NewsBits

NewsBits

The American Chemistry Council has announced [1] the winners of its annual Innovation in Plastics Recycling awards. KW Plastics was recognized for a new method of recycling post-consumer polypropylene packaging, Safeplay Systems won an award for its EcoPlay line of playground equipment made from 95 percent recycled content, and Sony Electronics, Inc. was recognized for the development of SoRPlas — a material used in the housings of cameras, audio-video equipment and other electronics, made from 99-percent recycled polycarbonate.

Nestle Waters North America has announced [2] its Arrowhead-brand bottled water will now be sold in half-liter bottles manufactured using 50-percent recycled plastic.

Outgoing Portland, Oregon Mayor Sam Adams is urging [3] the city council to extend Portland's plastic bag ban to include all retail locations larger than 10,000 square feet. If passed, affected grocers would need to eliminate single-use plastic bags by March of 2013 and retail businesses would need to comply by October of 2013.

PepsiCo.'s Dream Machine Recycling Initiative has donated a half million dollars to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities [4]. Pepsi's Dream Machines are automated recycling kiosks for the recycling of beverage containers and are installed at over 4,000 locations nationwide. This is the third year the company has donated to the charity.

The Wall Street Journal [5] recently ran a story on a Senegalese man cleaning up plastic pollution by turning scrap into condensed bricks for use in local building projects.

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