Green Week 2011 is already under way!

Earth Day is this Friday, April 22…what are you doing to celebrate?  Recyclers everywhere are offering specials for your recycleables this time of year and its the perfect opportunity for children and adults everywhere to learn more about recycling and environmentally-friendly materials, activities, actions, and more!

If you are located anywhere near one of our 39 branch locations, give your local Pacific branch a call or swing by!  We’d love to help you be more environmentally friendly!

Its practically springtime in Montana, and you know what that means…its time to start thinking about clearing out some of your old scrap!  If you aren’t aware, Pacific’s branch locations offer a variety of out-job services and may be able to help you free up some space.

If you’d like to figure out where your closest Pacific branch is and give the friendly Pacific folks a call to see how they might be able to lend a hand, check out our map of locations and set up a meeting to see what they can do for you!

You never know what your local branch can do unless you give them a call!

Tyler Tuckett (Branch 5 in Missoula) was in just the right place at just the right time.

Because of Tyler’s actions and assistance, a rescue of a driver who went off the Russell Street bridge in Missoula was successful.  The man had driven off the bridge and was pinned inside his vehicle in the river, and Tyler’s quick response to the situation helped to save his life.  The story made the front page of the Missoulian.  To read the full article, click here!

It is a great thing to see Pacific employees make such a difference in their communities, or even in a stranger’s life!

In Italy, the police have been clashing with protestors for weeks over a proposed “rubbish dump”.  Sky News reports that “residents’ anger is directed against existing or proposed new dump sites because they fear contamination from unregulated and toxic waste disposal”, just as it has been in the past.

Local authorities from the protest location say that residents have had issues with their health due to currently existing landfills being filled with dangerous materials, and  in 2007, Italy could  “properly manage and dispose of only 30 percent of the waste” it generated.

Italy is a part of the European Union, and as such must comply with waste management standards and directives set by the EU, and the Italian government has recognized waste disposal as a major issue for the nation.

Italy is making an effort to update its practices to comply with the EU, but it will take time for the entire country to be brought up-to-speed.  In the meantime,  we hope for the violence to come to an end.

At this point in time, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is zeroing in on seven different areas.  These areas are, in the words of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson,

1. Taking action on climate change
2. Improving air quality
3. Assuring the safety of chemicals
4. Cleaning up our communities
5. Protecting America’s waters
6. Expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice, and
7. Building strong state and tribal partnerships.

In addition, the EPA has also received a budget of around $618 million simply to enforce regulations. It is more important now than ever before to ensure that Pacific is regulating its compliance to EPA standards internally, especially with the stiff financial penalties associated with being cited for noncompliance.

However, Pacific recognizes that it isn’t just important to follow the EPA’s standards and regulations just to avoid penalties…it is important to follow those standards in order to show our Passion for the World Around Us.  Pacific knows that we only have this one world to share and to pass on to future generations.