環境問題と自然のニュース速報

Medical wastes not only pose a risk to human lives but also to the environment and animal life. Though treatment and medical waste removal does reduce the risks, indirect health risks may occur through the release of toxic pollutants or through treatment or disposal of waste. Given this scenario, the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle seems to be an apt solution for managing medical wastes. And for the most part a winning formula too.

Medical wastes include a myriad by products of healthcare activities, such as Infectious wastes — cultures and stocks of infectious agents, etc, Anatomic wastes – the body parts and animal carcasses, Sharp wastes–syringes, disposable scalpels, etc., Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Radioactive matter –radioactive diagnostic material, Wastes with high heavy metal content e.g. broken mercury thermometers. In addition to these include the used up medical consumables like gloves, bandages, medical tapes, sanitary products, etc, which are processed by waste treatment equipment and waste management plant.

Though it may have taken some time for adjusting to the three R’s, it seems to be gaining momentum pretty fast, as can be witnessed from the growth of the medical device reuse industry. Presently valued at billion, it’s forecasted for a significant annual growth rate of 12.9% through 2012. And much of the popularity is due to the cost savings derived from reuse.

As for the winning formula, this year’s, The 2008 European Medical Devices Green Excellence Product Innovation Award by Frost & Sullivan to to the EcoGlove system should be proof enough.

The company was successful in introducing a system that change the glove supply from a commodity style purchasing to a full service based approach. The medical waste management equipment innovation promises high quality glove, lower overall cost, better quality control, and also addresses the issues of waste management and overuse of resources in healthcare.

For instance, these gloves can be reconditioned for repeated use (up to 7 times). An H2O2 process cleans the gloves, which has the capability to reduce waste by as much as 75 per cent, thus slashing energy use and expense when compared to a single-use disposable product.

It appears that in these times of environmental concerns, especially the management of medical wastes and cost cutting, where often quality is given a back-seat to meet price pressures, only innovative solutions by the industry and waste management companies, incorporating the R’s will be the winners.

EnviroCitizen.org is a big fan of recycling! It keeps a lot of waste out of landfills and helps our society to be more efficient. By definition, waste is unused refuse. The key here is “unused”. So, the question becomes: How can you use it?

Try to think of creative ways to use the items that you are planning to put in your recycling bin. Could it be used instead of recycled immediately? Again, recycling is great, but it takes energy to recycle stuff, which uses fossil fuels and emits pollution. If you can make use of your recyclables you can reduce your environmental impact, your carbon footprint and the amount of stuff that recycling plants have to process.

A few suggestions of what you can do with different recyclable goods by EnviroCitizen.org:

What could you do with the egg crate that you normally recycle? Many people reuse egg crates for planting. They make perfect single-seed planters! They can also be added to your compost pile.
What can you do with the cardboard packaging that you normally put into your recycling? You can use it to write on if you’re a list-maker, give it to your children to draw on, use it to package gifts or and you could even draw or paint on it to make a more personalized gift.
What could you do with the soda cans that you usually recycle? Soda cans can be great materials for art projects! Try making a mobile. You could cut up the cans and transform the pieces into unique shapes!

EnviroCitizen.org strongly advocates recycling, however, we also want to point out there are other alternatives to managing waste.    You can use your creativity and imagination to think of different ways to use things that you would usually recycle. You’ve probably heard the popular catchphrase, “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” By coming up with innovative ways to manage your waste, you can implement all three components You can reduce both the waste that you contribute to the landfill and the waste that you contribute to recycling plants. You can reuse the recyclables that would normally go into the recycling bin. When you can’t reuse something or when you’re done reusing the recyclable item, you can recycle it!

EnviroCitizen.org knows that it’s up to us to make smart decisions that reduce our waste, whether it’s through buying products with less packaging, buying in bulk or deciding to reuse recyclable goods. Let’s all try to reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint through creative, eco-friendly thinking!

This is a video designed for children between the ages of 7-11. It is an introduction to the The R’s- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It was designed as a project for The Ecology of Business class in the Green Business Management course in Algonquin College, Canada.

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Used computers and accessories can help your business reach its financial and environmental goals. That’s right. You can save some green and be green at the same time simply by practicing two of the three R’s – reducing and reusing. (We’ll leave the recycling to other aspects of your business.)

Let’s start with saving some green. IT budgets present challenges to most businesses. As much as you try to keep costs in check, they can escalate through no fault of your own. Your hardware can be deemed obsolete by a manufacturer. When your equipment breaks down, you may need a replacement if you don’t have the parts needed to repair it yourself. This is where used computers, parts and accessories enter the picture.

Keeping existing technology longer is the goal of used computer vendors and most IT managers. Upgrades are costly. Upgrades often require recertification or training, adding to costs. If you could access discontinued or used parts for your servers and workstations, wouldn’t you? Maybe all you need is a memory upgrade for an older-model server. With the right used computer vendor, you can find what you need, for a low price no less, and save the expense of buying a new server.

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If you need to expand your existing network when your platform is obsolete, you can find what you need on the secondary market. Used computer vendors have a wide selection of parts and options for most networks being used today. Some even have special partnerships with manufacturers that allow them to sell their discontinued or refurbished parts.

Now for the environmental green. As you are probably aware, computers contain some very toxic substances. Cadmium, selenium, arsenic and mercury are just a few. Fire retardants – used in computer housings – are also highly toxic. Although many old computers still end up in a landfill, that is the last place they should go.

While many people might think of old computers as merely garbage, others see a lot of value in them. Instead of junking them, why not think green and make sure they are reused? Many used computer vendors obtain their inventory from large businesses, government departments and the like. When these organizations upgrade their systems, a secondary market vendor can purchase the old machines and make them available for resale.

If the machines are too old to be of resale value, they can be dismantled, in an environmentally safe manner. Their parts may still be useful and can be sold on the secondary market. Most IT departments are staffed by very resourceful people who can extend the life of even the oldest hardware, if they have access to the components they need.

When you sell your computers to be reused, or buy used computers or accessories yourself, you are reducing the need for new hardware. Reducing the need means less turnover of equipment which, in turn, means less waste.

Granted, this is a simplified argument. E-waste is a huge problem and it will take a concerted effort by everyone to reduce the number of computers being sent into the waste stream. But even the smallest gesture can make a big difference. To start making a difference at your office, consider the used computer market next time you need to repair or upgrade your network.

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While it’s not difficult to find information on how to put together a cheap home solar energy system, many experts forget to mention an easy way to save even more money when you do it yourself. Salvaging used solar panels is a great way to build an eco-friendly home while recycling perfectly good solar equipment in the process.

Used solar panels can be found on auction sites like eBay and classified ad sites like Craigslist or Kijiji – be warned, you should most definitely ask the seller questions about the condition and location of materials to avoid scammers. Also, don’t forget to factor shipping into the cost of recycling solar panel parts!

Refitting used solar equipment to build low cost panels doesn’t require as much skill as one might think. With basic do-it-yourself skills and common tools, most people will easily be able to repair and reuse components from pre-owned and even broken solar generators.

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As always, do first things first. After you’ve purchased your used solar panels you will need to free the photovoltaic cells from the base which they are mounted to. Next you can inspect the solar cells for any loose connectors, cracked panels and moisture damage. These issues are quite common and usually the reasons why most homeowners deem their solar panels to be defective. This equipment can usually be repaired quite easily with a little re-soldering of the joints to strengthen the connections.

Replacing broken PV cells require a little more effort as you will need to replace them with similar or exact components as the original. It is important to note that if a solar cell is broken, and this is the only problem, most will still work though the overall power output will be reduced.

If cheap home solar panels are what you desire, then harvesting used parts is a great way to save money on your DIY solar panel project. Used panels can often be picked up for next to nothing, and if you’re lucky you might find a local contractor who is willing to unload a lot of used parts and panels for free!

Whether you’re paying for used panels or they were given to you, identifying the problems is where most of your time will be spent. As long as you know this going into it, cheap home solar panels are often right around the corner! If you run into problems finding good used parts, consider contacting contractors who specialize in solar panel installation. Most will be willing to cheaply sell or even give you used panels just to get rid of unneeded inventory.

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As awareness grows as to the threats our consumer society poses to the environment, recycled products are making substantial gains in market share in numerous fields. It is certainly a huge step forward in terms of resource sustainability that materials which historically would have been discarded and incinerated are now being granted a new lease of life in a different form. It is however often overlooked that the process of recycling does itself involve the consumption of energy and additional materials. As such, in order to be truly environmentally ethical companies should strive to reuse prior to recycling. The following are some tips to help you to try and ensure you make full use of your office supplies and cut costs as well as aiding the planet.

Only Use Consumables When It Is Compulsory

It is inevitable that certain documents need to be printed and on occasion photocopied. The key to reducing the rate at which consumables are depleted is to regulate the printing of documents which don’t necessarily require a hardcopy. As much correspondence is carried out by email, most communications do not need to be printed, nor do documents which can be digitally shared and stored. With reference to photocopies the same applies: rather than making multiple copies of documents in order to distribute, in many cases the information could just be emailed to the desired recipients, only to be printed if they deem it necessary.

Reuse Items Where Possible

Items such as folders and binders can be easily reused once finished with, by simply applying new labels. This principle can rolled out across the majority of consumables: obsolete printouts are ideal for rough work and note-taking, packaging materials from received parcels can be stored and reused when sending out packages yourself and dependent upon their condition so can padded envelopes.

If You Can’t Reuse Something- Maybe Someone Else Can

With regard to items such as packaging materials it may well be the case that you or your department have no use for them, that does not however mean that there isn’t someone in the building who wouldn’t be able to. With any items which you are convinced you cannot reuse yourself, consider if they could be useful to others in their current form.

Even if you rigorously stick to the guidelines above, there will inevitably be some waste. It is this which should be recycled. If you reuse an item just once then not only are you saving the cost of using a new one, but also reducing your ultimate waste. If an item can be reused multiple times then it follows that you will make greater savings still and further reduce your waste output.

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Every morning we wake up to the sun’s warmth and light. Every night, we go to sleep in the arms of darkness as the moon gives us hope of a beautiful morning that’ll follow. But have we ever thought of giving back? Have we ever thought about returning the favors of nature and earth? Sad, but true, most of us have never given a thought to this.

Alarming rates of pollution and elevating levels of plastic use are of a great concern, especially in a place like Vancouver, where the need of the hour is to save the environment before time runs out. Yes! It is high time that people understand the importance of proper waste disposal and junk removal, so that every morning can be as fresh and pollution free as it used to be in the old times.

Changing lifestyles and fast-moving lives have affected the environment in an extremely negative manner. It is hard to believe that human beings, who were clearly in sync with nature in old times, have lost touch with it in the modern times, that too, to an incredible extent. A common man in Vancouver who very much has the capability, time and money to plant a tree, say no to plastic and do the likes of it for the purpose of saving the endangered environment; is not doing so, because of various uncertain reasons.

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The condition today is very much more severe and complex than it might seem. Environment needs to be saved urgently. Whether we agree or we don’t, the blessings of Mother Nature are hard to live without. So why not care for Mother Nature when she cares so much for us? It is true to think that how less can our contribution be, however, we must know that however small our contribution is, it will still make a difference.

And there are millions of ways by which we can contribute. All we have to do is – reduce, recycle and reuse. Yes! We need to reduce- the levels of pollution, the consumption of paper, the use of plastics, the usage of water and electricity as well. We need to recycle- paper, plastics, e-wastes and several other household items that are of no use to us. We also must reuse- plastic jars, utensils, shoes, clothes etc.

If we follow the rules of reducing, reusing and recycling properly, we can certainly look forward to a bright future wherein we will be able to wake up not only to the warmth and light of the sun, but also to pure and fresh air. To help in our campaign of protecting the environment, various organizations have joined us. Now, we can also contribute and do our bit for the earth by logging on to http://www.bigbrothersvancouver.com/, http://www.valuevillage.com/ and http://www.salvationarmy.ca/.

And then this earth will seem like a better place to live on. That day, Mother Nature will be truly proud of us.

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The three friendly words for our environment are, reduce, reuse and recycle. These three words denote how people manage waste. Be a little responsible towards your home, Earth. Buy responsibly and this way you will reduce your trash. Go for products that use less packaging. Control the use of dangerous substances such as paint, pesticides and toxic cleaners. Buy according to your basic need and recycling the containers is vital.    

The containers can be reused. Do not throw them in the garbage bin. The washable cups should be used instead of disposable cups. Buy rechargeable products like rechargeable batteries which permit you to reuse the product. The bird food can be made in 2 liter soda bottles or the same bottles can be used for drinking and saving water. Do not throw the broken products straight in trash cans, you can repair them and give it to the needy. Do not use plastic bags they choke the environment and they cannot be recycled also.

Make a separate recycle bin in your house and throw the products to be recycled in it. Recycling can turn a waste product into a useful product. The newspapers, soda cans, mobiles, tires and Christmas trees can all be recycled. You can also purchase the products that is recycled or a product that has recycled content. “Precycle” can also be done if you products that comes in attractive recyclable packaging. Cheer and support the recycling programs that take place in your neighborhood. There are recycling centers and bins for separate products in several neighborhoods. You also take your recycle bin there and empty it.

A Public Service Campaign of the American Advertising Federation 4th District. If you like this video, also check out www.youtube.com www.thinkecokids.org http www.musicasmessage.com www.strongrecyclingbalers.co.uk www.youtube.com
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Environmental Conservation is something every one of us should do. Reduce; reuse and recycle are the three main ideologies on which we need to work on to embrace Green Lifestyle and to conserve the environment. It doesn’t matter if you do a lot or just a few; what matters are the simple yet active contributions by each and every one of us which can lead to remarkable benefits for the planet. Green Investment can bring tremendous benefits for both you and what surrounds you.

1. Reduce

It is important to always bear in mind the reduction of the total amount of consumption on earth’s natural resources. By reducing the consumption of any electronic devices and making sure they are turned off when not in use is a very useful way in order to conserve energy. The reduction of water utilization is also another way to contribute in saving our natural resources. It is also best to just buy things that you need and eliminate those that you don’t in order to reduce waste.

2. Reuse

We shouldn’t just bin things that can still be used when fixed. If clothes can be worn many times, water can also be reused as much. Water that has been used on laundry can be used again in cleaning your car. Furniture at home that has been damaged shouldn’t be disposed immediately if they can be fixed, then do so. One of the best ways to minimize garbage is to reuse plastic bags over and over. But the best thing to do is to avoid using plastic materials and switch to organic ones instead.

3. Recycle

We should acknowledge the importance of recycling, instead of disposing; why not think of ways to create something new out of the old material? Recycling saves energy as well as natural resources. Examples of things that are often recycled are glass, plastic, newspapers, aluminum cans, used motor oil, and batteries. Old newspapers could be made into simple home decors if you know how to be creative. Plastic jars could be turned to beautiful vases. Old jeans could be turned to an organizer or a rug. These are just few of the things which can be turned into useful things when recycled.

Lessening the amount resources that are consumed, using only the amount that is needed and looking for alternatives that will lessen our use will surely contribute a lot in saving our resources.Environmental conservation should be prioritize in order to fully enjoy its purpose, we should do something right now while it is not yet late to do so.

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Wondering how to go green, yet plan a dream birthday party for your beloved little one? It may not be as hard as you think. It just takes a little effort and planning.

1st.  Theme of the party

You should be environmental, if your boy is an insect, the green theme could revolve around protecting the earth, so that his insects would always have a green environment to live in!

If your girl loves flowers, then the green theme could revolve around keeping the environment clean and green, so that flowers will always flourish wherever she is!

Be creative.

2nd. Decorating the party

You can consider decorating the tables with covers made of recycled paper.

•    If it is a tradition at your home to have birthday parties every year, why not invest in your own cloth banners (that can be reused), instead of using disposable plastic or paper ones.

•    Use cut-outs from old magazine and cards to create unique decorations for your kid’s special day.

•    In the same way, gifts for the kids can be wrapped using recycled paper, or wrapping paper made of recycled paper.

•    There are definitely more ways of how to go green decorating birthday parties. You just need to be persistent, creative and have a sharp eye for materials you can use creatively.

3rd. Invitations

•    You can use handmade recycled paper cards as invites for the party.

•    You can consider sending e-cards and e-wishes, so that the messages and invites can be expressed and communicated, even without the use of paper and postage.

4th. Food

•    Use non disposable utensils and cutlery if possible. Styrofoam and plastic are non-biodegradable and using such disposables will definitely create more waste.

•    Choose brands that use minimal packaging.

•    Buy the items you need in bulk if possible, to minimize the packaging used. This saves you money too!

5th. Party Gifts

Why not consider something green?

•    Recycled stuff would be great, because when you purchase products made of recycled materials, you actually create a demand for recycling, and hence, play a part in sustaining the recycling industry. Why not browse through available gifts made of recycled materials and see if any fits your bill?

•    You can make your own recycled paper at home, and then fashion the recycled paper into little notebooks to be given away.

6TH Party Games

•    You can get the kids to collect empty drink cans before the party, and at the party itself, have a drink-can pyramid building competition. The winner gets a gift made of recycled materials!

•    If the kids are very young and into coloring, you could even hold a coloring competition for them.

7th Go Green cleaning up after the party

•    Look out for things that you can reuse, for example, decorations, unused disposable cutlery.

•    Use natural cleaners if you can. Some of the natural cleaners can be as effective as the synthetic ones, and yet they minimize harm to the environment.

Conventional birthday parties usually use lots of materials, and end up with lots of waste. The trick would be to reduce the amount of new materials used and the amount of waste produced, using the principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

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Stuff!: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• ISBN13: 9780761455707
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Pinch is a packrat. He collects lots of stuff. When his friends decide
to hold a tag sale, Pinch is horrified. The last thing he wants to do is
recycle his things. But then he realizes that he can make money at a
tag sale enough money to buy more stuff! How Pinch changes and finds
a way to beautify his town will reinforce the benefits of practicing the
three R’s–reduce, reuse, and recycle!

List Price: $ 16.99

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