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Directional Signals in Brazilian Federal Waste Policy
Monday, August 17th, 2009A body most people have never heard of, part of a larger organization many people do not know or understand, met today and took a series of decisions that will help shape new directions in waste policy in Brazil.
The larger organization many do not know and a good many do not understand is Brazil’s National [...]
Another Momentum Indicator on Used Motor Oil Packaging in Brazil?
Friday, July 24th, 2009A couple of months ago I wondered aloud if maybe a bill introduced in São Paulo’s (SP) state assembly was an early indicator of a momentum shift in the hitherto slow-building movement in Brazil to promote the collection and recycling of the packaging that the new motor oil comes in.
Now comes another curious indicator. A [...]
An E-Waste Bill for Bahia
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009I’m on vacation in the Caribbean, with limited internet access (and a damaged laptop) and in any case supposedly ignoring my inbox and not posting. But I peeked at the web version of my inbox using a relative’s laptop and, seeing a note on this, could not resist a quick post.
It shows something I have [...]
From Used Balloons and Gloves to New Rubber Products
Sunday, July 5th, 2009Researchers from the Forest Products Laboratory (LPF) of Brazil’s Forestry Service (SFB) have demonstrated that they can recycle used latex gloves and party balloons by combining them with sawdust, in the process turning them into floor tiles, shoe soles, floor mats and other rubber artifacts.
The cost of producing a floor sheet from these wastes is [...]
Ceará Adopts Lamp and Battery Take-Back Law
Friday, June 19th, 2009Yesterday the governor of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará (CE) signed a law that would require the take-back of fluorescent lamps, batteries and piles.
The very brief and simple law requires vendors of such products in the state to provide collection bins on their premises for consumers to drop off those at the end of [...]
Trash Photos XVII: Color-Coded Selective Collection
Monday, June 15th, 2009Today I interviewed someone in the University of São Paulo’s (USP) Public Health Faculty (FSP) (the lead author in a study about catadores, as a matter of fact) and I spotted this in the mini-park in front of the building.
These days it’s not hard to find color-coded collection bins in Brazil, particularly in the larger [...]
São Paulo Adopts a WEEE Law
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009The state assembly of the state of São Paulo (SP) today passed a law on “technological trash” (lixo tecnológico) that is likely to have a significant impact on the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) product and component business in Brazil. SP is Brazil’s biggest EEE market and home to much of its EEE industry, and [...]
The Most Sustainable Bank in Emerging Markets?
Saturday, June 6th, 2009When the Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced the winners of their annual Sustainable Banking Awards two days ago, guess who won among the emerging markets, beating out competitors from 37 countries?
Brazil’s Itaú Unibanco. Last year the winner also was a Brazilian bank, Banco Real (now part of Grupo Santander Brasil). Neither [...]
Oaxaca Gets a Comprehensive Waste Law
Friday, June 5th, 2009The legislature of the Mexican state of Oaxaca (OX) just sent the governor a gift for World Environment Day: a comprehensive state solid waste law.
Since Mexico adopted its federal General Law for the Prevention and Integrated Management of Wastes in 2003, the Federal District (DF) and many states have adopted their own general waste laws, [...]
A Bill to Require EIAs Before Packaging Drinks in Plastic
Saturday, May 30th, 2009Last year in a post about efforts in Brazil to stop the sale of beer in PET bottles, I explored some of the possible ramifications of an April 2008 rejection by a federal judge of all challenges to a 2002 ruling that brewers wishing to bottle their beer in PET or any other plastic must [...]
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