INDUSTRY NEWS & NOTES
CERTIFICATION FOR ELECTRONIC
wASTE RECYCLING GAThERS SUPPORT
The Natural Resources Defense Council recently announced its endorsement of the first certification program for electronics recycling. The new
e-Stewards Certification relies on independent, third-party auditors to verify
safe and ethical disposal of the hundreds of tons of unwanted electronics discarded every year in North America.
Electronic equipment contains toxics such as mercury, lead, cadmium,
arsenic, beryllium and brominated flame retardants. When burned, even
more dangerous toxics can be formed.
Created jointly by the environmental community and business leaders, the
new e-Stewards Certification and Standard is held by the nonprofit Basel
Action Network. The e-Stewards are North American electronics recyclers
and asset managers who have been qualified as upholding the highest standard of environmental and social responsibility.
Report Finds
support for
Green Decreases,
But Remains
steady
Support for green construction and
the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification developed by the U.S. Green
Building Council dropped slightly
in 2009 but remains strong despite
the recession, according to the latest green building survey by Allen
Matkins, Constructive Technologies Group and the Green Building
Insider.
The 4th Annual Green Building
Survey of more than 1,600 design
and construction professionals in
the United States. showed that 92.3
percent of respondents in 2009
said they endorse green building, compared with 93.5 percent
in 2008. Sixty-two percent of the
professionals surveyed in 2009 told
researchers they support attaining
certification under LEED standards.
PAnEl suGGEsTs 100 WAys TO MAkE
nyC BuIlDInGs GREEnER
In February 2010, the New York City Green Codes Task Force released a
comprehensive analysis of building codes. Convened at the request of Mayor
Bloomberg and Council Speaker Quinn in July 2008, the task force—led by
Urban Green Council—was charged with recommending green changes to
the laws and regulations affecting buildings in New York. The 111 recommendations largely impact new construction and renovations, with many
removing current impediments to green practices. The proposals would
affect building codes as well as zoning, health, consumer affairs and environmental protection codes.
The recommendations are the city’s latest attempt to reduce the greenhouse gases produced by buildings, which are estimated to be the source of
about 75 percent of the city’s emissions.
For more information visit www.urbangreencouncil.org/greencodes.
AF&PA unveils Free Workplace
Recycling Guide for Commercial
Property Managers
Commercial property owners and managers concerned with sustainability
have a new resource to help them build and improve upon their recycling
programs, thanks to an updated recycling guide recently unveiled by the
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). The guide is free and available at www.paperrecycles.org as part of AF&PA’s mission to increase
paper recovery.
