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28 Aug 00 - computers; loans; book; pay-as-you-throw; climate change; Olympics; pesticides; feds ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- >From Bill Sheehan, Athens, GA, GrassRoots Recycling Network: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) is asking us to write to computer company officials with the simple question: "Where can I take my old computer?" It is a gentle reminder that manufacturers need to share responsibility for their products. GrassRoots Recycling Network is supporting SVTC's campaign by making our automated E-letter system available. It's easy to write the company or companies of your choice! Go to: http://www.grrn.org/index_e-waste.html For background information and more actions, visit SVTC at: http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/eccc.htm -------------------- >From Steve Long, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Boston, MA: I am writing to seek some advice regarding ways to include source reduction as an eligible category for loans from Massachusetts DEP's Recycling Loan Fund (RLF). Currently, RLF provides loans to Massachusetts reuse or recycling businesses (for-profit and not-for-profit) for the purposes of collection, processing, manufacturing and/or retailing. RLF can cover virtually any legitimate business purpose, including, but not limited to, capital investments, acquisitions, debt, etc. Are there any loan programs (private or public) or other financial assistance programs (grants, etc.) that support source reduction? If so, what types of investments have been made? What types of source reduction initiatives would benefit from a loan program? Any model language out there? Thanks. FYI: Since 1996, RLF has closed 16 loans (between $50k and $300k) for a total of $2.675 million, leveraging $8.7 million in matching investments. The RLF is funded by DEP and privately administered under contract by the Massachusetts Business Development Corporation. More on RLF can be found at: http://www.mass-business.com/recyclingloan.html I will be out of the office from 8/27 through 9/5, so I may take awhile to respond. E-mail: Stephen [D O T] Long [A T] state [D O T] ma [D O T] us -------------------- Excerpted from message from Carol Tanzi, the "Goddess of Garbage," A.S.I.D. & Associates (interior design), Burlingame, California: Since the Waste Prevention Forum reaches a large number of people interested in reuse, I thought maybe one of the Forum subscribers might recommend a publisher who would be interested in looking at my book proposal. My book is a how-to book showing the Goddess of Garbage's projects for the home or office. The projects are of the caliber that you see on my website: http://www.goddessofgarbage.com They feature tasteful accessories and furniture that can be easily created with reused and "recyclized" garbage. As you can imagine, it is very important to me to make the right match with a publisher in dealing with this topic. I would appreciate any recommendations. Thanks. E-mail: catan [ AT ] earthlink [ DOT ] net ------------------- >From Polagaya Fine, Snohomish County Solid Waste Division, Everett, WA, responding to the recent postings about pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) garbage collection fee systems, in which households are charged based on the amount of garbage they throw out, rather than paying a flat fee: Germane to this discussion: Lisa Skumatz of Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc., has just published an article in the August, 2000, issue of Resource Recycling magazine about measuring prevention (source reduction) in PAYT programs. The title of the article is "Source Reduction Can Be Measured." The point of the article is that PAYT or variable rate programs do reduce waste and that reduction is measurable. E-mail: polagaya ( DOT ) fine ( AT ) co ( DOT ) snohomish ( DOT ) wa ( DOT ) us -------------------- Excerpted from message from Sonya Newenhouse, Madison Environmental Group, Madison, WI: JOIN THE CLIMATE CHANGE ONLINE DISCUSSION This message is for people interested in sharing, learning and applying information on the links between climate change and source reduction and recycling. Your Hosts: National Recycling Coalition and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency When: Thursday, August 31, 2 p.m. Eastern Time. What: How to make waste reduction and recycling part of your climate change action plans (CCAP). Learn from city, county and state-level government experts how they included waste reduction and recycling into CCAPs. Where: Online. Go to, http://www.nrc-recycle.org Click on the green ball, then on "NRC Programs," then on "Climate Change & Waste Reduction." Follow instructions to enter the Online Forum. It takes about 5 minutes to register and enter the discussion. Some computer systems may experience firewalls. Questions or Suggestions: Contact the project coordinator, Sonya Newenhouse, at (608)280-0800 or at sonya [A T] madisonenvironmental [D O T] com Future Discussion Topics and Times: September 28 Document Your Success (2 p.m. Eastern) October 26 The Future (2 p.m. Eastern) We hope you join us. -------------------- Link to information on waste prevention and recycling at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia (first seen in Karen Hamilton's environmental purchasing bulletin): http://www.olympics.com/eng/about/green/show/index.html?/eng/about/green/show/reduce.html -------------------- Excerpted from article by Kirk Johnson in the 8/22/00 New York Times: On August 21, 2000, New York governor George Pataki signed the New York Neighbor Notification Law, which experts called the nation's most stringent notification procedures for the use of pesticides by private companies, schools and individuals. The law covers all manner of chemical pesticides, from those used against insects to garden-variety weed killers. But its effects are difficult to gauge because the law leaves it up to each county to decide whether to adopt the most stringent provisions, including a requirement that lawn care companies and other commercial pesticide users notify all residents in advance of an application in their neighborhood (local governments themselves are exempt from the notice requirements). However, other parts of the law affect the entire state, including a requirement that every public school give parents lists of pesticides used on school grounds. The New York law is part of a growing trend of state and local governments across the country that are trying to regulate chemicals by using information. For example, a Connecticut law that takes effect this fall gives parents the right to join a registry that will give them automatic notices when pesticides are going to be used at their children's schools. -------------------- Excerpted from announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, DC (forwarded by Jim Knaack): EPA WASTEWISE PROGRAM ENCOURAGES FEDERAL AGENCY PARTICIPATION The U.S. EPA WasteWise Program has officially opened its doors to U.S. government agencies and offices across the country. Since 1994, WasteWise, an EPA voluntary partnership program, has helped organizations design and implement cost-effective waste prevention, recycling collection, and buy-recycled programs. Over the past few years, WasteWise has enjoyed strong relationships with federal agencies. Efforts within one region of the U.S. Postal Service have yielded annual waste prevention of more than 1,000 tons of bulk mail and the recycling of over 44,000 tons of paper, plastics, metals, and wood, resulting in more than $3.7 million in recycling revenue and avoided disposal costs. Similar programs are in place within other postal regions, U.S. Air Force bases, U.S. Marine Corps facilities, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Park Service and many more federal agencies. WasteWise encourages all federal agencies and offices to consider joining the more than 1,000 partners who have already found success through partnership. WasteWise participation will help federal facilities meet President Clinton's Executive Order 13101, which instructs federal facilities to implement waste prevention, recycling collection, and affirmative procurement programs. New partners joining by September 30, 2000, will be recognized at the 2000 WasteWise Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC, in October. For more information about federal membership in WasteWise, contact the WasteWise Helpline at 800 372-9473 or see this website: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/wstewise/fed.htm - end -