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02 Feb 01 - phones; polystyrene; water bottles; Toronto; electronics; simple living; tires; mercury; archive ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive --------------------- From Polagaya Fine, Snohomish County Solid Waste Management Division, Everett, WA, responding to the 1/29/01 posting about the pocket-sized disposable mobile phones (which are expected to cost about $10) that will be introduced later this year: While I'm not in favor of another disposable product, and would prefer something more durable - especially since the thing is refillable (minutes can be added) - the price is certainly right. Since I don't need a cell phone all the time, I priced pre-paid phones offered by various folks from Sprint to 7-11 to Radio Shack. Cost: Around $90 for the phone and from 60 cents to $1.75 per minute. At less than 15 cents per minute, for phone and minutes both, and being refillable, I predict a great market for the disposable phones for folks who don't want or need full-time phone or cell phone availability. On the waste prevention front, this might be a great alternative to wired service for some people, from college students to summer cabin vacationers, eliminating the need for wiring and infrastructure in low-use applications, and might replace full-time cell phone service for people with emergency-only needs. E-mail: polagaya (D O T) fine (A T) co (D O T) snohomish (D O T) wa (D O T) us --------------------- Excerpted from a message from Steve Engel, Metro, Portland, OR, responding to the 1/12/01 posting about International Foam Solutions and their system for polystyrene recycling that turns the polystyrene into a gel, reducing the volume of the polystyrene: I work at Metro, the three-county regional government in Portland. I've been helping the Portland Public Schools research recycling alternatives to the defunct Polystyrene Recycling Corporation of America. My interviews with the West Coast distributor for International Foam Solutions, and with several school systems (which were pilot projects, not contracts) indicate ongoing problems with this technology, including: Projected costs higher than advertised, particularly for solvent and shipping, totaling much more than disposal or previous recycling; more extensive handling time and lower through-put potential than claimed; shipping manifest responsibility ultimately resting with the generator; and no current end-user for the resulting gel, which now must be shipped to Florida for storage. I suggest anyone interested in this company check it out thoroughly with their pilot project sites. I spoke with the Bakersfield City School District and the Los Angeles Unified School District. I haven't called East Coast schools listed in the company's website, but if someone else does so, let us know what you find. Perhaps the company has improved its system in the last six months. Also, look up this publicly-traded outfit ($0.10 per share last time I looked) on the Web, at locations other than their own website. Check out their recent financial data. I commend their effort and intent but can't say much for their early performance. E-mail: engels [AT] metro [DOT] dst [DOT] or [DOT] us Note: The website for International Foam Solutions is at: http://www.internationalfoamsolutions.com/ ---------------------- From Tom Watson, National Waste Prevention Coalition and King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA: I received a call this week from someone seeking information on the waste that is generated when companies provide unlimited bottles of drinking water for their employees. It appears that some companies, especially in the "Silicon Valley" area of California, have gotten away from the traditional 5-gallon refillable bottles that fit into water coolers. Instead, they provide half-liter or 20-ounce bottles of water for their staff. Employees apparently like those smaller bottles because they can take them with them to meetings easily, and keep the caps on so they don't spill. Also, employees like not having to wrestle the 5-gallon bottles into the water cooler. Some of the companies have recycling programs for the smaller bottles. However, there is still a lot more waste of resources by using those smaller bottles, instead of the water cooler or water filtration systems. Also, companies would likely save money by using filtration systems or water coolers, instead of providing the smaller bottles. Does anyone have any statistics or information on this issue, or ideas on how to promote the use of water coolers or filtration systems as alternatives? Thanks! E-mail: tom (D O T) watson (A T) metrokc (D O T) gov --------------------- Excerpted from a 1/29/01 press release from the City of Toronto, from the city's website (forwarded by Gary Liss): Vowing to find ways to take care of our own waste, Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman has announced the formation of "Task Force 2010" to consult with the people of Toronto and recommend a comprehensive waste diversion plan to the Toronto City Council by June, 2001. "We need a plan which everyone can buy into so that, by 2010, all our waste will be recycled, reused or composted," said Mayor Lastman. "I am... asking all members of Toronto City Council to participate in the activities of the task force." In 2000, Toronto households created 920,000 tonnes of waste or about one tonne per household. Seventy-six per cent was sent to landfill and 24 per cent was recycled, composted or re-used. The goal of Task Force 2010 is 30 per cent diversion by 2003, 60 per cent by 2006 and 100 per cent by 2010. Task Force 2010 will consult broadly with citizens and environmental organizations and with the environmental industry. The task force also has plans to open discussions with senior levels of government and the private sector. ---------------------- Excerpted from a 2/1/01 press release from the Electronic Industries Alliance, Arlington, VA (first seen on the Reuse Development Organization listserv): The Electronic Industries Alliance has announced an industry-led effort to encourage consumers to reuse and recycle used electronics such as TVs, personal computers, VCRs and cell phones. The effort, named the Consumer Education Initiative, or CEI, includes a website that directs users to local charities, needy schools, neighborhood and community demanufacturers, and other local and national recycling programs that collect used electronics. The website is at: http://www.eiae.org --------------------- From Marcia Rutan, Snohomish County Solid Waste Management Division, Everett, WA: Below is the link to the January-March, 2001, newsletter from the Simple Living Network. It is packed with interesting articles related to lowering consumption and enhancing resource conservation. Feature articles by Cecile Andrews, Alan Atkisson and Vicki Robins are included. Enjoy! http://www.simpleliving.net/newsletter --------------------- Links to websites on tire retreading and scrap tires: Tire Retread Information Bureau website: http://www.retread.org "Tire Retreading in the 21st Century" web page: http://www.umeme.maine.edu/mick/Tires/Reuse%20and%20Recycle.htm This web page is part of the website of Mick Peterson Jr., a professor at the University of Maine in Orono, ME, who has done research on retreading. "Scrap Tire Facts" web page: http://www.umeme.maine.edu/mick/Tires/tire-facts.html The source for these statistics is the Scrap Tire Management Council, Washington, DC. -------------------- Link to an article by Jeff Plungis in the 1/23/01 Detroit News about mercury in automobiles (first seen in Jim DiPeso's Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center news bulletin): http://detnews.com/2001/autos/0101/23/b04-178846.htm The article quotes a new report that says U.S. automakers have failed to make good on promises to end the use of harmful mercury in cars and trucks. The report says automotive electrical switches account for 11 percent of mercury emissions today. In contrast, Toyota, Volvo and BMW have completely eliminated mercury switches in their vehicles, according to the report. -------------------- From Tom Watson, National Waste Prevention Coalition and King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA: I just wanted to say THANK YOU again to Darin Cosgrove of Reuses.com, in Brockville, Ontario, who created the archive for the Waste Prevention Forum in 1999 and has maintained it ever since. Darin does this for nothing, and it's really a valuable tool for me and many others. If anything ever goes wrong (which is rare), Darin just fixes it and sends me a cheerful e-mail to tell me it's fixed (even when the problem originated on my end!). Thanks Darin! We really appreciate it! The link to the archive is at the top of this and every installment of the forum. If you would like to learn more about Reuses.com, see their website at: http://www.reuses.com - end -