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IGPN NEWSLETTER [Issue 24]
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The IGPN Newsletter is a free email newsletter to keep you updated with the latest development on Green Purchasing around the world. If you find the IGPN Newsletter useful, please forward it and tell your friends and colleagues to visit http://www.igpn.org/newsletter/ for free subscriptions.
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HEADLINES
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- UK company unveils ‘fully recyclable, carbon positive’ packaging
- Greenredeem acquires Recyclebank to create recycling superbrand
- Sainsbury’s cleans up water footprint
- Global carbon dioxide levels set to pass 400ppm milestone
- Australia calls China global leader in climate change fight
- Looking back on the limits of growth
- Brits’ love affair with renewable grows ever stronger
- NYC expands plastics recycling, launches food waste challenge
- Pollution fears as ban on plastic foam items lifted
- Breakthrough in solar efficiency by UNSW team ahead of its time
- A second life for rice husk
- UN: Greening trade can spur sustainable development
- Shanghai companies enjoy recycled water on tap
- Plasticity Forum: Adidas and others find gold in plastic
- New Singapore project first to replace more greenery than is lost
- Hong Kong launches first electric taxis
- Kroger to power distribution center with spoiled food
- Australian researchers hail printable solar cells breakthrough
- Defra hosts waste industry growth summit
- Dell’s New Goal: Waste Free Packaging by 2020
- Waiting on new climate deal ‘will set world on a path to 5C warming’
- UK recycling industry has potential to create 10,000 new jobs
- Green Investment Bank mulling £50m anaerobic digestion investment
- Four energy policies can keep the 2C climate goal alive - IEA
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GREEN PURCHASING NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
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UK company unveils ‘fully recyclable, carbon positive’ packaging
A UK company claims to have produced a new type of packaging that is not only 100 percent recyclable, but also actively removes CO2 from the atmosphere.
Greenredeem acquires Recyclebank to create recycling superbrand
Schemes that encourage recycling by offering gift vouchers and rewards points could soon be rolled out more widely, after Greenredeeem today announced the acquisition of the UK arm of recycling rewards scheme operator Recyclebank.
Sainsbury’s cleans up water footprint
Rainwater harvesting and car wash water reclaim systems have helped Sainsbury’s halve its water consumption across its stores over the last eight years.
Global carbon dioxide levels set to pass 400ppm milestone
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 399.72 parts per million (ppm) and is likely to pass the symbolically important 400ppm level for the first time in the next few days.
Australia calls China global leader in climate change fight
A new report by Australia’s Climate Commission says that China is one of the world’s bright spots in global action to curb the effects of climate change.
Looking back on the limits of growth
Recent research supports the conclusions of a controversial environmental study released 40 years ago: The world is on track for disaster.
Brits’ love affair with renewable grows ever stronger
The survey of more than 2,000 people carried out by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) last month found that public support for onshore wind power reached a 12-month high.
NYC expands plastics recycling, launches food waste challenge
New York City has put two initiatives into effect to improve its waste and recycling efforts. The first is an expansion of its recycling program to include the recycling of all rigid plastics, including such items such as toys, hangers, shampoo bottles, coffee cups and food containers.
Pollution fears as ban on plastic foam items lifted
The end of a 14-year ban on the sale and use of disposable food containers made of plastic foam has sparked concerns over pollution and potential health risks.
Breakthrough in solar efficiency by UNSW team ahead of its time
Australian scientists have found a way of hugely increasing the efficiency of solar panels while substantially reducing their cost.
A second life for rice husk
The rice husk (or hull) is the outermost layer of the paddy grain that is separated from the rice grain during the milling process. Around 20 percent of paddy weight is husk and rice production in Asia produces about 770 million tons of husk annually.
UN: Greening trade can spur sustainable development
Sustainable goods and services offer developing countries new commercial opportunities that can help drive sustainable development though the “greening” of global trade, according to a major new UN report.
Shanghai companies enjoy recycled water on tap
Shanghai is promoting the sale of recycled water among corporations as a way to save the resource.
Plasticity Forum: Adidas and others find gold in plastic
The issue of plastic waste has grown too large to ignore. As of 2013, 40 percent of the world’s oceans surfaces were covered with floating plastic garbage of some sort, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
New Singapore project first to replace more greenery than is lost
A new project, Jem, in Singapore has become the first mixed-use development project to achieve the Singapore Building Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award rating for its eco-friendly features and for replacing lost landscape by 122 percent.
Hong Kong launches first electric taxis
Hong Kong saw its first electric taxis hit the streets on Saturday in a step towards reducing the city’s high levels of roadside pollution.
Kroger to power distribution center with spoiled food
Kroger has come up with a solution that will put a dent in the food waste generated by the supermarket chain ? it will turn it into biogas energy that powers a distribution center.
Australian researchers hail printable solar cells breakthrough
Scientists in Australia have drastically scaled up the size of printed solar cells, potentially paving the way for the renewable energy technology to be rolled out across a multitude of buildings and every day technologies, from windows to laptops.
Defra hosts waste industry growth summit
Defra will today seek to bring together investors, bankers, entrepreneurs and waste management firms at a “growth summit” designed to help identify how to accelerate investment in the waste, recycling, and resource management industry.
Dell’s New Goal: Waste Free Packaging by 2020
Dell has been leading on using sustainable packaging for its computers and other products and today announced a goal to achieve a waste-free packaging stream by 2020.
Waiting on new climate deal ‘will set world on a path to 5C warming’
The world cannot afford to wait for a new global climate change agreement to come into force in 2020, because doing so will mean an end to hopes of limiting global warming to moderate levels, one of the world’s foremost authorities on energy has warned.
UK recycling industry has potential to create 10,000 new jobs
Pursuing recycling and more efficient resource use could lead to a UK industry with net exports of more than £20bn and 10,000 new jobs in the recycling sector by 2020.
Green Investment Bank mulling £50m anaerobic digestion investment
The Green Investment Bank (GIB) has said anaerobic digestion (AD) projects are “at the heart” of waste investment strategy, revealing that it is currently considering direct investment of up to £50m in the sector.
Four energy policies can keep the 2C climate goal alive - IEA
Warning that the world is not on track to limit the global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has urged governments to swiftly enact four energy policies that would keep climate goals alive without harming economic growth.
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Copyright (c) 2013 IGPN All Rights Reserved
IGPN newsletter is written and edited by C. Pangilinan.
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International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) Secretariat
Cosmos Aoyama 5-53-67, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan.
Email: igpn[at]net.email.ne.jp / URL: http://www.igpn.org/
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