions and monitors with Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT’s) contain significant amounts of lead and other heavy metals, which are toxic substances. When televisions or monitors are placed in landfills and break apart, they release lead along with other toxins into our environment and create serious pollution problems.  Additionally, many electronics contain toxic metals and other hazardous materials, it is important that residents not place their electronics in City trash containers or in City alleys, as they can pose a health risk to neighbors and trash collectors handling these items.

Instead of disposing of electronic waste in the trash, these products can be disassembled and the metals inside, plastic shell and glass can all be recycled.  By recycling these materials, we can conserve our natural resources, reduce strip mining land, lower air and water pollution and lessen the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere.

The E-cycle Coupons are for residents living in the City & County of Denver only, and there is a limit of one coupon per home.  Only a limited number of E-cycle Coupons will be available, and coupons will have an expiration date.  Electronic items will need to be brought to GRX’s facility during normal working hours, and residents will need to present the coupon upon arrival.

To apply for an E-cycle Coupon, visit Denver Recycles online at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.  Denver Recycles is a program of Denver Public Works/Solid Waste Management.

For more information about other Denver Recycles programs call 3-1-1 or visit us online at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.

Boulder, Colorado is home to the University of Colorado

Students at the University of Colorado are used to reaching environmental milestones. The first student-supported windpower program, first student-built biodiesel refining equipment, and the first student-run recycling program are just a few of CU’s national achievements. CU has just reached an important internal milestone however, by recovering the 500th cell phone from its collection program sponsored by the Wireless Alliance.

As director of CU Recycling, I believe this this is a significant accomplishment. And it represents the beginning of recovering more phones.  College students in particular generate a lot of phones because their coverage plan often changes when they move to Boulder. They also demand the latest technologies. As a result, students need to be the best recyclers in the country.

Numerous reports have been released about the lack of cell phone recycling that is really taking place. Some estimate that only a small percentage of cell phones are recycled in the US. According to CTIA, (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) the largest wireless trade association in North America, there are currently over 270,000,000 active cell phone plans in the United States. Yes, that’s 270 million, and there are currently just over 306 million people living in the United States. Looking at these numbers, it seems that everyone carries a cell phone today.

The University of Colorado Environmental Center has several locations to recycle cell phones: in the Alfred Packer Grill at the University Memorial Center, in the Darley Commons at Williams Village. Cell phones can also be taken to the Environmental Center, room 355 of the UMC.

“We are proud to partner with The University of Colorado to help create a cleaner environment at the school,” said Jon Newman, Owner of The Wireless Alliance. “Every cell phone reused or recycled is one less created or thrown away which also reduces environmentally destructive metals mining practices,” said Newman.

Cell Phone manufacturing companies are now releasing phones made with recycled materials. Earlier this month, Motorola released the W233 Renew, the world’s first carbon neutral cell phone. The casing of the cell phone is made from recycled plastic bottles.

For more information about CU Recycling, visit www.colorado.edu/recycle

For more information about the the Wireless Alliance, visit www.thewirelessalliance.com

“Just came across your very kind article on the Change Couture project as well as the video which I had never seen. I love how you ended it with Bruce’s quote “I say to all the artists out there, don’t buy canvas!”

“Anyway, thanks for the plug! I’m assuming you must be on my listserve… I’ll be sending out a newsletter soon with photos and details from the trip.

“Thanks again!”

Nancy Judd
Recycle Runway

Not content with the long-term environmental consequences associated with traditional plastic netting commonly used to control erosion around roads and waterways, Bin Abubakar sought a more responsible solution. What he came up with was a revolutionary project that forgoes plastic netting in favor of locally manufactured, biodegradable netting.  

In addition to providing employment for an entire village that manufactures the netting, the project also eases the burden on local farmers because the material used to make the nets comes from the bark of the York tree, a weed that was once a nuisance for farmers to clear.  

This weed once an expense to clear, has now been transformed into an extra source of income for these farmers.  What’s more, it’s a win-win-win situation as these mats eventually decay, returning their nutrients to the soil and thus aiding the growth of all matter of plants and grasses that will permanently hold the soil down.

Click Here to view “Jute Mats”

The Obamanos Coat

Nancy Judd, New Mexico developer of Recycle Runway and a participant in our video, “Trashy Art,” writes of her new project called the Campaign for Change Couture Collection:  “This new series of garments, made from left over Obama campaign materials, is a documentation of my experience being a volunteer for this historic campaign and is a tribute to the millions of other people (including many of you!) who gave countless hours to assure the election of Barack Obama.”

Judd follows with this missive on important connections:

The Obamanos Coat

“I thought you might enjoy this wonderful article that the New Mexican printed yesterday about the Campaign for Change Couture Collection! http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/Campaign-couture

“Also, the Wall Street Journal just published a story about the Smithsonian’s Obama Exhibit that they are creating and used a photo of my dress! http://blogs.wsj.com:80/runway/2009/01/05/barack-obama-fashion-tchotchke-at-the-smithsonian/ One of my goals is to have the collection included in this very exhibit, what better introduction could I ask for!!

“THANK YOU to so many of you for your support of this project– I can’t tell you how touched I am by your generous contributions and well wishes!”

It is worthwhile to visit to Recycle Runway, pass the information on, and solicit funding assistance.