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February 1, 2020
The Difference Between PEX and PB Piping Systems for Potable Water Plumbing Applications
The Difference Between PEX and PB Piping Systems for Potable Water Plumbing Applications
The difference between PEX and PB piping systems
Polybutylene (PB) Piping Systems - PB piping systems for hot and cold water plumbing were introduced in North America in the 1970s. However, by the 1980s oxidative failures began occurring in these systems. Most of the failures were due to the pipe’s insufficient resistance to hot chlorinated water. This leads to many litigations and class action settlements, and the PB standard ASTM D3309 was withdrawn in 2010.
Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) Piping Systems - The failures that had occurred in PB piping systems lead to rigorous testing requirements for improved PEX pipe and piping systems.PEX can be used to create a flexible, high-temperature, pressure-resistant polymer pipe system.Today, the PEX pipe industry is thriving, and PEX pipe has now been used in North America for over 25 years.The highly regulated industry and high product standards along with product specifications and product requirements have brought us PEX pipes that are among the highest quality polyethylene pipe available; pipe that is thicker and that demonstrates good chlorine resistance.
To read more about PB and PEX piping systems click here.
Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) Piping Systems - The failures that had occurred in PB piping systems lead to rigorous testing requirements for improved PEX pipe and piping systems.PEX can be used to create a flexible, high-temperature, pressure-resistant polymer pipe system.Today, the PEX pipe industry is thriving, and PEX pipe has now been used in North America for over 25 years.The highly regulated industry and high product standards along with product specifications and product requirements have brought us PEX pipes that are among the highest quality polyethylene pipe available; pipe that is thicker and that demonstrates good chlorine resistance.
To read more about PB and PEX piping systems click here.
February 2, 2020
Alaska City Builds Emergency HDPE Potable Water Pipe
Alaska City Builds Emergency HDPE Potable Water Pipe
North Pole, Alaska had to build an emergency HDPE water pipe
Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation discovered traces of sulfolane and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS) in the local drinking water wells of North Pole, Alaska. The wells delivered drinking water to 2,200 inhabitants of the city 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks. To fix this issue, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) potable water pipeline was installed to deliver clean drinking water from a reservoir. This 181,000-foot long pipeline had to be a seismic-resistant supply line, and it had to operate in Alaska’s harsh winters. It had to be pre-insulated with polyurethane foam; it had to have a pressure rating of 200 psi in various diameters; and had to be a leek-free system. The project totaled $52.1 million with 35 miles of pipe and a 750,000-gallon potable water reservoir. Matt Theilken, the national sales manager of Thermacor Process Inc. Said this about the pipe, “The goal of the project was to build and install the pipeline from Fairbanks to North Pole and have 3 inches of insulation and jacketing around it. This would protect the pipe and keep the water from freezing as it’s transferred from Fairbanks.”
The entire project ended up winning the Project of the Year Award for Plastic Pipe Institute Inc’s (PPI) Municipal Industrial Division. It will connect nearly 700 homes and businesses when the project is finished in 2020. The city of North Pole, Alaska is a sparsely populated, rugged environment with severe temperature swings. If this project wasn’t completed to the exact specifications necessary the town would have been in huge trouble.
To read more about this HDPE potable water pipeline project click here.
The entire project ended up winning the Project of the Year Award for Plastic Pipe Institute Inc’s (PPI) Municipal Industrial Division. It will connect nearly 700 homes and businesses when the project is finished in 2020. The city of North Pole, Alaska is a sparsely populated, rugged environment with severe temperature swings. If this project wasn’t completed to the exact specifications necessary the town would have been in huge trouble.
To read more about this HDPE potable water pipeline project click here.
February 3, 2020
Ocean Cleanup is Beginning to Recycle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Ocean Cleanup is Beginning to Recycle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Ocean Cleanup has just hauled in its first ocean plastic load
The Netherlands-based nonprofit organization, Ocean Cleanup has just hauled in its first load of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The group's first mission is accomplished, and now they are ready to begin the process of recycling it into new products. CEO, Boyan Slat says, “ We’re going to recycle this plastic and were going to turn it into beautiful sustainable products completely made from the plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and 100% of the proceeds are going to the continuation of the cleanup.”
They will start releasing products in September of this year. Plastic products made from ocean plastic are a completely new realm of sustainable products that haven't been touched before. The group sees their products appealing to consumers because each one of the products will feel like it has a story attached and a purpose behind it. This is just the first step in cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and floating pipe system 001 will continue to improve. The group hopes that they will have sixty 2,000 ft pipe systems that could clean up 50 percent of the Great North Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years.
To learn about this major step in the ocean cleanup and plastic sustainability, click here.
They will start releasing products in September of this year. Plastic products made from ocean plastic are a completely new realm of sustainable products that haven't been touched before. The group sees their products appealing to consumers because each one of the products will feel like it has a story attached and a purpose behind it. This is just the first step in cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and floating pipe system 001 will continue to improve. The group hopes that they will have sixty 2,000 ft pipe systems that could clean up 50 percent of the Great North Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years.
To learn about this major step in the ocean cleanup and plastic sustainability, click here.
February 4, 2020
Starbucks is Pushing Away From Single-use Plastics
Starbucks is trying to get rid of there single-use plastics by 50%
On January 21 Starbucks made a huge announcement about its packaging goals for the future. They announced that they want to cut their carbon footprint and waste from their stores in half by 2030. Back in 2008, they had made a similar claim saying that 25% of their beverages would be served in reusable containers by 2015. They fell wildly short. "We established reusability and recycling goals in 2008 that was unprecedented for our industry but also largely dependent on radical changes in customer behavior," said CEO Kevin Johnson. They need to make some major adjustments to their new aspirations in order to achieve them.
Plastics account for 31% of the company’s waste, 54% of its packaging and nearly 70% of carbon and water emissions. Johnson said this about his confidence in their goals ahead, "Our aspiration is to become resource positive — storing more carbon than we emit, eliminating waste and providing more clean freshwater than we use. While we're confident these strategies are directionally right, our eyes are wide open knowing that we do not have all the answers or fully understand all the complexities and potential consequences." Hopefully, Starbucks can get it right this time and achieve their sustainability goals.
Click here to read more about what Starbucks plans for its future in waste and plastic reduction.
Plastics account for 31% of the company’s waste, 54% of its packaging and nearly 70% of carbon and water emissions. Johnson said this about his confidence in their goals ahead, "Our aspiration is to become resource positive — storing more carbon than we emit, eliminating waste and providing more clean freshwater than we use. While we're confident these strategies are directionally right, our eyes are wide open knowing that we do not have all the answers or fully understand all the complexities and potential consequences." Hopefully, Starbucks can get it right this time and achieve their sustainability goals.
Click here to read more about what Starbucks plans for its future in waste and plastic reduction.
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