• “E-waste” (as electronic waste—anything with a battery or a cord—is frequently called) is the fastest growing waste stream in the world.  It is quickly filling our landfills and it has the potential to do significantly more harm than household trash.
• The average lifespan of computers dropped from six years in 1997 to just two years by 2005, and cell phones have a life cycle of less than two years in developed countries.
• The United States discarded more than 11 million tons of e-waste in 2014 (the data for 2015 and 2016 hasn’t been released yet) but only approximately 20-25% of that waste is recycled each year.
• For every million cell phones we recycle, 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.
• Recycling one million laptops saves as much energy as the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year.

Electronics Recycling Drive

The Pare Sustainability Committee is sensitive to the environment and understands the need for reduction in landfill waste, so in March we organized an Electronics Recycling Drive for Pare employees. Through partnership with Northeast Computer Recycling (NECR, http://www.northeastcomputerrecycling.com/), we were able to recycle broken and obsolete electronics rather than putting them in mainstream waste channels.  This year over 40 electronic items were collected including computer towers, monitors, printers, cell phones and various chargers.   Thanks to everyone at Pare who supported this green initiative!

Ryan Lagace, owner and operator of NECR, explained that he was motivated to open NECR after witnessing companies throwing away a lot of old equipment when he worked in the IT industry.  He had a vision to dismantle and recycle these items.  Ryan explained, “100% of the material we take in is recycled, including plastics and metals.  Everything is sorted out.  I even found a local company to recycle polystyrene, and I get a lot of that from packaging.” NECR is staying busy with multiple pickups daily from businesses in MA and RI.  Ryan’s advice about electronics recycling when asked was, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle still rings true, but we don’t just recycle here.  I try to re-sell equipment when I can so items have a second life instead of getting dismantled.”

In addition to diverting waste from landfills, there are two important reasons for recycling electronics. First, materials that make up electronics are valuable resources (metals, plastics and glass), all of which require energy to obtain and produce for electronics. Second, electronics contain many different toxic materials including lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.  These items cause more potential harm to the environment than your typical household trash.   Left sitting in landfills, these materials may leach into the soils and potentially into groundwater.

Everyone can help to reduce electronic waste; here are a few things to consider before making a purchase:

• Do you really need that new electronic device?
• Can you repair or upgrade components on the one you have?
• If your old electronic items are still working, consider re-selling them or donating them instead of throwing them out or recycling them.

Here are a few additional things you can do to reduce waste:

• Purchase items with rechargeable batteries.
• Look to purchase items from companies with “take back” programs.
• Look into refurbished electronics (save money and the earth).
• Purchase responsibly by using resources like Greenpeace  to see what companies are the most environmentally conscience at  http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/.
• Purchase items with the Energy Star Label.
• Look for items with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) Logo.

To learn more about electronics recycling visit the US Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling.

EPA electronics recycling

The post E-Waste: Mounting Concern & What You Can Do appeared first on Pare Corporation.

In 2005, PARE provided emergency response services to the owners of the Whittenton Dam in Taunton, Massachusetts as they responded to unsafe conditions at their dam following unprecedented rainfall in the area. After years of coordination and planning, completion of the dam removal and stream restoration project is complete, as presented in a recent issue of ecoRI News. While PARE did not participate in this restoration project, we are actively removing a dam in Lancaster, Massachusetts, as well as assisting other dam owners to pursue funding to facilitate their dam removal projects.

The post PARE’s Engineering as it Relates to Local News appeared first on Pare Corporation.

The original concept of this project as outlined by the development team, a partnership between Peregrine Group and Kirkbrae Properties, was sustainable.  Although, the project did not receive any sort of recognition on a rating system the development and design team were invested in doing the right thing for the environment.  Since the property had been the site for the Rumford Chemical Works it was previously developed and had nine buildings with a majority of the site being pavement.  Some of the more sustainable site features for this re-development are listed below:

• Re-development Component: The project used existing land and buildings that had been previously disturbed
• Remediation Activities:  Both buildings and site went through remediation to bring the complex up to current environmental standards
• Reduction in Impervious Area:  The complex was primarily paved.  With the redevelopment impervious areas were planned and defined and are now outlined with pedestrian areas, landscaping and grasses.  This will reduce runoff and reduce the heat island effect.
• Treatment of Runoff Water Quality:  As part of the proposed drainage design, deep sump catchbasins and a structural water quality treatment unit were installed rather than relying on the existing underground system.

Before Construction Photos

After Construction Photos compliments of Peregrine Group

The post Green and Economically Successful! – Rumford Center Project – East Providence, RI appeared first on Pare Corporation.

While PARE’s geotechnical division completes many dam evaluations and designs for repairs to deficient dams, dam repair is not always the best option.  After evaluating the structurally unsafe Curtis Pond Dam in Middleton, MA, a decision was reached with the dam owner to pursue dam removal.  PARE was subcontracted by Kleinfelder and worked closely with the dam owner and other project partners to develop construction documents for removal of the dam and for developing environmental permits to complete the work.

The project included removal of the dam to provide an unrestricted stream channel in the vicinity of the dam, bank restoration including coir logs and live stakings along select sections of the restored stream channel, and preservation of historical mill machinery salvaged from the dam during demolition activities.

Picture of Curtis Pond Dam Before the dam removal:

A picture after the dam removal:

For the full article on Boston.com check out this link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/07/22/curtis_pond_dam_removal_may_be_the_first_of_many_in_ipswich_river_watershed/

The ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos within this post were provided courtesy of SumCo Eco-Contracting.

The post Green Aspects of a Pare Project highlighted on Boston.com appeared first on Pare Corporation.

The project is attempting LEED Gold and has other green site features including an underground rainwater re-use tank to be reused for toilet flushing, pervious concrete in the area surrounding the concession stand, bicycle lanes from the school to each of the public streets, and underground infiltration along with the bioretention areas to increase recharge on site.

The post Green Site Features under Construction at Plymouth North High School appeared first on Pare Corporation.