EPA Fines Sims Metal $189K for Polluting SF Bay

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice announced the $189,000 fine against Sims Metal Management on Thursday September 18th over allegations that it polluted the San Francisco Bay with toxic metal debris. The EPA charged the company with allowing toxic dust from metal to fall off a conveyor system and into a creek that feeds into the San Francisco Bay since at least the early 1990’s. As part of a settlement agreement, the recycling company will be required to pay the cost of cleanup in addition to the fine.

Sims Metal spokeswoman Jill Rodby said the company has implemented a number of best practices around the conveyor and agreed to the settlement without acknowledging any wrongdoing.

Source: NBC Bay Area

Another great Green article from Green Halo Systems
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Have a Green Party This Weekend!

 

Green weddings, green parties, please invite us! @GreenhaloUSA on Twitter, we’ll hope to see you soon! Click here for some tips on how to throw either type of party.

Nice day for a green wedding

The green party: how to throw one…

Lake Erie Toxins Contaminated Toledo’s Drinking Water

Algae blooms in Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes in North America that borders Canada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan and contaminated Toledo, Ohio’s tap water to a scary point. Phosphorous and nitrogen from farm runoff, livestock runoff, and sewage systems make the algae in this lake bloom, it’s also a shallow, warm lake that also contributes to algal growth. On Saturday, August 2^nd, 2014, the City of Toledo put an alert warning people not to drink or bathe in the water from the city water supply which affected about 400,000-500,000 residents.

The toxin is called microcystin which is produced by the algae microcystis. This toxin causes skin rashes, may result in vomiting and liver damage if ingested. The U.S. EPA and the Ohio EPA showed that the toxin returned to safe levels just a few days later but the issue is “too close for comfort” according to the Toledo Blade.

Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/toledos-water-supply-was-contaminated-toxins-algae-180952242/?no-ist

Save A Blade

 

This eco-friendly gadget is available for sale on Amazon.com, we came across it while looking for places that accept used razor blades. This save a blade shaves down razors so that they are sharp again reducing the amount of expensive, metal crafted razor blades that you’ll use! The product description says that 1 razor blade can be resharpened up to 200 times with the Save A Blade.

We often get asked about recycling used razor blades by our customers and 1 easy piece of advice is that you should check with your regular household garbage hauler to see what their policy on sharps are. Often times, they will ask you to wrap the blade up very well in tape so that people shouldn’t get cut, and that can be tossed in your recycling perhaps inside of an empty can if you have one.

Knowing how to recycle razor blades is important, for more information, please click here.

People Stored Used Razor Blades Behind their Walls?!

Stories about illegal waste are some of our favorites because this is one major reason why Green Halo Systems is so revolutionary. In case you didn’t know that strict recycling and disposal regulations are due in part to issues with environmentally devastating dumping like the two examples provided so far, it has played a huge part in our current waste management system.

Anyways, in simpler times some homes had a slit in their medicine cabinet to…drop their old razor blade in and let it slip behind the wood works. This sounds like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe story but it has been verified.

 

Well…we learn something new everyday.

Please, Tweet us if you like us @GreenHaloUSA

 

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/264800-how-to-dispose-of-used-razor-blades/

San Francisco Will Be World’s First Zero-Waste Town by 2020

San Francisco, California achieved a remarkable diversion rate of 80% which is higher than any other U.S. city and they plan to be a zero-waste city by 2020! Talk about an extreme amount of planning, consideration and most importantly a great shift in habits.

Since 2009 the city’s municipal ordinance requires city-wide source separation of all organic materials, that means that urban food waste and composting measures were put into effect. There are also three bins for composting, recycling and lastly their (sometimes smaller) trash cart! Besides requiring San Franciscans to contribute food waste to compost, and the three bins which encourage recycling, the third effective phenomenon that has been seen in San Francisco is a reduction in the amount of convenience items such as plastic bags that shoppers use.

Now, the city has 20% more waste diversion to go to reach their goal of zero waste and our source has a good point that this last bit might be the most challenging. Although San Francisco has the right incentives, technology, habits and laws, there are still more convenience items in their waste steam that will be key in achieving zero waste.

Please, tell us what you think @greenhalousa on Twitter

Our recent blog posts about San Francisco working towards zero waste:

 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall–Who’s the Greenest of Them All?
San Francisco Bans Bottled Water on City Property
Cultivate Festival

 

 

Sources: http://bit.ly/UO3Zkg

and

http://bit.ly/1oR5dYq

What is the Fashion Industry Doing to the Environment?

For one thing the dye from blue jeans is being washed away into rivers and oceans.

In addition, rivers and the land that crops are cultivated in are toxic as a result of clothing manufacturing in areas such as China, Bangladesh and India.

People living near these polluted waters must filter their water which we’ve also written about:

1. The most effective way to combat tap water pollution

2. The Production of Bio-products as a Source of Energy and Waste Water Treatment

Blue jeans are probably here to stay and while it’s good that the fashion industry is more eco-friendly than ever, the current levels of pollution are so extreme that indigo blue dye runoff from jean factories can be seen enering the ocean from space.

 

Source: http://www.ecouterre.com/riverblue-is-an-upcoming-documentary-exploring-the-dark-side-of-denim/

Please, connect with us @WasteTracking on Twitter to let us know what you think.

$73 Million From the World Bank Went to Copper Mining in Africa

The World Bank announced early this year that they will support the building of The Inga 3 hydroelecyric dam, Africa’s largest copper producer with $73 million.

The World Bank is funding the “environmental- and social-impact studies for the project on the Congo River. South Africa and Congo agreed to develop the $12 billion dam that would produce about 4,800 megawatts and supply electricity to both nations…” according to Businessweek.com.

Kawtanga is the region with the majority of copper mines and the Congo wants to start construction by October 2015.

 

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-07-27/world-bank-to-support-construction-of-congo-s-inga-3-hydro-plant

Harley-Davidson’s Much Anticipated Electric Bike Photos and More!

LiveWire by Harley-Davidson is a super-fast and energy efficient electric motorcycle

Harley’s Electric Engine

Handmade demonstration models of Harley-Davidson’s first electric motorcycle, LiveWire, were shown in New York at an invitation-only event. Harley’s research facility is in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and it’s designed to go from 0 to 60 in less than four seconds.

LiveWire on the Road

With the increase in sustainability and environmental trends over the years, the President of Harley, Matt Levatich explains that these trends are part of the lifestyle and the requirements of riders. Harley’s decision really puts electric motorcycles on the map since no one can tell how big this industry will be or how significant it will be but Harley has the resources to make it humongous.

It has been said that there is almost zero market size currently for a full-sized electric bike, so one common thought is that Harley has the marketing power to create demand for full-sized electric bikes. Not only is Harley going to generate some demand, they will also work to lower costs, build charging stations, and to improve technology that will in-turn, help all of the players in the market. In 2012 Harley sold 260,000 bikes, and Zero Motorcycles, the top seller of full-sized, high-powered electric bikes sold only 2,400 electric bikes in 2013.

 

Hand-built LiveWire

 

 

 Source: http://wastetracking.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/harleydavidson-coveted-livewire-electric-motorcycle-story/

 

Another great Green article from Green Halo

Track your recycling at www.greenhalosystems.com

Follow Green Halo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/greenhalousa

Toledo, Ohio is getting a new sustainable urban park!

The UpTown Green Park is located at 18^th St and Madison Ave., Toledo, Ohio. There are a number of green features such as a grey water system that will be used in the park rain garden. There are also native plants in the park and most of exciting of all, after 3 years of planning and development it’s expected to open in the coming days!

 

Also much anticipated, is the fate of a near-by and vacant building. Planning for it’s future and creating a budget for it’s goals are already underway. The source writes about the potential for it to become a mixed use, residential and commercial building among other things.

 

Source: http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/2014/07/14/Construction-of-UpTown-Green-nears-completion.html

 

Another great Green article from Green Halo

Track your recycling at www.greenhalosystems.com

Follow Green Halo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/greenhalousa