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Lidl launches city-wide drinks packaging recycling scheme

Posted on February 13, 2024 by dishanth

Shoppers will be able to deposit any single-use drinks packaging made from either PET plastic or aluminium, between 100ml and three litres in size. Barcodes must be attached and readable.

Collected packaging will be sent for recycling. Lidl is aiming to capture at least 10.5 tonnes of material every month.

The launch of the scheme is intended to go some way to preparing customers for Scotland’s nationwide deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks packaging, which was due to launch last August but was delayed until March 2024.

Further delays could yet be announced due to backlash from some retailers, plus the fact that a UK-wide DRS is not due to launch until early 2025 at the soonest.

DRS initiatives see a levy placed on beverages, which customers can only claim back after returning their used packaging to a certified collection point for recycling.

But Lidl has elected not to add a levy to its beverages at present. Instead, customers will receive a 5p reward for every bottle or can returned, with no limit on the amount that each person can claim. They can receive the rewards as either a voucher for money off their next shop, or as a donation to Lidl’s charity partner in Scotland, STV Children’s appeal. The appeal supports children in poverty with education, mental health care, social activities and necessities like food and clothing.

Lidl GB’s chief commercial officer Richard Bourns described the initiative as “a win-win for all”.

He said: “We’re on a mission to eliminate all unnecessary waste, and with over 95% of our own-brand packaging now recyclable, reusable, or refillable we’ve been making great progress. We know that Lidl shoppers share this passion, and we hope that utilising this infrastructure, which might otherwise have been left dormant, will help to make recycling their cans and bottles even more convenient for them.”

Source edie

The Ban on Plastic Water Bottles at LAX

Posted on September 5, 2023 by dishanth

Did you know that over 481 billion plastic bottles are used worldwide every year? Americans purchase, on average, 50 billion water bottles per year. This averages about 13 bottles per month for every person. The US, China and Indonesia are the largest consumers of plastic water bottles. Purchasing plastic water bottles in these countries buying, plastic water bottles are seen as a luxury whereby the water is regarded as “healthier” or has a better taste. Countries in the Global South together represent roughly 60 percent of the market. These countries are almost dependent on plastic water bottles due to the lack of reliable access to safe tap water.

The issues surrounding the overconsumption of plastic water bottles include the fact that the groundwater extracted to help fill the billions of plastic bottles a year poses a potential threat to drinking water resources. Moreover, the industry’s growth helps distract attention and resources from funding the public water infrastructure needed in many countries. Using plastic water bottles harms the planet because most plastic gets thrown into landfills. In fact, only 9 percent of the plastic from these bottles is recycled, which is only getting lower due to China no longer accepting US plastics.

Despite the adverse effects plastic, especially plastic water bottles, have on the planet, there is no sign of these sales slowing down. Experts are saying that plastic water bottle sales are expected to rise by 2030.

To reduce the use of plastic water bottles, at least in the US, the Los Angeles Airport (also commonly known as LAX) is banning the sale of these single-use plastic water bottles. Over 9 million plastic water bottles were sold at LAX alone in 2019, which averages more than 24 000 bottles a day. The LAX plastic water bottle ban went into effect on June 30, 2023.

The LAX plastic water bottle ban includes concessionaires, restaurants, lounges, vending machines and events happening at the airport. Only single-use water bottles made from recyclable aluminium, cartons or glass may be sold at the airport. The airport encourages visitors to bring their own reusable water bottles and use the water bottle refill stations located in the various terminals. The LAX plastic water bottle ban does not include other beverages sold in plastic bottles or bottled water from flight services on aircraft. This is something that might change in the coming years.

This new policy is part of the Los Angeles World Airports (including LAX and Van Nuys Airports) Sustainability Action Plan, which targets a zero-waste future. The plan is to make these airports zero waste by 2045. The LAX plastic water bottle ban is only the second airport in the world to ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles and follows San Francisco International Airport, which placed its ban in 2019. In 2021, San Francisco extended the ban to include other types of beverages.

The LAX plastic water bottle ban is only part of a bigger push for sustainability. Los Angeles World Airport has a long history of committing to environmental sustainability. In the early 1990s, it introduced waste diversion and recycling programs at its airports and in 2007, it adopted one of the first sustainability plans for any airport in the nation. Reducing waste and eliminating single-use plastics are important goals for the Los Angeles World Airports and the City of Los Angeles. The LA City Green New Deal calls for all city departments to phase out single-use plastic by 2028 and achieved 100 percent waste diversion by 2050.

It’s impressive that no other airports have taken these initiatives yet. But we know that California is a leader in the sustainability movement. Hopefully, the LAX plastic water bottle ban will encourage other airports around the US and even across the globe to take part in this initiative and reduce dependence on plastic.

Source Happy Eco News

The ShAPE Aluminum Recycling Method Could Change The Industry Forever

Posted on July 25, 2023July 25, 2023 by dishanth

Our Lives are Built with Aluminum

Aluminum is one of the most widely used industrial materials available today. It exists in our cars, our boats and ships, and in the buildings we live in.

In the EV industry, the importance of aluminum cannot be overstated, given that it is required to create the casing of the batteries that power the vehicle. The benefits of aluminum come down to its strength and its weight.

However, mining the raw materials that go into aluminum harms our environment. Bauxite is a mineral used in the creation of aluminum, and the mines that pull the ore out of the ground are responsible for acres of deforestation, water pollution via the Bayer process, air pollution due to the temperatures required to forge it, and other environmental impacts.

The aluminum manufacturing industry has been taking steps to reduce its reliance on new aluminum, though current technology still requires a sizeable amount of new aluminum to recycle scrap aluminum.

However, a new technology has been created that could eliminate that need entirely. This is how the ShAPE aluminum recycling process could change how we procure aluminum.

What is it, and How Does it Work?

The Shape aluminum recycling (Shear Assisted Processing Extrusion) process is an innovative new method of recycling aluminum created by the United States Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.

This process was created primarily for the automotive industry so as to reduce the reliance on freshly created aluminum and cut the environmental impacts of creating EVs. The process was also created in collaboration with Magna, a leading mobile technology company.

This process could reduce 50% of the embodied energy and 90% of the carbon dioxide emissions output by reducing the amount of aluminum required by mining. The ShAPE aluminum recycling process is unique because it doesn’t require any pre-heating step to remove impurities in the scrap aluminum.

It works by rotating the aluminum on a die in the ShAPE aluminum recycling machine while being pushed through a small opening. Combining rotation and deformation ensures that the metal elements are distributed evenly, eliminating the need for a pre-heating process.

In testing to ensure that the aluminum produced by ShAPE aluminum recycling is as strong as they think, they used electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction to create an image of the placement and microstructure of the metal particle within the finished product.

They did this test using aluminum 6063, also known as architectural aluminum. They found that this aluminum product was uniformly strong and lacked manufacturing defects that would otherwise cause the aluminum to fail in its application.

They also found no impurities in the metal, which is important due to the fact that the metal they used was entirely recycled, and raw scrap metal is full of impurities.

While incredibly promising, EV technology currently relies on industries and industrial methods that are incredibly damaging to the environment. The EV industry is working hard to eliminate this contradiction of being eco-friendly yet requiring damage to the environment to be created.

With the ShAPE aluminum recycling method, there could be significant changes to multiple industries, not only the automotive industry. A lead researcher on the project, Scott Whalen, said, “We are now working on including post-consumer waste streams, which could create a whole new market for secondary aluminum scrap.”

While current methods are being used, the environmental damage cannot be understated. However, in the future, using this new method, things could change forever for the better.

Source Happy Eco News

Decarbonizing Aluminum; a Low-Carbon Future for a Versatile Metal

Posted on March 28, 2023March 28, 2023 by dishanth

What is aluminum, and what is it used for?

Aluminum is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic metal. It has good electrical and thermal conductivity and is used in many products, from cars and airplanes to packaging, foil and cans. It is a highly versatile metal, but many people don’t realize that it’s also one of the most carbon-intensive metals to produce.

Because it is used in so many diverse applications, the aluminum industry has a big environmental footprint. Aluminum production emits about 1% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these emissions come from using fossil fuels to make aluminum oxide (alumina), which is then reduced to aluminum metal in smelters.

The aluminum industry is working on ways to reduce its emissions. One promising technology is “carbon-free” or “green” aluminum production. This process uses renewable electricity – instead of fossil fuels – to produce alumina, which can then be turned into aluminum metal using existing smelting technology.

Several companies are already using or testing this technology, including Rio Tinto, Alcoa, Hydro and China’s Chalco. These companies are betting that carbon-free aluminum will be in high demand from industries and consumers who want to reduce their emissions footprints.

Why is aluminum production carbon-intensive?

There are two main reasons why aluminum production is so carbon-intensive. First, alumina, the raw material used to produce aluminum, is derived from bauxite ore, typically found in tropical regions. The process of mining and refining bauxite ore releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Second, smelting alumina to produce aluminum metal emits significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Smelting is responsible for approximately two-thirds of the total emissions associated with aluminum production.

How will the industry decarbonize aluminum?

The most common method of producing aluminum involves the electrolysis of alumina in a high-carbon anode, which results in significant emissions of greenhouse gases. The industry is developing low-carbon technologies to reduce or eliminate these emissions.

Another promising technology is using renewable energy to power the electrolysis process. This would significantly reduce the carbon footprint of aluminum production. Solar, wind, and hydroelectric power can all power these processes while significantly reducing or eliminating emissions.

Recycled aluminum requires less energy to process and emits far less carbon dioxide than virgin alumina.

Each of these options comes with its challenges, but the aluminum industry is committed to finding ways to reduce its environmental impact. For example, Rio Tinto is investing in research into new smelting technologies that could significantly reduce emissions. Alcoa is working on a project to power its operations with renewable energy from forest biomass waste.

Will the quality of low-carbon aluminum be lower?

Decarbonized aluminum is made using low-carbon methods, which results in a lower carbon footprint. However, some worry that this type of aluminum will be of lower quality than regular aluminum.

No evidence suggests that decarbonized aluminum is any less strong or durable than regular aluminum. In fact, it may even be of higher quality due to the extra attention to the manufacturing process and modern innovations in the process. Low-carbon methods often result in a cleaner and more pure product.

A study by the International Aluminum Institute found that, when using best practices, there was no significant difference in the quality of low-carbon aluminum and regular aluminum. The study found that, in some cases, low-carbon aluminum had superior properties.

This is because environmental regulations are becoming more stringent, forcing producers to innovate and find ways to reduce their carbon footprint without compromising on quality.

Source Happy Eco News

Waitrose replaces small glass wine bottles with cans in bid to cut carbon

Posted on January 16, 2023 by dishanth

The supermarket chain, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, announced the change this week. Customers will begin seeing the wine lines in the new packaging from Sunday (15 January).

A total of 19 small wine lines are set to be housed in aluminium cans rather than glass bottles. Waitrose claims that the move will reduce the weight of its wine packaging used annually by 320 tonnes, while also reducing carbon emissions across the value chain.

As the cans are lighter than the bottles, transport emissions are set to be reduced. Emissions reductions are also expected in the upstream value chain. Waitrose’s own life cycle analyses have concluded that an aluminium can will create less than half the amount of CO2e across its lifecycle than equivalent glass bottles.

The new cans can be recycled in with household mixed recycling collections. Aluminium is regarded as an infinitely recyclable material; unlike plastics, the quality of the material does not decrease when it is mechanically recycled.

For these environmental reasons, and for reasons relating to cost and convenience, Waitrose has already moved to canned formats for products including craft beers and cocktails.

Waitrose’s beer, wine and spirit bulk sourcing manager Barry Dick said he hopes the move in the wine aisle will “encourage suppliers to continue to develop a diverse and exciting range of wines in cans”.

Waitrose is notably working towards a 2035 net-zero target for its entire value chain. The John Lewis Partnership moved its 2050 target forward by 15 years back in October 2020. It subsequently joined the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign. John Lewis Partnership is planning to set verified science-based climate targets covering emissions from all scopes, including Scope 3 (indirect) emissions in the supply chain, in the coming months.

Tackling vape waste

The news on the wine packaging comes shortly after Waitrose announced a decision to end sales of single-use vaping products. The retailer had already implemented a ban on sales of single-use vape pens but built upon this by delisting imitation cigarettes.

Waitrose said in a statement that it was concerned about the appeal of single-use vapes to young consumers and about the environmental impact of the products, which contain plastic and lithium and are often littered. Previous research from Material Focus revealed that at least 1.3 million disposable vapes are thrown away in the UK every week – equivalent to two every second. Recycling systems do not yet exist for these products.

Source edie

P&G to launch refillable shampoo bottles in 2021

Posted on October 23, 2020 by dishanth

The consumer goods giant unveiled images of the new format for the first time today (22 October). Customers will be encouraged to purchase a reusable aluminium bottle, which they can refill from new pouches. The pouches consist of a flexible plastic packet with a rigid plastic neck.

P&G has calculated that the refill pouches use 60% less plastic per milliliter of the product than traditional shampoo bottles. It claims that they can be recycled from kerbside collections in all European countries bar Belgium, Ireland and Switzerland, which do not have the appropriate recycling infrastructure.

Products from Head & Shoulder, Pantene, Herbal Essences and Aussie will be available in the new refillable format from early 2021. P&G plans to launch the format in every European market it is currently selling into. Its beauty arm is notably aiming to halve the amount of virgin plastic used to house shampoos and conditioners by the end of 2021.

“This new packaging innovation will contribute to making the reuse of packaging irresistible while enabling a reduction of virgin plastic as per P&G’s Ambition 2030 commitment,” P&G’s chief sustainability officer Virginie Helias said. “It’s no longer about if or what we can do, but how quickly we can do it – the window is now for embracing new sustainable lifestyles.”

Plastics action

P&G’s Ambition 2030 sustainability strategy outlines a five-pillar approach to tackling plastics packaging. Launched last spring, the plastics framework includes a goal to ensure all packaging is 100% recyclable or reusable by 2030, bolstered by shorter-term pledges to achieve 100% recyclability by 2022.

In recognition of the fact that just 9% of all plastics produced to date have been successfully recycled, P&G’s strategy also outlines plastic reduction targets for each of P&G’s divisions. Aside from Beauty, the Fabric Care division is targeting a 30% reduction in plastics use by 2025.

Several of P&G’s brands are already listed on Loop – TerraCycle’s multi-brand refill platform which is currently operating in the US, France and the UK. Loop sees customers pay a deposit fee on each piece of packaging that is refunded to them when TerraCycle’s courier partners collect the empty containers.

While this direct-to-consumer model has proven popular with brands, investors, and shoppers alike, many other brands are opting for in-store refill models. The Body Shop, for example, has a refill station for shower gels at its Bond Street Store, while Waitrose’s ‘Unpacked’ stores stock packaging-free washing-up liquid, laundry detergent, and beer.

Covid-19 has presented complications for the refill movement. But momentum seems to be gaining pace once again; Asda opened a ‘sustainability store’ with more than 30 packaging-free product lines in Middleton, Leeds, earlier this week.

By Sarah George

Source: edie.net