According to an AFP news agency report, dozens of nations signed a new treaty at the recent Hong Kong conference organized by the United Nations International Maritime Organization to make ship recycling safer. The treaty must now be ratified by individual member states.

Environmental activists have called the new deal a step backwards for the environment and the labourers who do dangerous work. The new convention on ship recycling adopted does not stop a toxic ship from being broken on the beach of a developing country, noted the director of an NGO platform on ship breaking. It legitimizes the infamous breaking yards of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India and rewards these exploitive operations while punishing those companies that have invested in safer and cleaner methods, the activists say. Ship breaking in developing countries takes place mostly on soft sand beaches, where access for heavy lifting equipment and emergency vehicles is difficult, if not impossible.
Source: steelguru.com

China has published the details of the old-for-new subsidy policy on household appliances, covering subsidy measures, operation procedure and implementation. According to the new policy, institutions and in-dividuals in the nine pilot cities and provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Shandong, Fuzhou, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Changsha), that trade in used household appliances for new ones within the fixed time from 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010, are entitled to enjoy a subsidy amounting to 10 per cent of the new appliances sale price. The policy covers five product categories, including TV sets, refrigerators (including chest freezers), washing machines, air-conditioners and computers. Consumers will be able to apply for the old-for-new subsidy when purchasing new products, and sellers will examine and verify the application on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and cash the qualified subsidy applications on the spot.

Local recycling plants that won the bid to join the work will enjoy freight subsidies when picking up used products from consumers and sending them to appointed processing enterprises within the fixed time. Provincial and municipal governments are responsible for the regulation and management of the old-for-new campaign, and have to design rules ensuring its smooth implementation. The old-for-new campaign is expected to expand consumption, improve efficiency in energy usage, reduce pollution and accelerate industry upgrading and economic structure adjustment, explains the Minister of Finance.
Source: www.istockanalyst.com

The Government of India set up the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) by a notification dated 20 February 2009 as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga River. NGRBA aims to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river by adopting a holistic approach with the river basin as the unit of planning. The ongoing pollution abatement works under the Ganga Action Plan would continue to be implemented.

NGRBAs functions include all measures necessary for planning and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the river, including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure; collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in Ganga; research on problems of environmental pollution and conservation of Ganga; and promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rain water harvesting and decentralized sewage treatment systems. Steps have been initiated for preparation of a river basin management plan, nomination of experts in NGRBA and for creation of a corpus of funds for the Authority.
Source: pib.nic.in

BASF, the global chemicals giant based in Germany, is leading a pilot project to encourage consumers to use biodegradable bags for waste and compost in Thailand. The pilot project is aimed at encouraging consumers to use biodegradable bags to collect household organic waste and produce high-quality compost that will serve as organic fertilizer for the purpose of soil improvement. National Innovation Agency (NIA) of Thailand, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) of Germany and the Thai Bioplastics Industry Association (TBIA) are the other agencies involved in the biodegradable bag project.

Biodegradable plastics present an important contribution to efficient biowaste management, states Mr. Supachai Lorlowhakarn, Director of NIA. Additionally, as a secondary raw material post-composting, it can also be used to provide an economical and ecologically viable utilization possibility fertilizer in this case. NIA plans to develop the bioplastics industry in Thailand. For the production of the biodegradable bags, TBIA will compound starch with BASFs Ecoflex resin, a biodegradable, compostable polyester.
Source: www.europeanplasticsnews.com

In Hanoi, Viet Nam, the first activity of the Reducing Plastic Bags in Retail Activities to Benefit Consumers, Retailers, Poor Labourers and the Environment project launched by the Centre for Support of Combating Climate Change (SCC) under the Viet Nam Union of Scientific & Technological Association is distributing two cloth shopping bags to each of the households that sign up. Cooperating supermarkets in the capital area will register households and distribute the bags. Each bag has a bar code, and shops and supermarkets participating in the project scan the code on the bag whenever customers use it. Every month or every quarter, the supermarkets will estimate how much money has been saved by the customers who used the reusable bags. Based on the estimated cost saving from lower plastic bag usage, the stores will return 50 per cent of the savings back to the consumers in the form of discounts, gifts or cash.

The SCC estimates that residents use about US$38 million worth of plastic bags each year. Providing cloth bags for the 800,000 families in the city would require a budget of about US$8 million, but if everyone used them it is estimated that US$28 million can be saved every year on plastic bags and the environment will be kept cleaner. The project aims to reduce the usage of plastic bags by 100,000 bags per day in Hanoi by the end of 2009. The next phases of the project include expansion to other cities such as HCM City, Da Nang and Hai Phong with the target of reducing consumption by 1,000,000 plastic bags per day by the end of 2011.
Source: english.vietnamnet.vn

Waste Busters, pioneers in recycling of solid waste in Pakistan, have launched biodegradable plastic bags in Lahore. According to Mr. Asif Farooki, Chief Executive of Waste Busters, despite several efforts the government had been unable to curb the menace of plastic pollution over the last 10 years. Plastic pollution has become a problem of epidemic nature, clogging sewage systems, polluting agriculture fields and, over all, becoming an eye sore in almost all cities and towns in the country.

The new biodegradable plastic bag is modelled on imported Japanese technology. An additive used in the process of producing plastic bags makes them biodegradable. The bags disintegrate in the soil within 60 to 90 days. The chemicals normally used in producing the plastic bags make them non-degradable for over 100 years, thereby leading to pollution. Mr. Farooki expects the government will help make this project successful by making policies that will encourage all plastic manufacturers to use this additive in their processes.
Source: www.thenews.com.pk

Environmentalists in the Philippines have called on the government to hasten the phase-out of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in large transformers and voltage regulators in the power sector. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) required governments to prohibit the production, import, export and use of all PCBs and implement an action plan to address PCBs, stated Mr. Manny Calonzo of the Ecowaste Coalition. Although the government already has a programme laid out to phase out PCBs, the real problem is fast-tracking it to accomplish the phase-out by 2014, he added.

Ecowaste Coalition has reiterated its support for a programme of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure that PCBs and other POPs would no longer be used in the country. The pioneering project will demonstrate the efficacy of environmentally sound and safe non-burn approach for managing PCBs and will contribute to both the local and global push to eliminate PCBs and advance chemical safety. The group also launched the PCB Eliminator, a masked hero whose mission is to protect our people and the ecosystem from harm caused by exposure to these harmful substances. The new green crusader joins the other mascot heroes of the waste and pollution watchdog, namely Boy Bayong, an advocate against single use plastic bags, and Super WA (for Walang Aksaya) a champion for zero waste approach.
Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

In Singapore, two research institutes have signed an agreement to engage in actively looking for new means of treating heavily polluted waters. The Nanyang Technological Universitys Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NTU-NEWRI) and Sembcorp Industries have joined hands to come along with an improved method of filtering wastewater. The main goal of the three-year contract is to devise a treatment that would remove entrenched organic matter from the wastes.

About US$1 million will be invested to see the new method is able to remove wastes that do not biodegrade well. President and CEO of Sembcorp Group, Mr. Tang Kin Fei, says We are happy to take our R&D collaboration with NTU-NEWRI a step further with this joint test bed for new wastewater treatment technology. According to the principal investigator of NTU-NEWRI, Associate Professor Volodymyr Ivanov, NTU team has developed a patented process well suited for the treatment of industrial wastewater. This process models natures way of cleaning the water. It is likely that this technology can be more competitive than other technologies.
Source: news.softpedia.com

In Hong Kong, China, a HK$0.50 (US$0.07) plastic bag levy has come into effect at all major retailers. This levy is a green tax that is part of government efforts to reduce waste. On average, a resident uses three bags a day. The levy aims to reduce plastic bag usage by 50 per cent. Currently, it applies to about 2,000 big supermarkets and chain stores. If successful, after a year, the levy may be extended to all retail outlets in Hong Kong. It is estimated that residents throw away more than eight billion shopping bags into the territorys landfills every year. Demand for cloth bags has increased since the impending plastic bag levy, and so has green awareness. Green groups are also calling on the government to act on more recycling programmes to tackle different types of waste like electronic components, rubber and other plastics.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

In India, Mumbai will be home to the first facility for scientific recycling of e-waste generated in the region. Greenpeace reports that Mumbai generates around 50,000 tonnes of e-waste every year. This is expected to increase to 300,000 t/y by 2011. Tenders to set up the facility have been invited by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the plant is expected to be operational by 2010. According to the Environment Secretary Ms. Valsa Nair, the pre-feasibility study conducted by IRG Systems has given highly encouraging results.

The e-waste recycling project will be implemented in phases. In the first phase, the plant capacity will be around 7,500 t/y, which will be increased later. Even a resource recovery facility could be started at the plant in the future. Once the plant is functional, the contractor will establish e-waste collection channel in the region.
Source: www.energy-business-review.com

In Thailand, the National Innovation Agency (NIA) is to propose a plan to the Finance Ministry that would introduce an environmental tax on oil-based plastics by 2010, in an attempt to encourage consumers to use more biodegradable plastics. The move is a part of the national road map for the development of the bioplastics industry, covering the five years from 2008 to 2012. The levy is designed to boost bioplastics demand in Thailand in line with practices in Japan and many European countries.

NIA Innovation Department Director Ms. Wantanee Chongkum states, The environmental tax will make the price of oil-based plastics higher, plus the trend of environmental concern, manufacturers and consumers will shift to biodegradable plastics instead. NIA has employed experts to examine existing environmental taxes and government measures overseas, particularly in Europe, that can be adapted locally. It is working with the Development of the Environment and Energy Foundation to study the possibility of setting up the first degradable-waste plants in Thailand.
Source: www.nationmultimedia.com

In Viet Nam,the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has warned that environmental pollution level in the country will increase by 4-5 times in 2010. The Ministry said that the countrys environment has been considerably degraded over the past decade due to high rates of economic growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization, and wanton exploitation of natural resources. Economic losses caused by environmental pollution are estimated to be equal to 0.3 per cent of the countrys GDP by 2010 and 1.2 per cent by 2020. According to Dr. Phan Dang Tuat, Director of the Institute for Industrial Policy Strategy, the steel industry has the most harmful impact on the environment in Viet Nam. The General Department of Environment has devised a plan to treat chemical-borne environmental pollution in Viet Nam.
Source: english.vovnews.vn