Allan Gerlat, News Editor

October 31, 2014

1 Min Read
GM Aiding Bat Population with Waste Products

General Motors Corp. (GM) is using a manufacturing waste byproduct and used battery covers to help the bat population.

An excess adhesive used in the production of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is being used as an artificial stalactite that has shown promise to help against White-Nose Syndrome, which has killed more than 5.7 million bats in the United States and Canada, the Detroit-based GM said in a news release. The artificial stalactite in a bat cave can provide hibernating bats more surface area to hang. White-Nose Syndrome, a fungus, causes bats to wake too frequently from hibernation, leading to death.

GM also creates bat houses out of scrap Chevrolet Volt battery covers that can hold up to 150 little brown bats each. So far, 232 of the bat houses have been installed on its properties and other locations in the United States. The design also can be modified for various birds.

 

About the Author(s)

Allan Gerlat

News Editor, Waste360

Allan Gerlat joined the Waste360 staff in September 2011 as news editor. He was the editor of Waste & Recycling News for the first 16 years of its history, and under his guidance the publication won 27 national and regional awards.

Before Waste & Recycling News, Allan worked at another Crain Communications publication, Rubber & Plastics News, which covers rubber product manufacturing. He began with the publication as associate editor and eventually became managing editor, a position he held for nine years.

Allan is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a BS in journalism. He is based in Sagamore Hills, in northeast Ohio.

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