Search

This article reports that experts and advocates spout convincing statistics about how construction waste and demolition debris chokes the landfills and harms the environment. In the U.S. and Western Europe, a half ton of construction waste and demolition debris is produced per capita annually. Experts also say that instead of demolishing a building and dumping the remains in landfills, we should reuse and recycle old building materials. This practice has a long history. Roman and Greek columns and capitals showed up in buildings built by successors all over ancient Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Today, houses throughout the U.S. contain the recycled lumber of dismantled structures.

This article discusses how U.S. automakers are turning their manufacturing facilities into a zero landfill as part of their green manufacturing practices. At the Subaru Indiana Automotive (SIA) Inc. plant, solvent-soaked polyester rags from the paint shop are treated onsite by a recycling company. General Motors for its part has continually increased its commitment to green manufacturing since 1995 while BMW's Greer, South Carolina plant employees are making its assembly facility zero landfill.

The article discusses the InSinkErator's Grind2Energy system, a food-waste disposal solution for homeowners' food-wastes. Topics include the "quiet home" concept as part of the Home builders and designers open floor plan settings, the municipal landfill issue in which landfill disposal is prohibited in some areas and the food-waste disposer that processes the food waste into renewable energy or fertilizer.

This article reports that large quantities of construction and demolition debris in addition to municipal solid waste, which can produce hydrogen sulphide, lowering landfill gas quality and increasing operations and maintenance costs through the post-closure period. The construction and demolition debris contains gypsum in discarded wallboard, and some sites in the U.S. have historically used ground construction and demolition debris fines as daily cover. Under anaerobic landfill conditions, sulfate-reducing bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide from the sulfate in gypsum and the organic carbon in waste. From the reaction, 100 tons of land-filled sulfates have the potential of producing 35 tons of hydrogen sulphide. Most of this potential will likely be realized during the active landfill gas production phase. Several landfills across the country that have been collecting large amounts of construction and demolition debris are installing gas processing equipment to treat hydrogen sulfide concentrations in excess of 3 to 5 percent. Percentage levels of hydrogen sulfide require treatment to prevent acid corrosion of gas recovery hardware, reduce odors and minimize worker safety concerns.

Focuses on the redevelopment of landfills into golf courses in the U.S. Legal concerns that must be addressed in redeveloping landfills; Technical issues arising from the redevelopment of a landfill site; Approaches which can be used to protect structures from landfill gas.

Presents information on New York City's move to close the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. Detailed information on the closure; Reasons for this move; Cost of this closure; Comments from Phil Gleason, landfill engineer and others. INSET: Gas duct and cover system.

The article presents a case study of the energy from incoming waste streams project of Detroit Renewable Power (DRP), a subsidiary of Detroit Renewable Energy consortium. Topics discussed include the energy derived from waste (EFW), oversized bulky waste (OBW), and the Doppstadt DW 3080K slow-speed shredder. Other topics include renewable energy supply, landfill, and fossil fuel.

The article presents the preliminary cash flow associated with the process of garbage collection of more known as from curbside to landfill system in the U.S. Garbage truck or trash haulers can allegedly generate additional revenue by simply collecting municipal solid wastes (MSW) placed at the curbside along with fees paid by each of their customers. They also receive another tipping fee if they deliver straight what they have collected to a landfill for disposal.

The article discusses landfills which are poised to bring greenhouse gas offsets to market and the additional incentives for the beneficial use of landfill gas. The use of landfill gas (LFG) as an energy source in the ceramic industry, it says, is driven by both economic and environmental considerations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports an increase in LFG project activities in the U.S. and worldwide. A process diagram of a landfill gas energy project is presented as well a summary of LFG use in the ceramic industry.

The article discusses the successful recycling program developed by Washington Mills to reuse the spent material of aluminum oxide back to its furnace operation. For years Washington Mills worked over to modify the furnace operations process of spent abrasive grain disposal, heavily investing on researches to make its aluminum oxide manufacturing process a completely closed-loop system. The program enables the manufacturer to eliminate its landfill costs, reduced impact on the environment, controlled raw material costs and maximize customer experience.

The article focuses on the diversion of carpets from landfills for other uses in the U.S. According to the Carpet America Recovery Efforts (CARE) organization reported at its annual meeting, half-a-billion of pounds of carpet had been diverted in its first four years of existence. Moreover, the release of CARE Fourth Annual Report included updates on progress the organization has made in its four years of existence which showed an increase of 108 from the amount reported diverted in 2004.

The article discusses the inclusion of a wireless Ethernet radio system to preserve the a natural-looking environment and way of life near the Ada County Landfill in southwestern Idaho. All power and water lines for the landfill are buried underground, which complements the desire of the county to make the area as visually pleasing as possible. Prosoft Corp.'s radios provided the real-time access to landfill data that enable the county to make informed decisions affecting the safety and health of residents and landfill employees.

The article focuses on debris cleanup efforts in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina hitting the state. Three contractors are working in Louisiana. They are equally splitting $2 billion dollars in Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity debris removal contracts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began the Federal Emergency Management Agency-funded debris mission on September 6, 2005 with the goal of clearing non-flooded areas within five months and flooded areas within a year. With the exception of recylables, the debris is being disposed of locally, even in the greater New Orleans area where the landfills are groaning.

The article presents information about a $200 million redevelopment project in seventy acres of a tainted property in Carteret, New Jersey. The site, a landfill dosed since 1986, will soon house the iPort 12 International Trade& Logistics Center, a 1.2-million-sq. The big scale of remediation planned for the Carteret site reflects many market factors, including a short supply of developable land and the boost from New Jersey's brownfields laws, which the state reformed in the 1990s to pave the way for these kinds of projects.

Reports developments related to electronics the U.S. as of December 2002. Plans of Royal Philips Electronics to simplify the structure of the electronic activities; Evaluation of the degradation of foam blowing agents in landfills; Insights on consumer's behavior and attitude toward electronic products.

Focuses on the use of detection systems for identifying the contents of the cylinders excavated from an unofficial landfill in Idaho. Physical conditions of the cylinders; Need for a long term monitoring of the cylinders; Use of radioisotope to identify the contents of the container.

The article reports that architects who come to San Francisco with ambitions beyond bay windows tend to get discouraged. But that does not appear to be the case at the new Mission Bay campus of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), now rising on 43 acres of landfill and former rail yards just south of the city's downtown. The campus has an ambitious design agenda, stemming from the need to attract faculty away from the main UCSF campus across the city, as well as the University of California's sense of civic obligation.

A setback for advocates of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, in China, occurred on March 9 when a Hong Kong court ruled that the region's government can proceed on a landfill project that will reduce the size of the harbor to ease traffic congestion. The Hong Kong skyline is known for its picturesque harbor, a natural symbol of the city's beauty, and in stark contrast to its crowded urban grid of skyscrapers and elevated roadways. In recent years, harbor protectionists and city planners have had an acrimonious relationship. The harbor has slowly been reduced to about half of its original size as the government continues to fill in the waterway for public works and lucrative developments, claims the Society for the Protection of the Harbour, a nonprofit organization, which was the plaintiff in the lawsuit.

This article reports that Honda Motor Co. has achieved its zero waste to landfill target, one of the most important goals in the company's longstanding Green Factory initiative in North America, with 10 of its 14 manufacturing plants operating with zero waste to landfills.

The article presents a case study where in Tanner Excavating owner Pat Tanner faces the problem of removing excessive waste at the sites of his company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It says that Tanner purchased the EZ Grout Hog Crusher following a demonstration by a local dealer representative to crush the concrete waste piled at his property. It adds that Tanner's son spent his evenings crushing the pile resulting in more than 200,000 pounds of usable fill for parking lot or driveway underlay.

The article reports on the order by the Department of Environmental Quality to electric power company Duke Energy Corp. to transfer its remaining coal ash impoundments at six power plants in North Carolina and move ash to lined landfills. It notes the order will cost the company billions of money to implement. It also mentions the General Assembly in the state introduced a bill that would require large coal-ash impoundments to be managed as high risk and evacuated rather than capped in place.

The article focuses on a dangerous threat being posed by the automotive shredder residue (ASR) or automotive fluff after a certain period of time in landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said almost 27 million vehicles worldwide reach the end of their useful life and are recovered for recycling annually. Four stages in which dismantling automobiles takes place are noted. It states that millions of tons of this waste have been buried in municipal landfills in California.

The article focuses on the Landfill Free in Three program started by flexible packaging and multi-layer film recycler InterGroup International Ltd., which aims to bring converters to landfill-free status within three year. It mentions that in this program, several concerns of stakeholders regarding landfill-free status such as material disposition and brand equity dilution, are addressed. Comments from Neil Gloger, chief executive officer (CEO) of InterGroup, are also presented.

The article reports on benefits of plastic packaging and its contribution in reduction of food wastage. It mentions that plastic packaging can reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by limiting the bulk of waste in landfills and also can increase shelf-life of fresh foods thus preventing food spoilage. Further it reports about recycling of plastic into re-usable material through a mechanical process and about biodegradable or compostable plastics.

The article reports on how flexible packaging contributes in reduction of food waste. It mentions several benefits of flexible packaging which includes reduction in food spoilage, resealability, less weight to ship and transport the package, and less volume to take up valuable landfill space, all of which leads to decline in food wastage. Comments from Jeff Wooster, global sustainability leader at Dow Performance Packaging, are also presented.

The article discusses the decision of the Plastics Environmental Council (PEC) to sponsor a research study to produce the first standard specification for the landfill biodegradation of petroleum- and natural gas-derived plastics to build confidence in the efficacy of plastics additives.

This section offers news briefs on the construction industry in Texas. The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority approved environmental improvements for Bayport Container Terminal. The city of Houston was awarded $50,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to help develop a solar energy plant on the site of a former landfill. Transit Mix Concrete & Materials Co. Plant No. 2068 in East Texas earned the status as the first U.S. ready mixed concrete plant to earn the Green-Star designation by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

The article reports on the risks offered by the elimination of lead in the manufacture of electronic equipment. It states that the move to eliminate lead in various products aims to address the health problems that lead may cause specially on children. However, electrical engineers warn that removing lead in devices may result to electric short circuit. The European Union (EU) stresses that taking out lead in electronic devices will help prevent the metal discharged to the environment and landfills.

The article focuses on the problem of landfill gypsum board in the U.S. It states that they enormously contribute to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas emissions into the atmosphere. Thus, several states are considering banning waste gypsum in landfills. The article points out that non-inert and non-dangerous gypsum waste must be categorized as landfill type 2 because of its inability to combine with organic waste matter.

This article reports that General Motors Powertrain company has announced that its Tonawanda Engine plant in New York has succeeded to eliminate its reliance on landfills. In order to accomplish this, the effort started in 2003 as the plant's 2, 200 workers pulled together to reduce, recycle, replace and reuse materials that had led to waste being generated by the facility. In 2005, 23, 233 tons of scrap metals, wood packaging, batteries, light bulbs and other materials from the plant's manufacturing processes were recycled.

The article focuses on the construction activities in the Bogarta Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The $1.1 billion Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa opened only two years ago in Atlantic City, but its owners began planning an expansion almost immediately. The project team completed the metal deck erection in mid-August, the elevated concrete on the deck by early September, and installation of EIFS panels last month. The project also has required intricate site preparation and foundation work, because it is on a former landfill.

The article reports that using a method described as "construction in reverse," a developer is preparing the 42-story interior of a former financial building for a major renovation by channeling the debris into a nascent market for recycled materials. The interior of 15 Broad Street in Manhattan, New York, is being demolished, not with sledge hammers and brute force, but instead by utilizing the emerging technique of deconstruction. Instead of filling dumpsters with demolition debris, materials carefully removed from the site are packaged and loaded onto trucks for reuse or resale. The whole beauty of the deconstruction process is that it keeps materials out of landfills and maintains their value.

Reports on concrete innovations focused on creating new mixes in the U.S. Use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in redirecting industrial byproducts from landfills; Development of a concrete mixture with greater durability, strength and finishability; Classification of SCMs into four different kinds.

Invented by Charles McDonald in Arizona, rubberized asphalt is rapidly turning into the friction course of choice for roads Valley wide. Now, rubberized asphalt is the toast of Valley commuters with the first major road application in 2002, on the U.S. 60 freeway in the Valley's east side. Soon, all of the Valley's freeways will be covered in the rubberized asphalt. Not only docs the rubberized asphalt cut road noise levels from 50 to 90 percent, it's an environmentally friendly solution for the millions of discarded car tires normally headed for a landfill. That noise reduction has led to public clamoring for the asphalt, which contains crumbs of ground-up tires. On some road sections, researchers are placing heat sensors to determine the asphalt's heat loading characteristics in relation to the Valley's heat bubble.

Discusses methods in attaining hydraulic gradients in the Non-Aqueous Phase liquids (NAPL) plume in the landfill in Niagara County, New York. Problems in assessing local inward hydraulic gradients; Deposition of chemical wastes in the landfill; Installation of bedrock-monitoring wells in the landfill.

Reports on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Justice Department's announcement of the final settlement of the U.S. government's legal claims over the cleanup of the Keystone Sanitation Landfill Superfund site in Pennsylvania. Estimated cost of the cleanup of the Superfund site; Terms agreed upon by landfill owners.

Focuses on United States-based IT Group Inc.'s receipt of a contract to close the Fresno Sanitary Landfill Superfund site in Fresno, California. Worth of the contract; Construction of a combination sports complex and regional park on the site.

The article informs that a an appellate court in New Jersey has ruled that the state's Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) overstepped its authority when it seized the Fenimore landfill site in 2013. Topics discussed include the New Jersey Legacy Landfill Act related to the state to seize landfills, work of the real estate builders and construction company Conti Group at the site, and comments of Larry Ragonese, press director of NJDEP, on the issue.

Looks at the federal laws which deal with the alternative ways for landfill disposal in New York City. Use of the Container Filter manufactured by Flo-Trend Systems Incorporated in dewatering waste materials; Views of transportation chief, Tom Bentsen on sewage treatments; Types of container filters used in New York City.

The article focuses on can manufacturing industry and sustainability. It mentions that there are 105,800 cans that are being recycled every minute in the U.S. and cans are the most recycled containers for food and beverage. It states that cans help in minimizing the number of materials that go to landfills, and are being used in the packaging of almost 1,300 different beers from 365 breweries as of November 2013.

The article discusses the results of the Environmental Integrity Project's study which claimed that the ash ponds and landfills of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have contaminated groundwater under and around all 11 of its coal-fired powerplants. It suggested that the TVA implement a groundwater protection pan to reduce the degradation of aquifers. It credited TVA for its decision to phase out as ponds and replace them with landfills.

The article presents information on the study published in the journal "Polymer Degradation and Stability" on landfill conditions. It mentions that the study revealed that Ingeo biopolymer is essentially stable in landfills with no significant quantity of methane released. The study also reports that landfills conditions vary by geography, management practices, and age of waste.