News Bits
All Chevrolet 2013 vehicles to bear environmental label
Window stickers listing environmental benefits can now be found on every Chevrolet 2013 model, General Motors Co., the maker of the Chevrolet brand, has announced.
The Ecologic label, which the Detroit-based automaker introduced last January on the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, lists environmental features of each vehicle and its manufacturing facility, verified by a third-party sustainability agency, the company said. The company's environmental pursuits include emissions and waste reduction, fuel-saving technologies and alternative energy sources, according to its website.
"We've seen an increase in customers looking specifically for fuel efficiency, but many people are intrigued by reading their vehicle also is made in a responsible way," Matt LaFontaine, general manager of LaFontaine Automotive Group in Dexter, Mich., said in a statement.
Several of General Motors' manufacturing plants are landfill-free and all emphasize reuse and recycling of waste, according to the company.
(Source: Waste and Recycling News, March 2013)
Government of Quebec provides nod to CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP
St. Bruno, QC, Nov. 6, 2012 - The Government of Quebec has provided CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP with an opportunity to enhance agricultural stewardship in the province by providing CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP an exemption to existing regulations on how pesticide and fertilizer containers are managed. The exemption has been granted to manufacturers of commercial pesticide and fertilizer containers, as long as they become a member in good standing with CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP.
The exemption falls under the "Regulation respecting compensation for municipal services provided to recover and reclaim residual materials''.
Members of CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP, a not-for-profit stewardship organization, can immediately take advantage of the exemption, meaning they won't need to contribute to a compensation plan constituted under the Environment Quality Act, a program in place in Quebec for collecting and disposing of municipal waste. Manufacturers of pesticide and fertilizer containers, who aren't currently a member, can also gain an exemption by joining CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP.
"CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP is proud to be able to provide manufacturers of commercial pesticide and fertilizer containers the opportunity to recycle the containers they sell in Quebec," says Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP. "This really gives agriculture its own opportunity to determine its destiny for stewardship."
CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP currently offers an empty pesticide and fertilizer container recycling program across Canada and Quebec farmers can continue to participate by returning their triple-rinsed containers to any of the retail collection sites across the province. Containers collected in Quebec are recycled into materials like farm drainage tile.
In addition, CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP will work with the Quebec government and the agricultural community to develop programs to manage additional agricultural wastes like seed bags, crop protection bags and bale wrap.
"This is a win-win-win situation for farmers, industry and the environment," says Friesen. "CleanFARMS/AgriRÉCUP members have stepped up to the plate to meet these regulations and we are excited about the potential of new programs in Quebec and look forward to working with the government of Quebec to help farmers manage the waste generated on farms."
WWF creates The Living Planet @ Work program
Do you want to work for an environmentally responsible company?
If you answered yes, then according to research released today by WWF, you are among the 86% of Canadians that do.
WWF estimates there are a billion decisions made in workplaces every day in Canada. Imagine how the world would change if each one of those decisions took the future of our planet into account.
Attached is a press release about a new joint program between WWF & HP Canada.
The Living Planet @ Work program, championed by HP, provides the strategic guidance, tools, and support that empowers companies to rethink their operations and find greener ways of doing business. The target, by 2014, is:
- to recruit 500 companies to commit to Living Planet @ Work,
- to engage 100,000 employees in WWF’s conservation campaigns,
- and to raise $1 million for the environment through workplace giving.
Ultimately, the goal is to facilitate a major shift in how business decisions, and the people who make them, contribute to the conservation of our planet.
For more information, see attached press release, or visit atwork.wwf.ca.
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