Brazil’s PAC for Sanitation
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009When Brazil’s multifaceted Program for Accelerated Growth (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento – PAC) was announced in 2007, it included a segment earmarked for improving infrastructure in provision of drinking water and sanitation services. Today the head of the Civil House, Dilma Rousseff, and the Minister of Cities, Márcio Fortes, announced a list of 109 […]
Parana to Tetra-Pak: Fulfill Your Commitments
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009Just 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. […]
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: 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 […]
Paraná Seeks to Cut Pesticide Use
Monday, August 4th, 2008Synopsis in English: Starting with the next major planting this month, Paraná plans to substantially increase its Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program with the goal of reducing pesticide use in plantings by its farmers 30% over the next four to five years. The new Program push is motivated in large part about foreign market scrutiny […]
Paraná Increases Pesticide Packaging Recovery
Monday, August 4th, 2008Synopsis in English: In June the southern Brazilian of Paraná announced that it had increased its recovery of pesticide packaging by 20% (by weight) over the prior year. Just last year Paraná announced that they want to become the first state to comply 100% with the federal mandate to take back such packaging. North America […]
Paraná Goes for 100% Take-Back of Pesticide Packaging
Tuesday, August 7th, 2007Synopsis in English: The southern Brazilian state of Paraná reportedly has reached, in just six years, a 98% recovery rate for used pesticide packaging, which if true places it in the top position (by percentage, if not in volume) among Brazilian states implementing the federal mandate to take back such packaging. It’s also a recovery […]
Tetra-Pak Chooses to Deal
Thursday, July 26th, 2007Synopsis in English: In May the environment officials of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná called in Tetra Pak officials and told them to come up with a proposal to solve the post-consumer waste problem in that state associated with their long-life (aseptic) packaging — or face drastic action by the government, such as banning […]