Siemens has opened a 6,340 square metre building in London’s Green Enterprise District, in the docklands area, that it claims as one of the most sustainable buildings in the world. The building contains a 2,000 square metre public exhibition space dedicated to sustainable urban development.

The exhibition’s zones explore a range of issues including water, transport, city design and management, energy, environment, buildings and lighting, safety and security and healthcare. Numerous case studies from cities around the world showcase innovative ideas that others can learn from. A final gallery, ‘Future Life’, invites visitors to imagine how their city might look in 2050.

The building itself features numerous sustainable building components including:

• average energy use of 83 kWh/square meter/year, more than 50 percent less energy than other comparable office buildings.
• an all-electric building, the Crystal uses solar power and ground-source heat pumps to generate its own energy, meaning that no fossil fuels are burned in the building.
• two thirds of the Crystal’s roof is covered in PV panels generating around 20 percent of its electrical energy.
• taking into account the renewable energy produced on site, CO2 emissions – at an expected 23 kg/CO2/square meter/year on average – will be more than 65 percent lower than in comparable office buildings, based on the UK grid mix.
• rainwater is harvested for use, and not a drop of water is lost throughout the building, it can all be recycled or reused.

Gallon Environment Letter will be visiting The Crystal within the next few months. Watch for our report in a future issue of gallon Environment Letter.

Meanwhile, lots of information about The Crystal is available on http://www.siemens.com/press/en/events/2012/infrastructure-cities/2012-09-thecrystal.php  and on links from that page. The exhibition area brochure is at http://www.siemens.co.uk/pool/news_press/news_archive/pdfs/the-crystal-brochure.pdf.

A report from the National Association for PET Container Resources presents what GallonDaily considers good news regarding recycling of PET bottles in the US and North America. Recycling rates are growing steadily, though there is still some distance to go for PET to achieve general targets that are expected in recycling of other materials. PET is the clear flexible plastic used for a great deal of packaging, especially beverage bottles. It is actually the same material as polyester, used for clothing and many other applications, but in a different form.

According to NAPCOR data, the 2011 gross recycling rate for PET bottles is 29.3%, up from 19.9% ten years ago. There are 23 US PET recycling plants in operation with a combined capacity of 1.755 billion pounds, significantly more than the 1.052 billion pounds of PET currently being recycled. Prices for bales of PET bottles varied during the year from a low of 25 cents a pound in December to a high of 40 cents a pound in the spring months.

The big jump in use of recycled PET in 2011 came from Canadian manufacturers and for bottles made in the US but sold into Canada. Use of recycled PET for fibre applications also showed strong growth.

Lightweighting of bottles is something of a challenge for the PET recycling industry with collectors, intermediate processors, and reclaimers having to handle more containers to obtain the same weight. This increases recycling costs and creates logistical issues in handling the lighter containers throughout the system. NAPCOR expresses confidence that the challenges of recycling lighter weight bottles will be overcome. Labels that are not compatible with recycling systems are another big challenge for recyclers.

The 2011 Report on Postconsumer PET Container Recycling Activity is available at http://www.napcor.com/pdf/NAPCOR_2011RateReport.pdf

Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power (CHP), is making good progress as an energy efficient technology in the United States, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Cogen generally means making concurrent use of energy generation technology with heat. For example, thermal (coal, oil or gas) electricity generation puts out large quantities of waste heat. By making use of that heat a cogen facility can improve its energy and economic efficiency. An existing heating plant can often be modified so as to produce electricity as well as steam heat for an industrial plant.

According to EIA, there are nearly 70 gigawatts (GW) of combined heat and power generating capacity in the United States, accounting for almost 7% of total U.S. capacity, with 25 GW in the industrial sector, 2 GW in the commercial sector, and 43 GW in the electric power sector. In 2011, the average capacity factor for generators at industrial CHP plants was 57%, the equivalent of running at full capacity 57% of the time.

Useful thermal output accounts for most CHP fuel consumption, rather than electricity production. CHP systems operate with a wide range of fuels. Natural gas  is the most common primary energy source used in combined heat and power stations, followed by coal and biomass (often in the form of waste products at paper mills). The technology choice for a CHP facility depends on available fuel and the amount of generating capacity needed. Reciprocating internal combustion engines are widely used in small-to-medium applications (under 10 MW). Larger systems use industrial boilers, simple-cycle steam turbines, and gas turbines, as well as combined-cycle systems that are similar in design to combined-cycle units used in power production.

Many Canadian energy facilities are still not taking advantage of cogeneration opportunities. Owners often think that they are not appropriately sited, are too small, or have other barriers to expanding a steam heat plant to a cogen facility. The US is showing that cogen can be a real economic and environmental benefit.

For the EIA report visit http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=8250

The EU has issued a new working paper on types and uses of nanomaterials, including a discussion of safety aspects, and has simultaneously announced plans to improve the regulation of nanomaterials. In brief, the EU has concluded that nanomaterials must be regulated individually, in the way that other chemicals are regulated, and cannot be considered as a single class of chemicals.

Europe considers a material to be a nanomaterial when it contains 50% or more of particles with external dimensions is in the size range 1 nm to 100 nm (one nanometre is ten to the minus nine metres, formerly known as a millimicron). The total annual quantity of nanomaterials on the market at the global level is estimated at around 11 million tonnes, with a market value of roughly $26 billion. Carbon black and amorphous silica represent by far the largest volume of nanomaterials currently on the market. The group of materials currently attracting most attention are nano-titanium dioxide, nanozinc oxide, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and nanosilver.

The regulatory review concludes that nanomaterials are similar to normal chemicals/substances in that some may be toxic and some may not. Possible risks are related to specific nanomaterials and specific uses. Therefore, nanomaterials require a risk assessment, which should be performed on a case-by-case basis, using pertinent information.

The pair of papers, including the now adopted regulatory review on nanomaterials, are available at http://ec.europa.eu/nanotechnology/policies_en.html

Canada has had a Proposed Regulatory Framework For Nanomaterials Under The Canadian Environmental Protection Act since 2007 but the proposal has not yet been converted to an actual regulatory framework. The Proposed Regulatory Framework can be found at http://www.ec.gc.ca/subsnouvelles-newsubs/default.asp?lang=En&n=FD117B60-1

The Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo is being held at the International Centre near the Toronto Pearson Airport on November 14 – 15, 2012. This is one show that GallonDaily heartily endorses for anyone in business involved in waste issues, and who is not!

For a very modest admission, visitors can see a wide range of waste management and recycling technologies from more than 200 exhibitors. Most exhibitors are more than willing to chat about new developments in their field. A concurrent Canadian Waste Sector Symposium provides, at additional cost, a series of sessions on such themes as

• Use of economic instruments and waste management performances in the European Union
• Evolving trends and the state of the waste industry
• Global trends in waste management
• Organic waste management
• Extended producer responsibility & waste sector servicing
• Green energy
• Waste disposal and material handling
• Hazardous waste management
• Waste/recycling servicing

More information and a registration form are available at http://www.cwre.ca/

Several major US industrial states are leaders in energy efficiency, according to a US study released last week.

An in-depth study published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy shows that the top 10 energy efficiency states are Massachusetts, California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, and Minnesota. Interestingly, this group includes some of the top manufacturing states and states that are arguably among the top competitors for Canada’s manufacturing economy.  Energy efficiency means that total energy costs for manufacturers and other users are reduced no matter the actual cost of power consumed.

The ACEEE study also contains some interesting conclusions that may be relevant to Canadian jurisdictions contemplating, or not contemplating, energy efficiency initiatives:

• Massachusetts retained the top spot in the State Scorecard rankings for the second year in a row, having overtaken California last year, based largely on its continued commitment to energy efficiency under its Green Communities Act of 2008. Among other things, the Act spurred greater investments in energy efficiency programs by requiring utilities to save a large and growing percentage of energy every year through efficiency measures.
• Annual savings from all customer-funded energy efficiency programs topped 18 million megawatt-hours in 2010, a 40 percent increase over a year earlier.
• Utility budgets for electric and natural gas efficiency programs rose to almost $7 billion in 2011, a 27 percent increase over a year earlier. Of this, $5.9 billion went to electric efficiency programs, with the remaining $1.1 billion for natural gas programs.
• Nearly half of the states (24) have adopted and adequately funded an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS), which sets long-term energy savings targets and drives investments in utility-sector energy efficiency programs. The states with the most aggressive savings targets include Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
• Ten states have adopted energy efficiency codes for new building construction that exceed the IECC 2009 orASHRAE 90.1-2007 codes for residential and commercial building construction. Two additional states, Maryland and Illinois, have advanced even further by adopting the most recent and most stringent code for residential construction, the 2012 IECC.

The ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecard is available at http://aceee.org/sector/state-policy/scorecard

The European Commission for Climate Action today launched a campaign to put practical solutions at the centre of the climate change debate and demonstrate how climate action can increase wellbeing and bring economic benefits to European citizens. Under the slogan “A world you like. With a climate you like.” the campaign is highlighting innovative climate solutions that reduce CO₂ pollution while also improving people’s quality of life, something the Commission describes as “win-win” solutions – where saving money, time and greenhouse gas emissions go hand in hand.

If the campaign is successful it may well improve the opportunity for more climate responsible products and services and for a more effective role for business in achieving European greenhouse gas targets.

The campaign website is at http://world-you-like.europa.eu/en/  .

A study from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the University of Paris Dauphine suggests that companies that have adopted environmental standards enjoy higher labour productivity than firms that have not adopted such standards.

The study is based on a survey of French companies which includes responses with detailed employee characteristics from 5220 firms. It used ISO 14001, organic labeling or fair trade as indicators of attention paid to environmental management.

The authors make the case that adoption of environmental standards is associated with increased employee training and interpersonal contacts, which in turn contribute to improved labor productivity. They argue that increased communication among workers with diverse capabilities can lead to knowledge transfer and innovation. This is consistent with the innovation literature, which shows that the integration of divergent thoughts and perspectives enables teams to solve problems and leverage opportunities, and is a critical antecedent of innovation and productivity. They also make the case that the data show that enhanced interpersonal contacts can lead to an improved work environment and increased productivity.

While the results of this study are limited to the French experience, and in other ways, the authors do argue that policymakers and supporters of voluntary standards can emphasize these benefits in order to encourage firms to adopt environmental standards. They state that their findings suggest new ways of achieving the Porter hypothesis’ promise of a positive relationship between environmental practices and financial performance. They indicate that a firm’s social orientation may not only lead to environmental improvements but can also act as an enhancement tool designed to improve work systems.

The full study can be found in the Journal of Organizational Behavior at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.1827/abstract by clicking on the Article tab.

A recent report from the European Environment Agency draws attention to the fact that many urban Europeans are exposed to air pollution levels deemed to exceed ‘safe’ levels.

Among the findings:

• Pollution from particulate matter is leading to premature mortality. The report estimates that in 2010, 21 % of the urban population was exposed to PM₁₀ ( particles with diameter smaller than 10 micrometres) concentration levels higher than the limit value designed to safeguard health. Up to 30 % of the urban population was exposed to finer PM_2.5 concentration levels above the (less stringent) yearly EU limit values. According to the WHO reference levels, which are even tighter than those imposed by EU law, respectively up to 81 % and 95 % of urban dwellers were exposed to PM concentrations that exceed the reference values set for the protection of human health.
• 97 % of EU urban inhabitants were exposed to ozone concentrations above the WHO reference level in 2010. 17 % were exposed to concentrations above the EU target value for O₃. In 2009, 22 % of arable land in Europe was exposed to damaging concentrations of O₃, leading to agricultural losses.
• 7 % of Europeans living in cities were exposed to nitrogen dioxide levels above the EU limit values. National emissions of nitrogen oxides in many European countries still exceed emission ceilings set by EU legislation and under United Nations agreements.
• Between 2008 and 2010, 20-29 % of the European population  was exposed to concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene exceeding the EU target value.  Benzo(a)pyrene is a carcinogen.

Comparable national data is not available for Canada, though it is published for some cities. Europe’s focus on air pollutants is likely to lead to increased attention on air pollution in Canadian cities. We’ll be looking at some of the data that is available for Canadian cities in a future issue of Gallon Environment Letter.

The European Report Air Quality in Europe – 2012 Report is available at http://www.eea.europa.eu/pressroom/newsreleases/many-europeans-still-exposed-to

The US Federal Trade Commission has introduced an updated version of its ‘Green Guides’ for environmental marketing claims. Companies that make product-related claims in association with products in the US marketplace that do not conform to the guides risk being charged with misleading advertising. Many companies are not aware that environmental claims on products are among the most highly regulated of advertising claims in both Canada and the US.

GallonDaily expects that Canada’s guidance on environmental labeling could be updated at some point in the future to match the US Guides. Even without Canadian matching of the US claims, GallonDaily advises Canadian companies to adhere to the US guidance in case Canadian product finds its way into the United States.

A review of the new US Green Guides will be published in the next issue of Gallon Environment Letter, due to be published next week. Subscription information, including the opportunity for a free sample subscription, is available at http://www.cialgroup.com/subscription.htm  This issue of gallon Environment Letter will also be published at http://www.cialgroup.com/galloncurrent.htm by the end of October 2012.

The new FTC Green Guides are available at http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/10/greenguides.shtm