Although the notion of renewable energy sources is very much in vogue at the moment, the potential of solar, thermal or wind energy has been discussed for years. To date, however, cost, aesthetics and the ability to produce sufficient energy to replace some of the fossil fuel-based energy sources on which we currently rely has limited their application.

A British company believes, however, that it may have a solution: Plastic trees and plants. (No, these are not the ones that you buy for that family member who seems incapable of caring for a living plant.) Solar Botanic, with recently announced R&D funding from U.S.- based GREENgENERGY, Inc., is developing an innovative and efficient energy solution by combining biomimicry and nanotechnologies in unique, patented, energy-harvesting artificial trees.

Solar Botanic assures that each tree will look realistic despite the fact that the trunk will be made from recycled plastics and rubber, and the “nano-leaves” will contain three separates devices to harvest solar, wind and thermal energy.

Specifically, each of the leaves’ petioles (the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem) will hold very small piezoelectric nanogenerators, capable of capturing the wind’s kinetic energy and transforming it into electricity. Each leaf is then comprised of two layers, one containing thermoelectrics to convert solar heat into electricity and the other a photovoltaic layer to transform the sun’s light into electricity. Solar Botanic claims that a single solar tree with a 20 feet canopy should generate enough power to satisfy the needs of an average home. And naturally, the artificial trees will offer the same wind barrier and shade benefits that real trees provide.

In addition to being used to service individual households, Solar Botanic envisages numerous commercial applications from lining highways and car parks (potentially providing the power source to recharge electric cars) to entire artificial tree forests that could make a significant contribution to the national electrical grid.

At this point Solar Botanic expects to release its first prototype tree next summer and there remain, of course, a number of hurdles to this type of technology being introduced on a broader scale. Nonetheless, it’s pretty exciting to think that this may be part of the energy solution. And besides, with the fall just around the corner, the idea of having to rake a few less leaves is pretty attractive too!

I just got back from Toronto, Canada, where I attended part of ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership’s Annual Meeting. My main reason for being there was to receive our blog’s Gold Circle Award.  But in addition to walking across the stage to receive our award, there were many exciting and interesting things at the meeting — from  standing in line for the St. Louis Build-a-Bear to learning more tips on how to make this blog even more interesting for readers. On the plastics front, one incident in particular stands out.

While in Canada, I had my first encounter with a plastic bag tax. Implemented in June, 2009 the Toronto Plastic Bag Tax requires that all retailers, no matter how big or small, charge customers a 5-cent tax if consumers do not bring their own re-usable containers (bags or bins).  Stores get to keep the 5-cent tax. I got taxed when I ordered dinner-to-go from a Chinese restaurant in downtown Toronto.

I understand that there are concerns about litter.  I am a proud recycler (for the most part) and I fully support recycling of all materials. But as a visiting tourist, something about my particular scenario in the Chinese restaurant seems a tad odd. As a visitor to Toronto, am I supposed to bring my own re-usable bag to the restaurant?  Should the cashier have at least given me the option of hand-carrying my food before placing the container in the 5-cent bag? Should Tourism Toronto have somehow warned me upon entering the city that Toronto is a BYOB (bring your own bag) city? Or is it now up to travelers to investigate bag laws before embarking on a trip so they can diligently pack bags along with a toothbrush?  OK, it’s only 5 cents, but the tax does beg some questions.

I can’t help but wonder if the bag tax is even an effective deterrent to litter. Five cents (or about 4 US cents) is hardly enough to effectively deter people from going ahead and getting the new bag. (Then again, the 20-cent tax that recently got rejected by Seattle was too much.)  And who says that “purchased” bag doesn’t still get irresponsibly thrown out rather than recycled?  While many large chain stores state that they will use the collected tax money to fund recycling programs, why should the smaller retailers get to keep the 5-cent tax – rather than putting the funds toward recycling promotion?  Currently, the large metal recycling containers that seem to be on every street corner of downtown Toronto have three compartments: one each for cans/bottles, papers and waste.  Why not add an additional slot for plastic bags?

Ultimately, since I only used one plastic bag on this trip, the tax didn’t have a huge impact on my wallet. But it did leave an impression on me. A city that seemed so clean and appeared to care about recycling decided to “punish” me for not bringing my own bag 350 miles from home.

Summer is ending. For most, the vacation is in the rear view mirror and for many it’s ”back-to-school” time already. For voters in New Jersey and Virginia, the fall season will also mean a return to the polls come November 3rd.

All registered voters in both states have the privilege to elect a Governor in November,  and New Jersey voters will also cast votes for members of the General Assembly. This November is a prelude to next year when 37  states will hold not only gubernatorial elections but many local, state legislative and congressional races too.

In New Jersey, running for re-election is sitting Governor Jon Corzine (D), to be challenged by Chris Daggett (I), a former regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a nd Chris Christie (R), a former federal prosecutor.  At this time, Christie is leading in the polls.

In Virginia, Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) and state Senator R. Creigh Deeds (D) face off.  The race is considered close.

To jumpstart the process, visit the election pages of the  New Jersey and Virginia state websites, as well as the League of Women Voters’ sites for New Jersey and Virginia.  Share this information with friends, family and colleagues.   

Are you familiar with the candidates?  Are you happy with the status quo?  Are you looking for change?  Are you registered to vote? (If not, SPI’s Political Action Center can help!) Will you vote?  I sure hope so!

Do your homework! If you live in Virginia or New Jersey, mark your calendars for November 3rd, and Get-Out-the-Vote!

Here at SPI, grassroots mobilization efforts have always centered on member companies making connections with their elected officials. They still will, but there’s another dimension to this. Going forward, a more comprehensive SPI approach to grassroots advocacy will also underscore communication within the plastics industry value chain and with its all-important employees — two groups inextricably linked to our member companies’ future success.  

Writing in May, I highlighted BIPAC’s leading-edge research in employer/employee communication, and shared a few data points that underscore the mutual value realized when employers take the time to engage employees on policy issues — global, federal, state and local — that affect the company’s bottom line.

Value chain communication is equally important.  Engaging a supplier or customer on common issues helps amplify our industry’s voice — and multiplies our ability to affect legislative and regulatory outcomes for the better.  Need an example?  How about the cost of employer-provided health care that’s currently being debated in Washington?  SPI member companies continue to struggle against the burden of ever-escalating employee health care costs.  SPI must rally lawmakers to find solutions that increase competition in insurance markets, drive down health care costs, and rein in runaway litigation, not increase the tax burden on businesses providing employee health care.

In the coming weeks and months, SPI will be rolling out more and more materials to guide members through this important activity.  Much will be enabled through our website, so keep an eye out.

By now I think everyone is aware of the tremendous uptick over the last several years in activities that include the word “green.”  The world of building and construction is no exception.  Green buildings, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by: efficiently using energy, water, and other resources; protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity; reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation. 

When you think green buildings, you should think plastic. From a traditional standpoint, plastics provide an outstanding range of properties such as durability, lightweight and good barrier properties which are critical to green building design.  In addition, plastics play a critical role in newer technologies such as wind power, solar cells and cool roofing being used in green buildings.

With this growing interest in green building activities, organizations such as the Green Building Initiative (GBI), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and others have become engaged in developing green building standards.  Some organizations, like NAHB, GBI and ASHRAE,  have followed ANSI (American National Standards Institute) protocols to ensure that their organization’s green building standards are consensus-based and incorporate sound science (which SPI strongly supports). 

Other organizations, however, are choosing to develop their own de facto standards that do not follow ANSI protocols or incorporate the use of sound science.  For example, USGBC solicited comments on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Health Care (LEED-HC) which focused on planning, design and construction for high-performance healthcare facilities. SPI was concerned because LEED-HC proposed requirements that were lacking in sound science and that were not appropriate for high performance healthcare facility construction.  We offered numerous suggestions on how to improve the technical requirements of this credit. Unfortunately, the offical comments we submitted were ignored and our suggestions were not addressed nor have they been incorporated into LEED-HC.  My point is: Whenever new green building activities are announced, you have to take a closer look at the project.

Just recently the International Code Council (ICC), which is dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, launched its International Green Construction Code initiative. The initiative, which includes the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) as cooperating sponsors, is committed to developing a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings.  Based on an initial review of the project,  I am pleased to see that ICC’s process will include collaboration, outreach and feedback from its members and the general public.

Incorporating a consensus-based process (even if that means listening to opinions that are different from one’s own) and utilizing sound science are critical components to ensure the success of future green building standards.  Hats off to the ICC for starting on the right foot.