CALL FOR ENTRIES: The Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest

Canon U.S.A. has done more than pay lip service to Earth Day, evidenced by its new recycling programs and outreach incentives, as well as its third annual Canon Photography in the Parks competition. Established to encourage American photographers of every stripe to take an active creative interest in the nation's parks, this call for entries can be entered at the Canon Digital Learning Center. Prizes include Canon EOS series SLRs, earth-friendly Pixma Pro9500 Photo printers, and a Grand Prize trip for two to any participating national or state park.
The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2008.

To enter, one must be 13 years or older (the minimum age range has been extended), and an amateur photographer. According to Canon, Professionals include those who received more than 51 percent income from photography sales in the last three years, and are not eligible for submission. Registration and uploading can be completed at the Canon Digital Learning Center web site here. There are no entry fees.

Keep in mind for Earth Day: The Canon Forest Program

In association with the American Park Network, Canon U.S.A. has announced The Canon Forest Program, a national campaign starting in May and lasting through August, 2008, to promote green products. During the campaign, a tree will be planted for every ten Canon Generation Green products registered, and volunteer consumers will get the opportunity to help take care of parks and public land. Approved products include PIXMA Professional Inkjet Printers and imageCLASS scanners. To be included in the Generation Green family, products are be designed with Canon's standards of energy-saving, waste-reducing features.

From Canon U.S.A.'s Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group:

"Canon's commitment to the environment and helping to make it more sustainable is an inherent part of our corporate philosophy and product offerings. Through the Canon Forest Program, we want our customers to feel a connection with their Canon Generation Green products, knowing their purchases will contribute to planting trees and revitalization programs, which will help offset our collective carbon footprint."

Among other imaging companies, Sony has led the charge in establishing a national Take Back Recycling program for broken cameras, irritable printers, and useless electronics. All products are accepted, and you can find a list of locations here. Read the original blog article here.

You can keep track of the campaign's progress at the official site, when the program begins in May. Registration of Generation Green Products can also be be processed at the site.

Lexjet products go green, all the way

LexJet, makers of remanufactured inks for fine printers such as the HP 5,000 series wide-format inkjet, have announced that their packaging has been made fully recyclable. This includes the cartridge itself and the packaging it comes in. In the past three years, LexJet has recycled more than 100,000 HP cartridges. The LexJet Cartridge Recycling Program, which will award users with two dollars per recycled cartridge, encompasses cartridges for HP, Epson, and Canon, but will only pay for the HP 5,000 series.

From John Lane, Vice President of LexJet:

"LexJet's environmental philosophy is rooted in the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We also adhere to an additional 3R ethical code regarding the development and presentation of our environmental initiatives and programs – Real, Responsible, and Right. LexJet pursues responsible and practical solutions – like our new recyclable packaging – that actually reduce the industry's environmental impact while helping our customers and those who buy and use our customers' graphics with high-quality, economical solutions."

Click here to find out more about LexJet's environmental initiatives.

Sony establishes Take Back Recycling Program

Sony has achieved a first: opening a national recycling program for its consumer electronics. Started in collaboration with Waste Management Recycle America, LLC, the program has opened 75 drop-off centers in the United States. There are plans to double the number within the year. Accepted items aren't limited to Sony products, fortunately, as products made by other manufacturers will be recycled—at market prices. The program officially opens on September 15, 2007.

From Sony's announcement:

"By recycling old electronics products, useful materials—such as glass, plastic and metals—can be collected and re-used in the manufacture of other products. Recycling not only minimizes the amount of waste disposed, it also minimizes the extraction of new raw materials from the earth and resources required for processing, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases in the process."

Will other camera makers like Canon and Nikon follow? Sometimes a camera is busted beyond repair, or no one is interested in purchase. There is some demand for Digital SLR parts in the secondhand market, one that will grow as new versions proliferate. This does not apply to Point and shoots, however, and as their proliferation goes up (the new version has to come out soon, after all) we're simply going to see more and more of them gathering dust.

A complete list of WM Recycle America eCycling Drop-Off centers can be found at Sony's website.