London will be the first city to test out new bomb-proof garbage cans, which are also going to multitask as recycling bins with LCDs that stream travel info and news. Security concerns (AKA fear of terrorists dropping bombs in them) have kept rubbish bins out of subway stations and many of the city's streets since the mid-80's, causing frustration among citizens, not to mention what amounts to forced littering. The new cans, developed by British company Media Metrica, weigh one ton each, and were tested in the lifeless deserts of New Mexico for five years to ensure they are completely, totally indestructible, can absorb heat from explosives, prevent shrapnel spread, and extinguish "fireballs." Eh. Put 'em in New York City -- someone will surely figure out how to utterly destroy them in 24 hours or less.

Leave it to the Army to start putting garbage to good use. According to reports, a base in Baghdad known as Camp Victory has been getting some of its electricity from generators that turn waste products into sweet, succulent fuel. The device, dubbed the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (or TGER, for short) can take food slop, plastic, paper, styrofoam, annoying kids, moist towelettes, or smaller, non-functioning versions of itself and mash them down to synthetic gas and hydrous ethanol. Of course the concept isn't without its shortcomings, as it pumps a hefty load of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- but for a place that's short of fuel and high on trash, it's a dream come true.

[Via Wired; Image courtesy US Army]

Sony today announced intentions to begin a national recycling program for your various unwanted or unloved electronics, imaginatively called the "Sony Take Back Recycling Program," which will begin on September 15th with 75 "eCycling" points around the country. The electronics manufacturer has partnered with Waste Management as part of the trash hauler's "Recycle America" program, and says that it hopes to grow its drop-off locations to 150 by year's end, with a spot in every state. 1.5 to 1.9 million tons of electronic waste went into landfills in 2005, and Sony hopes to curb those numbers by offering "end-of-life solutions," for products they produce. The company will also accept recyclables from other manufacturers for a fee, proving once again that Sony is only in it for the money. Just kidding.

If you thought hoisting a giant banana above Texas was outrageous, you may indeed chuckle to learn that a 1,400-pound refrigerator-sized container of ammonia will be jettisoned from the International Space Station next week. On July 23rd, to be precise, Expedition 15 crew member Clayton Anderson will have the, um, privilege of heading outside in order to toss "two large hunks of unneeded equipment towards Earth," and once ejected, they will be tracked by NASA for an entire year until they finally begin to enter the atmosphere. Notably, officials are still not sure where the debris will land just yet, but if you happen to find your fridge replaced with a partially disintegrated (albeit similarly sized) container of fetid material in the next year or two, you'll know exactly what went awry.

[Image courtesy of MSNBC]

Although developing alternate fuel sources is most certainly a worthwhile effort, a group of Purdue scientists are looking to demolish two birds with a single, um, bag of refuse, as its portable generator not only creates useful electricity, but it disposes of worthless garbage while it's at it. The aptly-named "tactical biorefinery" processes several kinds of wastes at once, which it then converts into fuel via two parallel processes before burning the results in a diesel engine to power a generator. The device, which comes in just a hair smaller than a "small moving man," can crunch through multiple kinds of garbage at once, creating energy completely without discrimination towards certain kinds of gunk, and is already being eyed by the US Army for future battlefield usage. Interestingly, initial prototypes are showing that it can produce "approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumes," and considering that it pulverizes everything inserted into it, soldiers won't have to worry about leaving behind remnants of their stay. Ideally, the backers would love to see the unit available in commercial settings as well as in the military, but we think this thing will be a real winner when it can compress gobs of garbage into vicious (smelling) pellets and launch grotesque projectiles while keeping our planet green.

[Via CNET]

It may be a few days post-Earth Day, but it's still worth noting that yesterday, Toshiba TEC Europe became the first retail and industrial automation solutions provider to announce full compliance with Europe's Directive on Waste management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment -- or WEEE as people close to er, waste (and gaming) prefer. The WEEE Directive, while not (yet) law, does set targets related to waste production, management, and collection in the EU. From 1 July 2006, lead, mercury, cadmium and 6-chrome will no longer be found in new Toshiba products, nor will RoHS halogenated flame retardants by used in their polymers. We commend you Toshiba, on your dedication to WEEE.