Paper Or Plastic


Book Description

The deceptively simple supermarket choice echoed in the title symbolizes the dilemma of a society on a collision course with the planet's life-support systems. About one-third of America's municipal solid waste is packaging--at least 300 pounds per person each year--and the "upstream" costs in energy and resources used to make packaging are even more alarming. In this fascinating and timely book, author Daniel Imhoff unwraps the packaging problem and gives consumers, product designers, and policymakers the information they need to take steps toward a more sustainable future.




The Last Straw: Kids Vs. Plastics


Book Description

"I encourage everyone to read this book." --Dr. Jane Goodall There's no doubt about it--plastic is in almost everything. From our phones and computers to our toys and utensils, plastic is everywhere. But the amount of plastic we throw away is hurting the health of our planet. With The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics, readers will be fascinated as they learn about the growing plastic problem and meet just a few of the young activists who are standing up and speaking out for change. You'll hear about the "Be Straw Free" campaign, started by nine-year-old Milo Cress. You'll discover how scientists are using jellyfish snot and munching, crunching caterpillars to break down plastic pollution faster. You'll meet Xóchitl Guadalupe Cruz López, the eight-year-old girl turning old plastic bottles into solar heaters. And there are many more incredible kids here, not much older than our readers, who will inspire us all to change the way we think about plastic! With an introduction from Milo Cress and bright, colorful illustrations from Christiane Engel, this collection of brilliant, lyrical nonfiction poems by award-winning author Susan Hood highlights the threat of plastic and the kids who are fighting for change to save our planet. Includes extensive backmatter with a timeline, author's note, further resources, and more.




The Plastics Paradox


Book Description

The Plastics Paradox is the first and only book to reveal the truth about plastics and the environment. Based on over 400 scientific articles, it dispels the myths that the public believe today. We are told that plastics are not green when in fact, they are usually the greenest choice according to lifecycle analysis (LCA) We are told that plastics create a waste problem when they are proven to dramatically reduce waste, for example replacing 1lb of plastic requires 3-4lb of the replacement material We are told that plastics take 1000 years to degrade when in fact a plastic bag disintegrates in just one year outdoors We are led to believe that plastic bags and straws are an issue when in fact they barely register in the statistics The list goes on... Everything you believe now is untrue and we are making policies that harm the environment based on bad information. After reading The Plastics Paradox you will be able to make wise choices that help create a brighter future for us and for our children.




Plastic-Free


Book Description

“Guides readers toward the road less consumptive, offering practical advice and moral support while making a convincing case that individual actions . . . do matter.” —Elizabeth Royte, author, Garbage Land and Bottlemania Like many people, Beth Terry didn’t think an individual could have much impact on the environment. But while laid up after surgery, she read an article about the staggering amount of plastic polluting the oceans, and decided then and there to kick her plastic habit. In Plastic-Free, she shows you how you can too, providing personal anecdotes, stats about the environmental and health problems related to plastic, and individual solutions and tips on how to limit your plastic footprint. Presenting both beginner and advanced steps, Terry includes handy checklists and tables for easy reference, ways to get involved in larger community actions, and profiles of individuals—Plastic-Free Heroes—who have gone beyond personal solutions to create change on a larger scale. Fully updated for the paperback edition, Plastic-Free also includes sections on letting go of eco-guilt, strategies for coping with overwhelming problems, and ways to relate to other people who aren’t as far along on the plastic-free path. Both a practical guide and the story of a personal journey from helplessness to empowerment, Plastic-Free is a must-read for those concerned about the ongoing health and happiness of themselves, their children, and the planet.




Recycling and Deinking of Recovered Paper


Book Description

Paper recycling in an increasingly environmentally conscious world is gaining importance. Increased recycling activities are being driven by robust overseas markets as well as domestic demand. Recycled fibers play a very important role today in the global paper industry as a substitute for virgin pulps. Paper recovery rates continue to increase year after year Recycling technologies have been improved in recent years by advances in pulping, flotation deinking and cleaning/screening, resulting in the quality of paper made from secondary fibres approaching that of virgin paper. The process is a lot more eco-friendly than the virgin-papermaking process, using less energy and natural resources, produce less solid waste and fewer atmospheric emissions, and helps to preserve natural resources and landfill space. Currently more than half of the paper is produced from recovered papers. Most of them are used to produce brown grades paper and board but for the last two decades, there is a substantial increase in the use of recovered papers to produce, through deinking, white grades such as newsprint, tissue, market pulp. By using recycled paper, companies can take a significant step toward reducing their overall environmental impacts. This study deals with the scientific and technical advances in recycling and deinking including new developments. - Covers in great depth all the aspects of recycling technologies - Covers the latest science and technology in recycling - Provides up-to-date, authoritative information and cites many mills experiences and pertinent research - Includes the use of biotech methods for deinking, refining. and improving drainage




Drawdown


Book Description

• New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.




Technology of Paper Recycling


Book Description

This book covers the technology of the recovery of secondary fibre for its use in paper and board manufacture. The editor, who has had substantial practical experience of designing and commissioning paper recycling plants all over the world, leads a team of experts who discuss subjects including sourcing, characterisation, mechanical handling and preparation and de-inking.




The Secret Life of Stuff


Book Description

Wouldn't you like: - Products that don't damage the environment? - A better way of life without agonising about your 'footprint'? - To really know your stuff? Climate change? Biofuels? Nuclear power? Landfills? Recycling? Renewable energy? Environmental issues can feel overwhelming. But, in fact, it is simple; it all comes down to one thing - stuff. Our use of the Earth's resources - whether a crisp packet or a cargo ship, a T-shirt or a wind turbine - has an inescapable impact on our future. In The Secret Life of Stuff, Julie Hill uncovers the origins and the true cost of what we use. Her inventory of over-consumption may shock but it is the first step towards overcoming waste. The misuse of stuff is not your fault, it's a product of history. But it is only by understanding what has gone wrong, that everyone - politicians, business people and us as consumers - can create a new and better material world.




Global Plastics Outlook Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options


Book Description

While plastics are extremely useful materials for modern society, plastics production and waste generation continue to increase with worsening environmental impacts despite international, national and local policy responses, as well as industry commitments. The first of two reports, this Outlook intends to inform and support policy efforts to combat plastic leakage.




Waste Management, Processing and Valorisation


Book Description

This book highlights current efforts and research on waste management, processing and valorization, particularly in Asia-Africa countries. Chapters 1–2 highlight the overview of plastic waste management and the production of waste plastic oil (WPO). Chapters 3–5 discuss the landfill characterization and application of incineration and composting for waste processing. A new achievement in adsorbent production is highlighted in Chapters 6 and 7 while Chapters 10 and 11 focus on sewage characteristic and its utilization using microalgae. Enzyme production using waste is covered by Chapters 10-12. Chapter 13-14 dedicated to the advances in production of bioenergy. The book concludes with a discussion on life cycle analysis for solid waste management (Chapter 15).