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How Much E-Waste Do You Produce Each Year?
The answer is 11.5 pounds per person each year, which comes out to 80 billion pounds total.
This week’s top green news stories include mind-blowing facts about e-waste disposal, mercury’s effect on wildlife, and a college spending over $9 million on its sustainability efforts. Click any of the headlines to read the entire story.
1. Mercury’s Harmful Reach Has Grown
In a recent article published by The New York Times, the author discusses the less-publicized benefits of the new mercury standards put in place by the EPA. The dangers of mercury to human health are widely known, and were the main factor behind the new standards. An important side benefit of the stricter standards is the protection of a wide range of wildlife that has been harmed by mercury emissions. This study by the Biodiversity Research Institute states that some birds and other animals suffer from some of the same neurological disorders from mercury as humans, especially children, do. This newly discovered benefit provides even more proof that strict mercury standards are needed, and that manufacturers should find ways to produce materials without using mercury.
If you’re as concerned about mercury levels in the environment as we are, make sure you recycle your light bulbs and other universal waste properly. We have easy to use recycling options on our website. Take a look!
Infographics are really useful and explain facts in an easier to understand format. Most of the time. Infographics, like the one below, do a great job of providing statistics. The problem is, those statistics aren’t always easy to interpret. This article from TreeHugger breaks down the numbers and explains them in greater detail. Read the article and you’ll understand what this infographic really means.
Click image for its source
3. MSU Spends $9.1 Million on Energy Efficiency
If you had $9.1 million to spend, would you use it to improve your energy efficiency? That is exactly what Montana State University decided to do with its money. In an effort to make the entire campus more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, MSU decided to allocate funds to upgrade windows and lighting, improve water conservation and make other mechanical changes. The project is expected to produce around $370,000 in energy savings annually.
4. Willis Tower Looking for New Leasing Agent
Big news for the Chicago commercial real estate market. The new owners of the Willis Tower, American Landmark Properties, are looking for a fresh start, which includes changing its property management company. There is no word on whether or not they will actually make a change, but it is something we should keep an eye on. As a company that works directly with property management companies in Chicago, a story like this really gets us excited, so we had to share with you. We’ll keep you updated if we hear anything about it.
5. Can Electric Trash Trucks Pick Up Steam?
Electric cars are no longer a thing of the future. While there is still a lot of room for improvement in the electric car industry, it seems like they are here to stay. So it only makes sense that this “green” technology would make its way in to the waste industry, right? Well, it has. A Canadian car manufacturer called AGT Electric Cars recently unveiled its new electric garbage truck. As is the case with a lot of things, there is a catch with this new garbage truck. It’s too small to be street legal. Because of that, AGT is targeting malls, college campuses, resorts, municipal parks and other operations with multiple trash bins and a lot of real estate to cover. Read more about these trucks by click the link above.
Do you have any news stories that you think our readers should know about? Please share them in the comments section below. We’d love to hear about some of the things you’re reading!
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us at any time.
