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15 Feb 02 - packaging; Staples; NYC; construction; exchanges; online renewals; quote ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- Excerpted from a message from Jan Whitworth, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Solid Waste Program, Portland, OR: Oregon DEQ is requesting proposals for two projects: Packaging design technical evaluation, and environmental impact lifecycle analysis of packaging and packaging systems. The two RFPs are described below. These services are needed to assist us with a business waste prevention project to evaluate packaging alternatives for select manufacturers in Oregon, and to develop packaging waste prevention best management practices and guidelines for use by businesses. We will be looking primarily at secondary or shipping-type packaging during this 18-month project. If anyone wants to know more about either of these projects, or would like complete copies of the Requests for Proposals (RFPs), contact me at (503) 229-6434 or by e-mail at: Whitworth [DOT] Jan [AT] deq [DOT] state [DOT] or [DOT] us You could also call David Allaway at (503) 229-5479. Proposals for both projects are due by March 7, 2002. Request #0005109 - The DEQ is seeking assistance in the technical (engineering) evaluation of packaging design, packaging materials, and systems, including their feasibility and cost. The DEQ expects to contract with a firm with significant experience in packaging design and problem solving, particularly in environmentally-progressive design. The resulting contract will require billing based on hourly rates for personnel assigned and reimbursement of other direct expenses. Contractor will perform work on an "on-call" basis and any/all work will be authorized under Task Release Orders (TROs). There is no guarantee that any specific level of work or overall dollar amounts will be assigned to contractor. Request #0005110 - DEQ is requesting proposals for qualified firms to provide technical assistance and conduct packaging material and system lifecycle analysis. DEQ expects to contract with a firm with significant experience in conducting environmental impact lifecycle analysis of packaging materials and systems. ---------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the National Waste Prevention Coalition: Well, I'm glad the Staples office supplies chain has cleared everything up about their Feb 17-18 computer recycling and reuse events! Just kidding! Obviously there is a lot of confusion over these events. The e-mails have been flying since the 2/12/02 Waste Prevention Forum ran Staples' initial press release about this program. Several of these e-mails have quoted Staples staff, with completely contradictory information. Here's what is currently on Staples' website about the events: http://www.staples.com/recycle Hopefully a lot of computers will get reused and recycled through this project, without too many people getting ticked off in the process. Afterward, if anyone has info on the results of this program, please pass it along. Thanks! E-mail: tom (D O T) watson (A T) metrokc (D O T) gov ---------------------- Excerpted from a message from Maggie Clarke, New York City Waste Prevention Coalition, New York, NY: I know this Forum is strictly for waste prevention, but I thought this appropriate since having done waste prevention in NYC could have prevented this: Yup, it's true. As a cost-cutting feature, new major Michael Bloomberg proposes to relieve New York City Dept. Of Sanitation (DOS) of collecting all glass, metal and plastic. Nifty, eh? Just think. If our pal Giuliani (former major) had just instituted the cost-saving waste prevention measures we'd asked for years ago, they would have been rolling in millions of dollars in savings now, and they wouldn't have had to make any cuts in DOS expenditures. (These cuts are being made because NYC has lost $4-5 BILLION in tax revenues thanks to Sept. 11 - all who think that NYC even got the $20 billion we were promised by Bush should think again - and that figure doesn't include money for cleaning apartments of asbestos, much less replacing these huge losses to the economy.) So now the City compounds its problems by adding to waste export. Now, not just more than half of these recyclables will be exported and burned or landfilled, but ALL of them will be. Our waste export rate will go upwards towards 90 percent. I'll bet the incinerators will choke on all the extra metal and glass - won't Newark be pleased. The incinerators were not designed for the combination of "garbage" they are in for. I'll bet they haven't even thought about implications (other than economic) of this plan - so what else is new? If we can get New York City's Independent Budget Office to expedite a study on costs of recycling vs. costs of export, that's our best weapon. If the City Council really wants to support recycling, not to mention prevention, this will turn into one of the first big battles of the new Administration. E-mail: mclarke [ A T ] shiva [ D O T ] hunter [ D O T ] cuny [ D O T ] edu ---------------------- The next two postings are in response to the 2/6/02 posting seeking websites with information on construction techniques that result in less waste. ---------------------- From Sandra Nussbaum, Hennepin County Environmental Services, Minneapolis, MN: See the newly updated "Green Building Resources," from the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, at: http://www.moea.state.mn.us There are some great links at this site. E-mail: sandra (DOT) nussbaum (AT) co (DOT) hennepin (DOT) mn (DOT) us ---------------------- From Brian Fuller, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: Here is a link to the Used Building Materials Association website: http://bcn.boulder.co.us/environment/ubma/index.html They may have information on deconstruction techniques. E-mail: FULLER (D O T) Brian (A T) deq (D O T) state (D O T) or (D O T) us ---------------------- Link to information on the Midwest Waste Exchange Roundtable, to be held May 7-8, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa (from the Reuse Development Organization listserv): http://www.recycleiowa.org/mwe502.htm This roundtable will focus on issues related to materials exchange operations in the Midwestern corridor. It is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, Recycle Iowa and Keep Nebraska Beautiful. There is no cost to attend the roundtable, but participation is limited to those directly involved in state material exchange operations. ----------------------- Link to an example of how one state now allows residents to renew their motor vehicle registrations online, using their credit card (forwarded by Suzi Wong Swint and Marcia Rutan): https://wws2.wa.gov/dol/vehtabs This is the website for the Online Vehicle Registration Renewal system for Washington state. ---------------------- From Sierra magazine, March/April 2002: This quote by Wendell Berry, from an essay written in response to the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, originally appeared on the OrionOnline.org website. "We do need a 'new economy,' but one that is founded on thrift and care, on saving and conserving, not on excess and waste. An economy based on waste is inherently and hopelessly violent, and war is its inevitable by-product. We need a peaceable economy." - Wendell Berry, "Thoughts in the Presence of Fear," Sept. 26, 2001 - end -