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26 Sep 00 - simplicity; office paper; books; lending website; job; journal; burlap bags ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- From Ann Schneider, Mountain View, CA, California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) Global Recycling Council: CRRA's Global Recycling Council is working on developing a train-the-trainer curriculum to develop simplicity circles (working with Cecile Andrews) and other source reduction messages. As part of the research on how to target this program, we were wondering if any other local, state or federal agencies have supported simplicity circles or other programs designed to reduce consumption of goods. We would be interested in hearing about any level of support, from public education to government funded activities. Thanks. E-mail: SchneiderAnn [A T] juno [D O T] com Phone: (650) 962-0404 -------------------- The next two messages are in response to the recent postings on office paper reduction. -------------------- Excerpted from a message from Matt Eldridge, Cascadia Consulting Group, Seattle, WA: Here at Cascadia, we installed a duplex printer/copier about a year ago. Easy to do at a 16-person firm, especially since our computer guy was excited about it. It's operated almost seamlessly from the start and enjoys unanimous staff buy-in, primarily because it's eliminated the extra step from printing to copying double-sided. E-mail: matt (A T) cascadiaconsulting (D O T) com -------------------- Excerpted from a message from Dan Ruben, WasteCap of Massachusetts, Boston, MA: I recently wrote an article on source reduction of paper in large organizations. It's based on my experience carrying out such a project. Hope it helps. The article is in the Summer, 2000, edition of "Business Recycle-Link," the newsletter for WasteCap of Massachusetts. The newsletter, which is in Adobe Acrobat format, is at: http://www.wastecap.org/wastecap/newsletters/summer2000.pdf The article is on page 4. E-mail: ruben [A T] wastecap [D O T] org ---------------------- From Margaret Kitchell, waste prevention supporter, Seattle, WA: I found a brief notice in this Sunday's Seattle Times that the book "Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash" by Susan Strasser is now out in paperback. I checked the reviews on amazon.com, and it has received good ones. Like a waste preventer I put it on hold at the library, but it will take awhile to get it. After that I could give more of a review. Of course, if we broadened our view of waste prevention, the book "Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution" by Paul Hawken and Amory and L. Hunter Lovins, also addresses waste prevention. They have a chapter on "muda," a concept that Taiichi Ohno developed from the Japanese word for waste. There is even a chapter in the book called "Waste Not," where they discuss how people are wasted in our current industrial culture. E-mail: kitchell ( A T ) Seanet ( D O T ) com ----------------------- Excerpted from a message from David Haviland, iShareStuff, Ann Arbor, MI: Thanks to the Forum for posting my original message back in February about iShareStuff, a non-commercial website that promotes sharing and lending. I don't know if your efforts got anyone to use it, but we now have hundreds of people using the site (I'd like it to be thousands; it will be in time...). There was an article in the local Ann Arbor paper about the site last February: http://aa.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20000222aisharestu.frm The site is located at: http://www.isharestuff.com/ David Haviland President, Data TV Networks (day job) Founder, iShareStuff (occasional weekend job) E-mail: hav (A T) iShareStuff (D O T) org ----------------------- Excerpted from a job announcement sent by Muriel Williman, Chatham County Waste Management Division, Pittsboro, NC: JOB OPENING - CHATHAM COUNTY (NC) ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR, WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION Responsible for community-based environmental education and public information programs, with a strong emphasis on solid waste and recycling. Salary range: $23,695 - $26,124. Illustrative Examples of Work: Develop and implement school recycling and environmental education programs; coordinate educational program for solid waste collection centers; coordinate public information and education at public events; develop, edit, and produce newsletters, newspaper articles, press releases, and other publicity materials; give workshops, lectures, and demonstrations to community groups. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Employee should have working knowledge and interest in recycling practices and environmental education as well as experience with public information and community organizational techniques. Education and Experience: Graduation from four-year college with interest in environmental science, public information, or related field; or graduation from a two-year college with some working knowledge of recycling; or a combination of training and experience. Apply by October 16, 2000, to: Chatham County Human Resources Office, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Phone: (919)542-8200. ---------------------- Excerpted from a release from Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, United Kingdom: The Journal of Corporate Citizenship (JCC), a new quarterly journal from Greenleaf Publishing, will publish its first issue in January, 2001. Topics to be covered include "New economics of sustainable development" and "Corporate citizenship and sustainable development." For information on how to contribute articles to this journal, go to this website: http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com Click on "Enter the JCC site." Scroll down for the full list of topics to be covered, and other information. Than click on "Notes for Contributors." ---------------------- Excerpted from message from Stephanie Davis, Waste Reduction Remedies, Berkeley, CA, following up on her 9/22/00 posting asking what can be done with commercial burlap coffee bags (it was also posted on other listservs): These are some of the replies I received: From Kevin Taylor: They are great for beekeeper smoker fuel. Beekeepers use something called a smoker (a device that produces smoke) to calm the bees before working them. Burlap is the best fuel to use. A bee supply store would probably take them, or a commercial beekeeper. Just a thought. I've dealt with bees and still have one hive so I know this obscure tidbit. E-mail: ktaylor [A T] CIWMB [D O T] ca [D O T] gov --------- From Karin Grobe: I use them in worm bins, and am not aware of any toxicity issues. I'm not sure if the worms eat them, but they seem to hang out on them a lot. Something eats them, as they decompose to rag traces in about 4 months. I imagine they could be composted commercially, but it would not be a pretty sight if they got caught in the windrow turners. I use them for insect and moisture control, rather than as a food source. The coffee roaster where I get my bags is listed on a waste exchange and demand for the product is good, so he limits each "customer" to 50-100 bags. E-mail: karingrobe ( A T ) earthlink ( D O T ) net --------- From Mark Bowers: For what it is worth, in a previous job I set up a curbside program in the San Francisco Bay Area that used burlap bags as residential containers. We experienced a fair amount of theft of the empty bags. In speculating about who might be taking them and for what reasons, a popular theory was that the culprits were fishermen (or possibly fisherwomen) that planned to use the burlap to wrap their catch. E-mail: mbowers (AT) ci (DOT) sunnyvale (DOT) ca (DOT) us --------- From Debra Lombard: Many companies use burlap for erosion control products. Maybe the bags could be used for that purpose. I do not think the ink is a tremendous source of pollutants. I worked on a project which is the world's largest bulk coffee handling facility in New Orleans, LA, called Silocaf. The purpose of the company was that coffee could be shipped in bulk in containers and did not have to be shipped in burlap bags. E-mail: deblombard [ A T ] swinter [ D O T ] com --------- From Barbara (Nichols) Zaccheo: You probably already know about her, but I'd call Mary Applehof to check with her about vermicomposting issues related to burlap bags. Her website is at: www.wormwoman.com I'd ask the burlap bag manufacturers if they are recycled or reused. They'll probably know. E-mail: Nichols (DOT) Barbaraa (AT) epamail (DOT) epa (DOT) gov --------- From Pat Jones: The burlap bags in excellent condition that have printed names of coffee companies and locations are saleable as wall hangings, framed or not, in trendy stores or maybe through a Web site. E-mail: pjjones [AT] worldnet [DOT] att [DOT] net - end -