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    A Computer Waste Bill for Rio Grande do Sul

    Friday, October 2nd, 2009

    A bill on information technology (IT) waste has been introduced in the state legislative of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) that is similar to a law adopted in 2008 by its neighbor, Paraná. The bill would require producers, distributors and vendors of “informatic equipment” to create and maintain programs for […]

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    Paraná Looks at Generating Employment from Waste

    Thursday, March 19th, 2009

    I wish all states did this. The Environment Secretariat (SEMA) of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná met on Tuesday and Wednesday (17-18 March) with the environment authorities of 70 municipalities in the North and North Pioneer regions of the state, and today and tomorrow will meet with municipal officials from the rest of the […]

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    Parana to Tetra-Pak: Fulfill Your Commitments

    Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

    Just seven months ago Paraná’s Environment Secretary, Rasca Rodrigues, was singing the praises of aseptic packaging producer Tetra Pak for its implementation of a deal negotiated in 2007 concerning the firm’s responsibility for the waste problem in the state related to its packaging. Now he’s charging them with failing to live up to their commitments. […]

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    Rio Grande do Sul Bets on Unusual Waste Treatment Technology

    Friday, February 13th, 2009

    The government of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) just signed a letter of intent with Rio de Janeiro-based Mundo Limpo (“Clean World”) to install ten unusual municipal solid waste treatment plants.  The two parties say that the pact should involve R$300 million in investments that generate about 10,000 direct jobs. […]

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    Mini-Bins Make for Cleaner Beaches

    Sunday, February 8th, 2009

    In the first few months after I launched The Temas Blog, I came across a an article in regional Brazilian periodical about a couple of professors in a Paraná university who had this interesting idea. Cognizant of data showing that a large percentage of trash found on beaches consists of small items such as cigarette […]

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    Recycling Used Motor Oil Packaging in Brazil

    Thursday, December 25th, 2008

    In past posts I’ve discussed how recovery of used motor oil is still in its early stages in Latin American nations such as Brazil and Colombia.  But that’s only part of the waste problem generated by the lubricants we use in motor vehicles.  There’s also the packaging that the new motor oil comes in, the […]

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    Paraná Ratches Up Pressure on Packaging

    Monday, November 3rd, 2008

    I’ve discussed several times here in The Temas Blog the carrot-and-stick approach the environmental authorities of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná (PR) take on different post-consumer waste streams, including electronics, glass packaging, long-neck beer bottles, Tetra Pak aseptic packaging, fluorescent lamps and pesticide packaging.  You might notice that most of these categories are packaging […]

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    Not Always Easy Buying Recycled

    Monday, October 6th, 2008

    The 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 […]

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    From Banners to Reusable Shopping Bags

    Saturday, September 6th, 2008

    Synopsis 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 […]

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    Update on Paraná Showdown with Long-Neck Beer Bottles

    Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

    Synopsis 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 […]

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