Toray Industries and Gevo to produce bio-based PET bottles

Japanese textile company Toray Industries and American renewable chemicals company Gevo, Inc. signed an offtake agreement with a pilot-scale production plant for bio-based polyethylene terephthalate or PET. Under the terms of the deal, Toray will use Gevo’s bio-paraxylene to be produced by the plant to make bioPET.

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Carbon capture facility in San Antonio gets $9 million

This summer, Austin-based Skyonic Corporation will start construction at the United State’s first commercial-scale carbon capture facility in San Antonio, Texas. Skyonic finalized the first $9 million portion of a $35 million investment in the company through a Series C funding Round participated in by Northwater Capital Management, Conoco Philips, BP, PVS Chemicals, Carl Berg and Zachry Corporation.

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‘World Cities Summit’ starts in July

Governments and public sector representatives are meeting to talk about sustainable cities at a venue in Singapore next month. According to Khoo Teng Chye, executive director of the Center for Livable Cities, many cities around the world are re-examining their approach to the challenge of rapid urban growth and experimenting with “innovative and integrated” solutions.

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Global geothermal capacity reaches 11,224 MW

The global geothermal power market has grown to approximately 11,224 megawatts of installed capacity as of May 2012, with the United States remaining the world leader with approximately 3,187 MW. “It is encouraging to see such widespread geothermal growth, as this baseload energy source has the potential to replace coal and other non-renewable power sources in countries around the world,” said Geothermal Energy Association executive director Karl Gawell.

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Wide EV use to rest on more than just lithium-ion cost – study

The drop in the prices of lithium-ion batteries in the future, which could reach as low as $397 per kilowatt-hour by 2020, won’t be enough to facilitate the mass adoption of electric vehicles, a report from Lux Research says. According to their study, the effects of lithium-ion’s scaling up coupled with technological advances will only manage to bring costs down to the price mentioned, even though it could be further lowered with large-scale production.

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Kaiser Permanente to go ‘green’ and reduce carbon footprint

Health care provider Kaiser Permanente will be rolling out an “aggressive” plan to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2020 from its 2008 levels, by investing in alternative energy sources while targeting energy conservation measures. "Kaiser Permanente is committed to creating healthy communities, and it's critical we work to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment," said Bernard Tyson, Kaiser’s president and chief executive.

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Eco-friendly clothing uses organic cotton and eucalyptus wood pulp

Spanish urban clothier Skunkfunk released its new collection line of outfits made from environmentally-safe materials. The garments, designed for everyday stylish casual wear, include recycled polyester, which comes from crude oil; organic cotton; and lyocell, a light and silky textile made from regenerated cellulosic fiber that comes from eucalyptus wood pulp.

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A123 gets licensing deal, equity investment from Japan’s IHI

A123 Systems Inc. fetched a licensing deal and an equity investment from Japan’s industrial equipment maker IHI Corporation for its lithium-ion batteries while cutting its year-round sales outlook. Through the licensing deal, IHI will develop battery systems for electric passenger and commercial vehicles in Japan using A123 technology. The company will also be the exclusive provider of A123’s battery systems in the country’s transportation market.

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Consumer electronics companies lead C.S.R. ratings – Pike

Environmental considerations and sustainability issues are continuously becoming a part of business metrics and corporate image particularly in companies competing in the electronics sector, a latest Pike Research report showed.

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New Jersey releases $12 million in grants for recycling programs

New Jersey will be aiding its municipalities and counties in implementing and enhancing local recycling programs by releasing over $12 million in grants.The state’s Department of Environmental Protection is handing out $12.8 million funding through the Recycling Enhancement Act, a law that has increased Recycling Tonnage Grants given to local governments.The grant program is funded by a $3 surcharge for every ton of trash disposed at solid waste facilities.

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