OAKLAND, CA — Two bounce house makers will reduce the amount of lead in their products as part of a settlement after they were sued for having some bounce houses with 120 times the level of lead allowed in kid's toys by the federal government, reports the Contra Costa Times. The Center for Environmental Health in Oakland and the California attorney general sued 13 bounce house companies and two vinyl companies that supply them. Ninja Jump and Einflatables said they will lower the amount of lead in their houses to 100 parts per million at most and pay $12,500 for lead testing. Settlements with the other companies will reportedly be on a case-by-case basis.

Major companies with supply chains that operate in and around the Toronto Pearson International Airport have formed the Sustainable Logistics Consortium, an effort to work together to advance sustainable operations quickly and at low costs. Established by Partners in Project Green, the consortium will hold events, run coaching days at companies, set up facility assessments, share resources and more. Consortium members include the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Canadian Tire, Vista Cargo, Canada Post, Sears Canada, Ontario Natural Food Co-op, Unisource and Grand & Toy.

Following on news from earlier this month that chemicals company Genomatica would be teaming up with Waste Management to turn synthetic gas from the waste hauler's operations into a common chemical with the help of modified organisms, Genomatica says it has brought in an additional $45 million in investments from VantagePoint Venture Partners, Bright Capital, Waste Management and other current investors. Genomatica makes organisms that can turn sugars, biomass or synthetic gas into 1,4-butanediol (BDO), a chemical used in spandex, automotive plastics and other materials. The latest investment will be used to complete demonstration production and early commercialization of its BDO.

Plastic bag makers and supporters have been pushing for more recycling of plastic bags in opposition of growing attempts to ban plastic bags. The latest report on plastic bag and film recycling, though, shows that recycling is growing at a small rate; Moore Recycling Associates' report says the amount of film collected in 2009 was only 3 percent higher than in 2008. Commercial film recycling increased by 18 percent while amounts of other types dropped. From 2005 to 2009, bag and film recycling increased 31 percent. According to the report, most of the bags and film collected are exported and mostly bought by companies making plastic lumber. 

Nampak Plastics Europe, which makes packaging for Dairy Crest and other milk producers in the U.K., has developed a new bottle, the Infini, that is 15 percent lighter on average across the different sizes it makes, and at most cuts weight by 21 percent. The weight savings comes from using less material at the base of the bottles (right). Nampak makes about 2 billion bottles a year and says it will transition all of them to Infini versions over the coming years. The bottles, debuting this summer, will contain at least 10 percent recycled plastic, which will be upped to 50 percent by 2020. The company said its customers have been asking for lighter bottles in order to meet packaging reductions agreed to in the Courtauld Commitment 2 agreement. 

_{Bouncy house - CC license by Stephen Fulljames (Flickr)}