November 2007 Archives

Speaking of plastic bags, San Francisco already started eliminating their use (unless they're biodegradable) in large grocery stores last week, according to San Francisco Chronicle. According to a new policy from the city's Department of Environment, only retail businesses and smaller grocery stores are still allowed to hand out the bags while pharmacy chains will also start eliminating plastic bag use six months from now.

Stores that don't comply face fines starting at $100 for a first violation. Penalties increase to $200 for a second violation in the same year and to $500 thereafter. The Department will start enforcing the rules on December 1.

Other major cities around the world are planning to follow San Francisco's lead, according to the article.

I have no problem using paper bags as long as it doesn't rain and nothing from my grocery will spill inside. Admittedly, I have deep fondness for my plastic bags as they help me save money by recycling them into garbage bags. Most of all they're really efficient in carrying my grocery!

Hopefully compostable plastic bags will soon be easily available - just don't charge me extra for it!

PS
By the way, what happened to recycling plastic bags???

Thanksgiving is over, and in the US, that means shopping for the holidays has officially begun. This year, perhaps for the first time ever, American consumers are more environmentally conscious when it comes to shopping options, according to Deloitte's 2007 Annual Holiday Survey.

In the report, 27% of shoppers said they will use fewer plastic bags from supermarkets and other stores this holiday season, while 17% will shop at more environmentally responsible retailers.

Several major retailers are already on their best green behavior, according to renewable-based electricity supplier Juice Energy. Among the company's recent top ten green retailers list include Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Whole Foods, UPS, Timberland, Nike, and Target.

I also did my own survey on Black Friday - considered by die-hard bargain hunters as the holiest shopping day of the year held annually during Friday after Thanksgiving. Before writing this blog, I had no idea how green some of these stores were as they don't exactly advertise their "greeness" inside the store. Or maybe I was too busy shoving people in front of me to get that day's doorbuster deals at 5am.

But I did learn to bring my own bag next time in IKEA (a Swedish home products retailer) where they refused to give me a plastic bag unless I pay 5 cents for each one.

My green antenna was also up this holiday as I can't help but choose products that are eco-friendly, energy-saving, lead-free and affordable at the same time. I just hope retailers and manufacturers are truthful in what they promote or as they say, "hell has no fury like a consumer duped."

A recent article from the New York Times talked about how green chemistry is translating into a booming big business opportunities.

The article cited investors such as Vinod Khosla and venture capital firm Rockport Capital Partners jumping into the green bandwagon. Rockport is said to have invested in green chem companies such as EcoSmart Technologies, which manufactures botanical pesticides; and Advanced Electron Beams, which offers technology that reduces energy and chemical use in industrial processing.

Start-ups such as Amyris Biotechnologies, Codexis, Novomer, and Serious Materials are attracting cash inflows as well, according to New York Times.

Even media companies are cashing in on green. NBC Universal recently promoted their green week by using candles on a Sunday night football reporting and not using a power saw to cut down this year's Rockefeller Christmas tree. They even installed a solar energy roof at the top of Rockefeller Center to help power up the tree's energy efficient LED lights.

Green advertisings are now proliferating on TV ranging from oil companies' promotion of their alternative energy to automobile makers touting their fuel efficient/environment-friendly SUVs.

On a recent CNBC show, money guru Suzie Orman talked about investing on green mutual funds. Her guest from securities firm MorningStar cited Winslow Green Growth Fund and Calvert Global Alternative Energy as some of their top picks.

Morningstar, however, also warned investors to look beyond the hype of green marketing to avoid pitfalls. Not only is the green industry too young and mostly subjected to government regulations and subsidies, green funds are also generally not cheap, according to analyst Michael Herbst.

The green market might be a hot commodity now but like the dot com era, this industry could see red if manufacturers, retailers and technology companies rush into promoting their green wares and initiatives before they made real progress.

Not many kids say they want to be a farmer when they grow up but that could soon change.

Farmers are now reaping the benefits of high wheat, oilseeds, corn and other ag-based products prices as well as profits from government incentives. "It's great to be a farmer these days!", as one US industry official remarked in a recent oleochemical conference that I attended.

Not only are they paid to provide food and feedstock for fuel, but now they can also be paid by providing environmental services, according to the 2007 State of Food and Agriculture report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In short, farmers worldwide can get paid by patching up the land that was degraded some by their own making in the first place such as razing carbon-rich rainforest for crops, soil erosion from poorly managed croplands, or even water pollution from fertilizers and animal waste.

BASF talks about the company's Ecovio biodegradable plastics on its latest Innovations podcast. BASF said they have wide range of applications such as in rip-proof plastic wraps and shopping bags, shampoo bottles, or food foam containers. Ecovio is made up of corn-based polylactic acid (45%) and BASF's Ecoflex, a petroleum-based (aliphatically aromatic copolyester) biodegradable plastic.

BASF says these products are more than 90% broken down after 180 days in composting plants. The company, however, assured that your plastic wrap will maintain its freshness even if the fruit and peanut butter sandwich tucked on your desk drawer slowly do their own fermentation process.

More solar news!

Honda Soltec, a subsidiary of the car maker Honda, opened its new solar cell production facility in Kumamoto, Japan. Instead of silicon, the company's solar cell uses a thin film made up from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenum (CIGS), which Honda said reduces 50% of energy consumed during manufacturing compared to the production of conventional crystal silicon solar cells.

50% less energy consumed = more eco-friendly + lower energy costs

The question is, will the product itself be cheaper?

Honda began mass production of the solar cells last month mostly for domestic distribution including solar cells for homes throughout Japan. The company says it is also planning to export them soon. The plant is expected to reach an annual maximum capacity of 27.5 megawatts, equivalent to powering around 9,000 houses by second quarter next year.

The global solar electricity (also called photovoltaic or PV) market is growing at more than 30% per year with Germany and Japan leading the market mostly because of government incentive policies, according to DuPont, a PV materials supplier. Around 94% of all PV modules today are made out of crystalline silicon, DuPont said.

The sun is shining for the solar energy sector -- considered the most expensive among alternative energy source.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $21m investment for the development of next generation photovoltaic (PV) technology. 25 projects mostly from various universities were selected for the DOE's MAKE-SOLAR ENERGY-CHEAPER handouts. Each three-year award averages $900,000.

DOE said these new solar technologies have the potential to produce electricity at costs well below the current costs of grid-supplied electricity. DOE expects the chosen ones to produce prototype cells and/or processes by 2015.

As long as these new PV materials will not deplete our food supply, caused more greenhouse gas or make me lose consciousness when accidentally swallowed, I'm all for using the sun's power to turn on my television especially if they will lower my current electricity bills. Let's hope these projects fulfill their promises and not get burned in the process.

PPG Industries said it is developing an energy reduction plan for all of its facilities through ENERGY STAR, a program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) that sets standards for energy efficiency in buildings, products and services.

PPG said many of its glass, coatings and paints products under its EcoLogical Building solutions meet or exceed ENERGY STAR performance levels.

Isn't it nice that companies are now using their own green products?

Plastic producer PolyOne immediately stepped up with its guaranteed-safe and regulatory-compliant products through its No Surprise Pledge following the latest recall of Chinese toys allegedly containing a coma-inducing chemical 1,4 butanediol when ingested.

“NO SURPRISES PLEDGE”

At PolyOne, we are committed to helping you grow your business with safe and environmentally
sound solutions. This commitment is exemplified by our No Surprises PledgeSM which we make to all customers and markets, across the globe.
This pledge means:

• You can be confident that, in formulating and manufacturing our materials, we use
sustainable practices to provide long-term product viability and sound environmental
stewardship.
• You can expect that the materials we produce contain only ingredients that conform to
accepted legal and regulatory compliance guidelines.
• You can trust that PolyOne materials meet the rigorous quality and safety management
standards required across the globe.
• You can be certain that PolyOne meets or exceeds the material safety data reporting
requirements of your country or region.
• When you choose PolyOne, you can be confident our products will help you meet or
exceed today’s stringent compliance standards.

Will a pledge like this from chemical companies help keep toys and consumer products safe? Maybe. But do chemical companies really know and track where their products are being used? It is up to toy and other consumer products manufacturers to make sure the chemicals and ingredients they bought for are used properly. They should be the one making this type of pledge and assuring their customers, the consumers, that their products exceed stringent compliance standards.

For more information on the toy recall:
Spin Master Recalls Aqua Dots – Children Became Unconscious After Swallowing Beads

Welcome to my first green chemicals blog where we can analyze, dissect and sift through the growing power of the word green. In my seven-year coverage of the fats and oils industry (my editorial day job at ICIS), I’ve been constantly comparing the benefits of oleochemicals --chemical compounds derived from natural fats and oils-- versus petrochemicals. Turn out the world of green is no black and white.

Natural does not always means safe. Renewable is not equivalent to sustainable. But the chemical industry is increasingly finding ways to make products eco-friendly and their manufacturing more sustainable. Growing introduction of bioproducts, biofuels, new green chemical platforms and processes are proof enough. Whether they work or not remain to be seen but the important thing is that the industry is trying.

Let me hear your opinions on the green trend and keep this blog flowing!

Best regards,
Doris