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09 Sep 99 - tire reuse legality; Oxford dictionary; Buy Nothing Day ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive ------------------- >From Mary McReynolds, St. Louis County Solid Waste Department, Virginia, MN: The St. Louis County (MN) Solid Waste Department has a network of 18 canister sites, 5 transfer stations and a landfill for municipal solid waste (MSW)disposal in northeastern Minnesota. At many of these sites we take "special wastes" including appliances, scrap metal, waste oil and filters, antifreeze, yard waste and used tires at no charge to our residents. Two years ago we adopted a salvaging policy at our MSW sites. Under this policy we now allow our customers to take, free of charge, a minimum of scrap metal, reusable household items, or up to 4 tires after signing a waiver releasing the County of liability. Recently our tire salvaging policy came into question. My question for the folks out there is, has anyone heard of any law which prohibits giving away used tires? E-mail: mcreynoldsm [AT] co [DOT] st-louis [DOT] mn [DOT] us ------------------- The next two postings are in response to the 9/7/99 posting asking for comments on whether the Oxford English Dictionary, which the Oxford University Press is beginning to develop for publication in 2010, should be published in book form or online. Josh Prager, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, asked the question for a story he was working on. The two responses below were e-mailed to Josh and cc'd to the Forum. Others of you also wrote to Josh. He wrote me to say thanks, noting that some of the responses were very helpful. (Don't send him any more responses, though; he just wanted them through yesterday.) ------------------- >From Polagaya Fine, Snohomish County Solid Waste Division, Everett, WA: I didn't contact Oxford University Press regarding printing a dictionary in book form, nor would I. I am assuming Oxford University Press is going to publish this dictionary in CD-ROM (or whatever the current media storage form is in 2010) and make it available online, as well as publishing it in book form. Books are semi-permanent products, not dependent on the whims of technology or on a steady source of electricity. Definitions and spellings do not change rapidly. Encyclopedias and dictionaries are usable for a very long time. I cannot imagine a 40-volume dictionary being discarded very quickly. I think books are an excellent use for paper. Places where I would like to see paper eliminated: advertising mail, vouchers for bill paying, business memos, agendas, advertising bill inserts, packaging cards, copies of reports that no one reads anyway. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I am working on designing "paperless" offices. E-mail: polagaya ( D O T ) fine ( A T ) co ( D O T ) snohomish ( D O T ) wa ( D O T ) us ------------------ >From David Stitzhal, Full Circle Environmental, Seattle, WA: Greetings Josh - Through a list serve I learned of your interest in perspectives on publishing the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) on disk. I whole-heartedly support this move, and would be far more inclined to purchase a copy if on disk. I have a dictionary (a poor cousin to the OED) on a stand in my home at all times so family or visitors can wander over on an as-needed basis. But by 2010, the edition I understand you are working on, I am certain I will simply have a laptop sitting atop that same wonderful stand in my living room. Thanks for the chance to comment. E-mail: Fullcircle ( A T ) nwnexus ( D O T ) com -------------------- >From the Buy Nothing Day website: (Buy Nothing Day is sponsored by the Media Foundation, an activist organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Media Foundation also publishes Adbusters magazine.) The seventh annual Buy Nothing Day will be held Friday, Nov. 26th (the day after Thanksgiving). For information, see the website at: http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd/splash.html The website includes a 1999 Buy Nothing Day poster and a "Christmas Gift Exemption Voucher," both of which can be printed out. - end -