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Paraná Bans Smoking in Areas Intended for Children
Monday, November 24th, 2008Synopsis in English: The governor of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná just signed a law that bans smoking inside vehicles transporting children or at any commercial establishment or event intended for children. The new instrument is considered a complement to Paraná’s 2005 law on smoking in public places. In all probability other Brazilian states [...]
Not Always Easy Buying Recycled
Monday, October 6th, 2008The basic idea was straightforward: stimulate recycling by requiring all state agencies, entities and offices to buy only paper products with high recycled content (50%).
That was the requirement set by a new law adopted by the southern Brazilian state of Paraná in November 2007. The Law said that it must apply to all paper products [...]
Brazilian Resistance to Beer in PET Bottles
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Brazilian brewers wanting to market their beers in PET bottles are not having a good year. First a court ruling that such bottles pose a significant risk to the environment, and therefore require environmental impact studies and licensing. Then a state ban on pigmented PET, and now a looming state ban on PET bottles for [...]
Paraná Takes Aim on New Beer Packaging
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008First aseptic cartons, then long-necked beer bottles, now one-liter glass beer bottles. Hmmm, do you think maybe Paraná environment officials are focused on packaging waste issues?
Earlier this month Paraná’s Environment Secretary, Rasca Rodrigues, again used the press to get a company to the negotiating table. He publicly attacked the new one-liter beer bottle — dubbed [...]
Promoting Tourism in Brazil’s National Parks
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008Synopsis in English: Environment Minister Carlos Minc recently announced a package of R$50 million to stimulate ecotourism in six federal conservation units (unidades de conservação federais - UCFs) with a view to investing in infrastructure (primarily visitor centers, belvederes and guided trails) and contracting concessions for visitors services (restaurants, guides, etc.). Adventure tourism will also [...]
Generating Power from Sewage Treatment Stations
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008The idea has been around awhile among industry experts: find a way to capture the methane normally released from sewage treatment plants, and utilize it to generate power while cutting or eliminating the plant’s releases of a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) — and perhaps get carbon credits for doing so. But the Sanitation Company of [...]
From Banners to Reusable Shopping Bags
Saturday, September 6th, 2008Synopsis in English: The more I find out about the work of Paraná’s Zero Waste (Desperdício Zero) Program — particularly its creativity in finding new and different ways to promote and spark interest in recycling — the more I like and admire their work.
Remember the solar water heater made of used PET bottles and [...]
Update: Among the World’s Top PET Recyclers
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008Who was #2 in PET recycling in 2006 (the last year for which there are comparable figures among nations)?
Did you answer Brazil?
In 2006 Brazil recycled 180 kilotons (Kt), representing about 51.3% of the PET sold in the country during that year. This means that Brazil recycles at double the rate that the US does, and [...]
Update on Paraná Showdown with Long-Neck Beer Bottles
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008Synopsis in English: For those of you curious about the outcome of that ultimatum that environment officials in Paraná gave to producers and distributors of long-neck beer bottles to take responsibility for their wastes or else, only two distributors (out of the expected five) and a representative of the glass manufacturers industry association (instead of [...]
Update: Tetra Pak & Aseptic Packaging Recycling in Paraná
Sunday, August 17th, 2008I’ve been asked by a reader whether the deal negotiated last year between Paraná environment officials and aseptic packaging producer Tetra Pak has produced the results desired/expected. Funny you should ask that (maybe it’s not a coincidence?) — the two just issued a progress report.
To refresh memories, the two-year “plan of action” agreed between [...]
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