[GreenYes] Re: Ban the Bulb -- But don't create a new toxic problem, say local governments

[daklute@no.address]

The ENERGY STAR program has pretty rigorous QA/QC in terms of lumen
maintenance and hours of use. If they don't perform, they don't get
certified. IF they don't get certified, Wal-Mart won't sell them. Also, the
EPACT set up certain hours of use requirmenets for CFL's - I think it is
6000.

Don't forget, as a source of anthropogenic Hg, this is a very small one.


On 5/10/07, Doug Koplow <koplow@no.address> wrote:
>
>  I've read that in the past there has been a performance penalty (in terms
> of lumens and I think longevity as well) from reduced mercury bulbs.
> Anybody know what the case is with the Walmart effort?  Obviously if a bulb
> has half the mercury but also lasts half as long we're not really coming out
> ahead.
>
> -Doug Koplow
>
> _______________________________
> Doug Koplow
> Earth Track, Inc.
> 2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
> Cambridge, MA  02140
> www.earthtrack.net
> Tel:  617/661-4700
> Fax: 617/354-0463
>
>            CONFIDENTIAL
> This message, and all attachments thereto, is for the designated recipient
> only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private
> information.  If you have received it in error, please notify the sender
> immediately and delete the original.  Any other use of the email by you
> is prohibited.
>
> >>> <daklute@no.address> 5/10/2007 12:16 PM >>>
> Looks like the industry is moving up the hierarchy and actually reducing
> Hg content rather than focusing on collection systems.
>
> http://blogs.business2.com/greenwombat/2007/05/walmart_to_get_.html
>
> On 5/9/07, Bill Sheehan <bill@no.address> wrote:
> >
> >
> > MEDIA RELEASE - May 8, 2007
> >
> >
> > Local Government Groups Call for Manufacturers to Recycle Toxic Mercury
> > Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
> >
> > Three local government product stewardship organizations from the U.S.
> > and
> > Canada today praised retailers and consumers for promoting the switch to
> > energy efficient light bulbs, but said manufacturers must take the next
> > step
> > of creating and financing convenient, environmentally safe recycling
> > systems
> > for toxic mercury-containing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs
> > <http://caproductstewardship.org/products/fluoro_p.htm> ).
> >
> > The California Product <
> > http://caproductstewardship.org/media/index.html>
> > Stewardship Council, the Northwest <http://www.productstewardship.net/ >
> > Product Stewardship Council and the British Columbia
> > <http://www.bcproductstewardship.org/media/index.php>  Product
> > Stewardship
> > Council issued a joint statement
> > <
> > http://caproductstewardship.org/assets/pdf/CFL_Statement_FINAL_08May2007.pd
> > f>  today, coordinated by the Product
> > <http://www.productpolicy.org/media.html>  Policy Institute. The
> > statement
> > calls for manufacturers to take financial responsibility for and provide
> > collection programs for fluorescent lights, since the toxins they
> > contain
> > are banned from disposal in many states.
> >
> > The product stewardship councils are coalitions of primarily local
> > governments working together to promote product
> > < http://caproductstewardship.org/about/definitions.htm>  stewardship,
> > the
> > concept that whoever designs, produces, sells, or uses a product takes
> > responsibility for minimizing the product's environmental impact
> > throughout
> > all stages of the products' life cycle. The Product Policy Institute is
> > a
> > North American non-profit organization that researches and promotes
> > policies
> > that reduce public costs and promote environmental sustainability.
> >
> > These groups are working together to require that manufacturers take
> > responsibility for minimizing the environmental impact of CFLs from
> > design
> > to disposal. Local governments and tax payers currently shoulder the
> > financial burden of the disposal of these products, as well as the
> > potential
> > for future environmental liability. The groups today are calling for
> > manufacturers to finance "cradle-to-cradle" management of the products
> > they
> > create in order to promote environmental
> > sustainability.  "Cradle-to-cradle"
> > refers to designing and managing products for continuous reuse or
> > recycling,
> > rather than for disposal as waste in "graves."
> >
> > The groups also applauded pending California legislation that would
> > increase
> > the development and use of energy efficient lighting, reduce the
> > toxicity of
> > the bulbs, and require manufacturers to provide take-back recycling
> > services. They called the legislation a model for all states, and the
> > next
> > step in environmental protections.
> >
> > The bill, AB 1109 <http://caproductstewardship.org/state/fluoro.htm > ,
> > requires manufacturers to have a system in place for collecting and
> > recycling end-of-life bulbs that contain hazardous materials, such as
> > lead
> > and mercury.  Manufacturers would be required to submit a plan to the
> > State
> > on how they will provide an environmentally responsible disposal and
> > take-back program throughout California by July 1, 2009. The measure is
> > sponsored by California Assembly Member Jared Huffman, chair of the
> > Assembly
> > Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.
> >
> > "The companies that make money by selling toxic products need to be part
> > of
> > the solution. Local governments do not have the resources or capacity to
> >
> > manage toxic products, nor should they," said Carol Misseldine, Director
> > of
> > the California Product Stewardship Council.  "Assembly Member Huffman's
> > approach will result in safer, more efficient lighting while providing a
> >
> > convenient manufacturer-provided collection system, and should be a
> > national
> > model."
> >
> > Representatives of the Product Policy Institute and the three councils
> > called for all forthcoming state and national legislation that requires
> > an
> > increase in the use of energy efficient lighting to also include the
> > same
> > take-back provisions outlined in AB 1109.
> >
> > "This approach allows us to aggressively move forward with more energy
> > efficient lighting technology, reduce toxicity of that lighting, and
> > have a
> > collection system for spent bulbs without burdening already strapped
> > local
> > governments and taxpayers with costs of collection," said Sego Jackson
> > of
> > the Northwest Product Stewardship Council.
> >
> > "In British Columbia, we have take-back programs for beverage
> > containers,
> > medicines, used oil, paint, pesticides, solvents, and soon, electronics,
> > which are financed by industry and manufacturers. Lighting manufacturers
> > are
> > equally as capable of establishing a similarly successful take-back
> > program," said Raymond Gaudart, Co-chair of the British Columbia Product
> > Stewardship Council.
> >
> > Joint Statement is at http://www.productpolicy.org/media.html
> >
> > CFL Page: For additional details regarding mercury-containing compact
> > fluorescent lights, visit
> > http://caproductstewardship.org/products/fluoro_p.htm
> >
> >
> > CONTACT:
> > *************************************
> > Bill Sheehan
> > Executive Director
> > Product Policy Institute
> > P.O. Box 48433
> > Athens, GA 30604  USA
> > Tel:  +1-706-613-0710
> > Email:   bill@no.address
> > Web:  www.productpolicy.org <http://www.productpolicy.org/>
> > *************************************
> >
> >
> >
> > > >
> >

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GreenYes" group.
To post to this group, send email to GreenYes@no.address
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to GreenYes-unsubscribe@no.address
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/GreenYes?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---