December 2007 Archives

Ford is going to use soybean-based foams for its 2009 Ford Escape, which will come out next year, according to automotive supplier Magna International.

The BioFoam is going to be used in seat cushions, head restraints, arm rests, headliners and occupant protection products.

In my Green Autopia article Ford says it also incorporated soy foam-based seatings in its 2008 Mustang sports car.

Below is my full interview with Ford's Deborah Mielewski, polymer technical leader, research and advanced engineering, regarding the company's goal towards the use of renewable chemicals and products in their automobiles.

Electronic gifts boomed this holiday and to help dispose your old cellular phones, game consoles, computer, MP3s and other gizmos in an environment-friendly way, some retailers are helping out by announcing their electronic recycling programs.

Some have their own domestic recycling site but guess where others are being dumped? as reported by the UK newspaper Telegraph.

Consumer plastics remain under siege with another so-called "Eco-Sin" tax underway this time in Chicago.

While San Francisco is now fining grocery/shopping stores that use plastic bags Chicago will soon apply a 5-cent tax on each and every plastic bottled-water sold in the city starting January 1.

Several food and beverage retailer alliance is already suing the city over the tax including the American Beverage Association, which posted a twelve day 'til tax day statements stating the harmful effects of the tax to Chicago's consumers and retailers.

The 30% tax will definitely weigh heavily on the pockets of many bottled water lovers in Chicago. Either that or cross the city border to buy tax-free water, according to Chicago Tribune.

So here's some of the scenario that I see in my head. Many bottled-water are being consumed while on the go so I'm foregoing the "drink tap water instead" alternative.

McDonalds vp of social corporate responsibility, Bob Langert, noted on the company's blog site their top ten global green initiatives in 2007. Among them includes installing dry urinals in their Swiss restaurants to cut water consumption; converting used frying oil into biodiesel in McDonalds UK; green restaurant constructions in France, Brazil and the US; reduced food packaging; and implementing sustainable supply chain for its food ingredients such as coffee, soybeans and fish.

According to Langert:

I referred to these as "green laboratories" because we are always testing, learning, and exploring the scalability of green initiatives so that we can continuously improve our environmental performance.

In his Reuters interview, Langert emphasized that customers comes first when it comes to making green decisions. If they don't like their new green Macs, then back to the drawing board!

Not only will you worry about how fattening holiday dinners can be but now you have to worry about their carbon emission as well.

In this article from NutraUSAIngredients.com, researchers from the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science at Manchester University, UK, found that a typical British Christmas meal for eight (excluding eggnogs and other drinks) generates the equivalent of 20 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.

The main culprit is the turkey, which occupied 60% of the total Christmas carbon footprint. Compared to the turkey trimmings and dessert, the turkey's way of living (animal feed and all) is too costly from a carbon emission point of view.

Cranberry is the worst offender they said when it comes to transportation because it is imported all the way from the US.

For once, I'll tell my green conscience (and diet conscience) to shut up and just enjoy these fattening, greenhouse gas emitting food during the holidays.

More great news for the much maligned carbon dioxide.

Aside from developing CO2 to make ac refrigerants for automobiles, it is now being used to make plastics and biodiesel.

DSM is investing in CO2-based plastic developer Novomer. Novomer says its catalyst technology enables the company to manufacture bio-based building blocks, polymers, compounds and other chemical formulations using feedstocks such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Green Star Products Inc. (GSPI) says they need lots of CO2 to feed their algae, which is being developed as a possible feedstock for biodiesel.

Algae farms are glutton eaters of CO2 gas and produce 100 times more oil per acre than traditional oil crops (such as soy oil), which can be converted to biodiesel. Algae can also produce high-grade animal feed (35-40% protein).

GSPI says algal biodiesel can reuse high volume CO2 generated from power plants. The only problem right now is picking the right algae to do the job of producing the right oil for biodiesel.

I'm now looking at my dirty fish tank with greener eyes...

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is giving out tips on how to lessen fuel consumption, CO2 emission and waste during the holidays.

Here are some examples:

1. Regifting is ok when it comes to wrapping. Use recycled wrapping paper or gift bags. When shopping for packaged goods, look for the ones with recycled packaging.

2. Send e-greeting cards to reduce paper waste. But if you like greeting cards (I LOVE GETTING THEM!), send recycled greeting cards instead.

3. Reduce the use of plastic grocery or shopping bags. Bring reusable bags or tell the lovely store clerks you don't need the bag for small or oversized items.

4. Minimalism is a big trend so give gifts that don't require much packaging such as certificates, tickets or MONEY!! (I'll go with the green colored Franklin!!)

5. Buy more durable products when considering for gifts instead of cheaper less durable goods so to reduce waste. If they're electronics, look for energy efficient ones.

Seems easy enough to do and most of them saves you money too!

The global market for biodegradable polymers is expected to reach 1.2bn pounds by 2012 from the 541m pounds estimated this year, according to BCC Research.

Growth in the North American market is slower compared to Europe and Asia but is reportedly beginning to show its potential. The global market's average annual growth rate is estimated at 17.3% Compost bags has the largest share estimated at 242m pounds this year.

I am shamelessly self-promoting my article about greener automobiles, which just came on out December 17 and was published on ICIS Chemical Business magazine (Did I mention before that I work for ICIS?).

According to my interviews with several chemical companies, the global automotive industry is really becoming more green not only because of the use of alternative fuels but by changing the entire parts of a vehicle to make it more fuel efficient and environment-friendly.

Cars are now using lighter weight materials such as plastic as alternative to metals; engine catalysts are becoming more efficient in lowering emissions of toxic exhaust and particulates; solvent-free paints and coatings are being designed to reduce thermal buildup in a car's interior; rubber compounds in tires are designed to reduce rolling resistance; and biobased materials such as soybean-based foams and starch-based fibers for car seats, and vegetable oil/animal fat-based motor oils and lubricants are expected to become popular.

Solvay will build an ethylene plant in Santo Andre, Brazil, which will used sugar cane-based ethanol as feedstock. The ethylene produced in the plant will then be used to manufacture polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Ethylene and chlorine are the two main feedstock needed to manufacture PVC.

Solvay says the Santo Andre plant will be the first industrial project in the Americas implementing renewable resources for the production of PVC.

Think the semi-bio-based PVC could appease environmental activists against the product? I think not. Many chlorinated chemicals are banned in most environmentalists' green book and according to them, PVC releases the toxic chemicals dioxins during its manufacture and disposal.

Leading US retailers such as Sears, Kmart, Walmart and Target are already planning to phase out the use of PVC in their products and packaging.

Unless these dioxins can be taken out of the picture, environmental groups will continue promoting PVC's ban in consumer products. The use of biobased ethylene could be a good first step but there is still many reformulations to go before PVC can look green in their eyes.

Scientists from the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory found that nanoscale catalysts gold-cerium oxide and gold-titanium oxide are more efficient in producing purer hydrogen in fuel cell reactions than the expensive platinum-based catalysts.

These next generation catalysts could lead to cheaper fuel cells, which could lead to less expensive hydrogen-based automobiles, which could lead to less reliance in petroleum oil, which maybe could lead to world peace.

While trying to finish my green car article and working on a story about chemicals made from vegetable oil and animal fats, several news came my way and here are some of them:

1. Cereplast said it will start its 223,000 tonne/year bioplastic plant in Indiana by January. The bioplastic production facility is reportedly the largest in the world.

2. Ireland is banning incandescent light bulb in favor of a more energy-efficient alternatives by 2009, according to Reuters. Ireland is the first among European Union members to implement such a ban, which, said Greenpeace, will hopefully light the way for other countries to follow.

3. Global renewable energy sources continued their double-digit growth this year, according to the REN21 Renewables Global Status Report. In 2006, solar photovoltaic technology showed the strongest growth with 50-60% per year.

4. Former president Clinton is initiating a greener public housing plan in New York City, according to the New York Times. The goal is to reduce electricity use by 15% by using more energy-efficient light bulbs, heating systems, and insulation.

and last but not the least...

5. Aluminum producer Alcoa is expanding its recycling facility in Tennessee by 50%. Alcoa expects to recycle nearly 14bn aluminum cans this year.

While everybody is trying to reduce their carbon footprint, some auto makers are driving the opposite way by embracing carbon dioxide for use as a refrigerant in car air-conditioners.

According to this recent article from the New York Times supporters claimed CO2 as more ozone-friendly and 20% more energy efficient in ac systems than the current refrigerant formulation R134a (also called HFC-134a).

Under the Global Warming Potential standard, R134a has the warming potential of 1410 (1300 according to other sources) meaning the release of one gram of R134a into the atmosphere is equivalent to 1,410 grams of CO2. The release of one gram of CO2 is well...one gram.

The only problem is that the CO2 refrigerant is said to be a bit more difficult for car engines to use, according to the report.With enough incentives, I'm sure auto makers will find a way to overcome this problem.

View image of alternative car AC refrigerants

I've decided to search the world (wide web) and list down the top 10, in no particular order, the most innovative or eye-ball rolling, snort-inducing green products that I could find. I'm the lone judge for now but any suggestions for next month's segment will be greatly appreciated. I'll also look for Simon Cowell's doppelganger to help me judge.

1. Green underwear

Just in time for the holidays, GreenYarn of Boston, MA, now offers its antibacterial Eco-fabric Underwear made from the company's Eco-fabric technology that features nano-sized bamboo charcoal particles embedded into the textiles (and are unwashable - the particles not the underwear). The particles help fight bacteria and deodorize and even help absorb and emit Far Infrared energy - a low energy form of light that help stimulate healthy metabolism and blood circulation, the company said.

In the US, they can be bought (for $20) only at Greenyarn's website although they said that they're in talks with retailers. Now about that infrared thing...

2. Solar bags

Another bright idea is solar powered bags so you can charge all your handheld electronics everywhere you go. Voltaic Systems offers mostly backpacks and messenger bags for charging electronics (excluding laptop) and the bag's fabric is even made from recycled PET. They are priced from $179.99 to $219.99. In case of emergency (such as no sun), the bags also include AC travel charger and a car charger.

For the fashionistas, Noon is offering more stylish solar bags that use hemp and cotton fabrics or chrome-free leather, which comes with natural dyes. Charging gadgets are fine but most solar powered bags for laptops in the market are still iffy, according to several tech geeks web reviews. However, the sun is shining in the horizon for the first efficient solar-powered laptop bag in line.

3. Intel Eco-chip

Intel recently launched its new eco-friendly chip that uses 45 nanometer Hafnium-based Hi-K metal gate transistors. This eliminates the use of lead and halogen materials, said Intel. Processors that use the chip also increase performance as well as energy efficiency of the computer.

I don't really understand much of the computer tech lingo in Intel's press release but I'll be happy to test out the energy efficiency and performance of any sample computer that they could send.

4. Fatbox

No, this is not another one of those new fangled solar powered instrument that sucks the fat out of your body. Biodiesel producer Pacific Natural Energy (PNE) is offering the Fatbox, a machine that can turn 15 pounds of animal fats into 1 gallon of high-quality biodiesel.

Now where I could get 15 lbs of animal fats in New York City I have no idea but if they can invent a machine that uses human fats into biodiesel...

5. ReCyclone

Do you need extra space in your desk? Too much junk in your apartment? Introducing ReCyclone, a miracle machine from PowerMaster that can recycle anything from electronics to household garbage to even agriculture waste with a touch of a button (or several of them). ReCyclone can even save you money by turning dirty plastics into diesel; and converting metal, wood and glass into some form of materials that can be used for electricity.

But wait there's more!

By recycling your electronic devices into a powder form, ReCyclone can separate the gold, platinum and other metals used in your computer boards and chips. Imagine getting between 80 and 1,500 grams of gold out of 1 tonne of circuit boards!!. Order now while supplies last!

Cognis has set up a green criteria for their ingredients and chemicals in order for their customers to identify how green they want their products to be.

Under their Portfolio Easy Guide, four leaves means ingredients derived from 100% renewable natural feedstock, and which did not undergo chemical process that uses catalysts or other reaction aids. Three leaves means the ingredient is still derived from 100% natural renewable feedstock but has been chemically processed. One leaf or two leaves indicate combination of natural and synthetic feedstock; the ratio of natural to synthetic C-atoms determines which of the two categories the product is assigned to.

The final level, called “Cognis Synthetics”, comprises ingredients based entirely on chemically processed synthetic feedstocks. No leaf for this one.

I think of this as a very good idea and a useful tool for marketing. I wonder why the consumer products market do not have this type of green labeling in the first place?

Studies and analysis on green marketing and investments seem to be proliferating as much as the products themselves.

Here's another one from Forrester Research rating consumers on their green awareness and concern for environment-friendly electronic products.

In their report, "In Search of Green Technology Consumers", Forrester found out that out of 5,000 American adults surveyed, almost half really do not care about the environment and global warming in connection to the electronic products that they bought.

I guess typical electronics consumers, like my brother and assorted cousins and (gulp!) me, are really more focus on how cool our gadgets and games are and not about their lifecycle and their chemical compositions. But if manufacturers would emphasize on how they contribute to making our environment safe with their products, consumers might take more notice and be more concerned.

In the automobile market, Toyota's hybrid Prius is an example of brilliant green marketing and how consumers became more aware of the importance of clean fuel alternatives.

The same can be applied to consumer electronics through recyclability, energy efficiency, longer product lifecycles and lower impact manufacturing, according to Forrester.

Here's an interesting take from two GreenBiz.com bloggers Joel Makower and Andy Savitz about a recent report called Six Sins of Greenwashing by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc.

Green-wash (green'wash', -wôsh') – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials. 998 products or 57% of all environmental claims committed this Sin.

2. Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification. 454 products and 26% of environmental claims committed this Sin.

3. Sin of Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally-occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde. Seen in 196 products or 11% of environmental claims.

4. Sin of Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago. This Sin was seen in 78 products and 4% of environmental claims.

5. Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than 1% of environmental claims.

6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: e.g. Organic cigarettes or “environmentally friendly” pesticides, This occurred in 17 products or 1% of environmental claims.

I agree with Makower that it is depressing indeed that only one product among 1,753 remained pure in TerraChoice's green eyes. The bottomline is, some marketers will do anything and say anything to part your hard-earned greens from your pocket. False advertising and misleading consumers are definitely a no-no.

However, I'm also in agreement with Savitz about casting the first stone to those products that are not green enough according to their categories, especially those that committed sin #1, accounting for the largest share of "greenwashers" at 57%.

The Sin of the Hidden Trade-off claims that a product should be purely green from all angles not only on the product's raw materials, production, transportation, and packaging but also covering the producer's (and maybe even their raw material suppliers') policies and practices regarding sustainability and environment.

So a recycled paper, it's original source coming from a sustainably harvested forest, is still not considered green just because the paper additives (which makes them useful) are not sourced from renewable materials; or maybe the truck used to transport those papers uses only 20% biodiesel (80% are petroleum-based); the truck itself exceeds their CO2 emission standards; and the company should have used manual saws instead of power saws that use too much electricity or diesel.

Ok, maybe I'm hyping it up a bit but you get the drift. Just as Savitz said, this "sin" seems to be unreasonable and not only encourage cynicisms among consumers and the media, but also counter-productive for companies' helping the world to be a better place. Let's give the real McCoys a break. They're just trying to do it one step at a time.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found another way to cool off earth's warming atmosphere by forming a refrigeration coalition composed of the supermarket, refrigeration equipment and chemical refrigerant industries with an objective to chill ozone-depleting refrigerant leaks and charges into the atmosphere.

Founding partners of the GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership include Whole Foods Market; Food Lion LLC; Giant Eagle Inc.; Hannaford Bros. Co.; Harris Teeter; Hill Phoenix; Honeywell; Kysor/Warren; Publix Super Markets Inc. and DuPont.

The EPA says the program will promote green technologies, strategies and practices that protect the stratospheric ozone layer, reduce greenhouse gases and save money. The EPA estimated that adoption of the coalition's initiatives could reduce refrigerant emissions by 1m tonnes/year of carbon equivalent.