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Toxic Trash Exposed: Coal Ash Pollution in Michigan
Water defines, and is central, to Michigan’s economy. Major tourism, agriculture, and fishing industries depend on the health of rivers, lakes, and streams. The Great Lakes contain over 20% of the world’s usable fresh surface water . Unfortunately unmitigated coal ash pollution is a major threat to the health of the state’s water and economy.
Comments on Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category - 09-20-2013 (Sign On Letter 1)
Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0819
Comments on Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category
The undersigned organizations appreciate the opportunity to comment on EPA’s proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category. Our organizations urge EPA to select Option 5 for the final rule. Option 5 would eliminate almost all toxic discharges from power plants, reducing pollution by more than 5 billion pounds a year. Strong rules are urgently needed because
Closing the Floodgates
Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of toxic water pollution in the United States, dumping billions of pounds of pollution into America’s rivers, lakes, and streams each year. These pollutants, including lead and mercury, are dangerous to humans and wreak havoc in our watersheds even in very small amounts. It’s time for power plants to stop using our rivers, lakes and streams as open sewers to dump their waste!
Kids Help Monitor Newark's Dirty Diesel Near Their School
In December member groups of the Coalition for Healthy Ports (CHPs, which NJEF chairs) and dozens of environmentalists, community activists, port drivers, and students conducted a truck count at various locations in the East and South Wards of Newark where port trucks first hit the local streets.
The Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) did a great job organizing truck counting in front of the Hawkins Street School and other neighborhood locations in Newark. Additional truck counting was conducted in the South Ward by the graduates of NJEF's Newark-based Urban Environmental Institute.
Shish Grill (Video)
As a result of implementing ReThink Disposable’s recommendations, Shish Grill reduced the use of disposable foodware items targeted for reduction or elimination by an average of 82%, preventing 73,559 disposable foodware items from operations every year. Shish Grill earned an ongoing annual cost savings of $974 and reduced annual waste by 350 pounds!
Business Profile:
Shish Grill is located in San Ramon, California and is owned by Nancy Annan. Shish Grill is a casual Mediterranean / Lebanese restaurant that serves amazing falafel, hummus, chicken shawarma wraps, kabobs and gyros. Much of their business is made up of business people who are seeking out a good lunch. They also have a strong catering presence in the area.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Dine-in customers served on a mix of reusable and disposable foodware like a reusable plate with reusable utensils, but disposable side sauce cups for items like hummus
- Disposable Styrofoam cups offered for water and soda with lids and straws at a self-serve station
- Bulk condiments available at each table
- To-go orders placed in Styrofoam or plastic clamshells and bags with items like disposable utensils at a self-serve station
- Customers bussed their own tables and placed the reusable items in a bus tub above the garbage can
Recommendations Implemented:
- Replaced Styrofoam cups and plastic lids with reusable cups for water and soda
- Reusable sauce cups used in place of disposable ones
- Made wrapped straws and disposable to-go items by request only
- Signs were installed to remind customers to not throw away the sauce cups and utensils
Styrofoam cups for water were eliminated. Plastic sauce cups, soda and water cup lids, and wrapped straws were drastically reduced by implementing a reusable sauce cup and beverage cup for customers who dine onsite. A sign was placed on the trash can to remind customers to return their reusables for washing into the bus tubs. Nancy Annan spent $79.84 to purchase 36 reusable plastic cups and 60 reusable sauce cups to implement the recommended best management practices.
Before & After
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Business Information:
1061 Market Pl. A1
San Ramon, CA 94583
United States
The Bottom Line
$974
in annual savings
350 pounds
of waste reduced annually
73,559
disposable items reduced per year
First of all, your dishes are going to look a lot better, more presentable and more on the upscale side. And you’re going to save a lot of money. No one hates to do that. You work hard for your money, so saving will go a long way. Third of all, I mean, you’re going green, help the environment as well.
Video URL
Video file
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.